Economist Daniel Artana supported the recent announcements by the Central Bank (BCRA) on exchange rate policy, calling the decision to accelerate the monthly depreciation of the peso by more than 1% and to explicitly state dollar purchases to rebuild its reserves as "quite positive." In an interview with the "Esta Mañana" program on Radio Rivadavia, Artana highlighted that the measure aims to improve the reserves situation, though he warned that a higher exchange rate could delay the convergence of the inflation rate. In this context, he stated that "accumulating reserves was something everyone was asking for," emphasizing that the monetary authority seeks to improve credibility. However, he pointed out that distrust regarding monetary policy still persists. In this regard, he noted that Argentina is "a patient in recovery" since "the credibility of traditional monetary policy is still not great, so people continue to think in dollars." In his analysis, the economist held that the cost of the decision could be reflected in inflation by indicating that "the only negative thing it can generate is that if the exchange rate ends up being a bit higher, it will delay the convergence in the inflation rate." In forecasting the behavior of prices in the coming months, he indicated that "inflation is going to fall more slowly," although he estimated that "I don't think 2.5% is going to be maintained." Regarding the exchange rate clamp, Artana acknowledged that while "nobody likes it," the portion that remains in effect is "the toughest." Based on his opinion, he expressed that the lifting of restrictions for individuals should have been more gradual, indicating that "I wouldn't have lifted the clamp for individuals all at once in April." Likewise, he reaffirmed the need to move towards an economy without exchange restrictions, ensuring that "it is an anomaly to have a clamp, so we must converge towards that."
