Buenos Aires, Feb 17 (NA) - The Ministry of Deregulation and State Transformation has proceeded with the rental contract for offices at Avenida Presidente Roque Sáenz Peña 788 (Diagonal Norte) for 720 million pesos for a 12-month period, with a monthly rent of $60 million for the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th floors, plus 24 parking spaces in the same building. According to Noticias Argentinas agency, the procurement was processed as a direct contract through simple adjudication, and according to the file documentation, only one offer was presented, from the firm OTOBA S.A., which was ultimately recommended for adjudication as being 'admissible and economically convenient'. The purchase order was signed by Minister Federico Sturzenegger on November 30, 2025. The monthly price set for each floor is $15 million. Converted to the reference value used in the file to gauge the expense, the total rent of $720 million is equivalent to about USD 480,000, while the monthly payment of $60 million is around USD 40,000. In recent days, the minister has been embroiled in another controversy following the investigation by Noticias Argentinas agency into the award of a contract by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for English language training to the Argentine Association of English Culture (AACI), an entity led by María Josefina Rouillet, his wife. This was added to the public debate over Article 44 of the labor reform related to the medical leave scheme, a chapter that —according to journalistic reconstructions— marked a breaking point in the internal discussion of the ruling coalition. While one ministry publicizes the 'Alquiler Cero' (Zero Rent) program, another officially formalizes a multi-million dollar rental contract right in the heart of the Buenos Aires financial district. This creates a strong contrast. First, the contract stipulates that ordinary expenses, electricity, gas, and other utilities will be the responsibility of the tenant (the State), while extraordinary expenses correspond to the landlord. In practice, this implies that the real cost to the State could exceed the published rental amount, as expenses and services run on top of the rent. Second, the decision is inserted into an internal government discussion: the file mentions a note from the State Asset Administration Agency (AABE) on the need to comply with the 'ALQUILER CERO' program, which aims to avoid new rental expenditures and prioritize relocations in state-owned properties.
