In Argentina, a controversy over the postponement of the implementation of the new Consumer Price Index (CPI) has escalated into a political and strategic confrontation. This dispute between former officials and the government has exposed internal tensions within the ruling coalition, raised questions about the credibility of official statistics, and opened a debate on the course of economic policy in the context of persistent inflation.
The discussion comes against the backdrop of the resignation of Marco Lavagna from the board of the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INDEC) and has revived the debate on the transparency and credibility of official statistics. Economist Joaquín Cottani, a former Deputy Minister of Economy under Luis Caputo, publicly stated that the new CPI calculation was "ready" for implementation in 2024 and that the postponement agreed upon with the head of INDEC was excessive without technical justification.
Minister Luis Caputo, for his part, claimed that the decision to postpone the new CPI was based on a strategy agreed upon with President Javier Milei not to introduce changes in methodology while the disinflation process was not "completely consolidated." Cottani also criticized the government for not advancing with a "currency rate adjustment" that, in his view, should accompany the disinflation process to avoid future price pressures.
In response, the minister publicly and sharply criticized his former deputy, calling his attempts to "discredit" the economic management "unfounded." In an interview, Cottani confirmed that the revised methodology was concluded as early as mid-2024 and that there were no compelling reasons to delay it further. He linked the controversy to opposition sectors and parts of the press that, in his opinion, seek to "push issues" that harm the government.
Caputo also dismissed Cottani's influence on the current discussion, noting that the former official "never gave interviews before" and now "wanders through the media" to question the official administration. The minister's criticism also included a personal remark about his working relationship with Cottani and the influence Domingo Cavallo had on his appointment as Deputy Minister.
This controversy intensifies at a time when INDEC, the body responsible for measuring inflation and other key statistics, is undergoing a change in leadership following Lavagna's resignation and the appointment of Pedro Lines as his replacement. The repercussions of these statements and decisions may impact the perception of official data and the expectations of various social and economic sectors.
