Buenos Aires Governor Announces Measures to Support Municipalities

Governor Axel Kicillof headed an event on Thursday with mayors and mayoresses from Buenos Aires Province, where he renewed demands over the federal government's failures to comply and announced new measures to strengthen municipal finances. "The result is conclusive: with fewer resources, we must respond to growing needs as the national government deserts its functions and the economic situation deteriorates," he added. "Therefore, while there is a deliberate attempt by the national government to transfer the crisis to the provinces and municipalities, I want to thank the enormous effort that mayors from all political parties are making to face such a complex situation," stated the Governor and added: "We know what we are facing and we are convinced that we must continue on this path: the Province and the municipalities are not going to turn our backs on the people of Buenos Aires who are suffering." During the event, the Governor announced three main announcements. First, Kicillof pointed out: "Although these are not resources originally intended for sharing, we are calling on mayors to adhere to a regulation that allows us to share the revenue collected in the National State Debt Recovery Fund with the Province of Buenos Aires." "At this moment, we have seven complaints before the Supreme Court, from which only what corresponds to FONID will be excluded, which is a right of education workers," he stated. On the other hand, the provincial head indicated that "beyond the financial situation we are going through, the Province of Buenos Aires will do its utmost to fulfill and pay on time and form the installments corresponding to the Fund for Emergency and Strengthening of Municipal Investment, voted together with the provincial budget." Kicillof stressed: "We must be clear when establishing responsibilities: the fault is not with the family that runs out of income or with the businessmen who see their sales fall; the fault is the economic policies of Milei." The first payment will be made on April 30. The Governor also detailed: "After having a first hearing in the Supreme Court for our claim regarding the funds that correspond to us from the Pension Fund, on April 21 we will have a second meeting there with national authorities to continue discussing the need for them to fulfill their obligations and return to us what they stole from us."