translated from Spanish: Co-sharing: City to curb infrastructure works by withdrawing funds

Diego Santilli, Vice-President of Government of the City of Buenos Aires, spoke this Sunday in dialogue with Radio Mitre on how the adjustment for the removal of co-sharing funds that the Nation cut him at the end of this year will affect the district. Among the most significant measures he mentioned the temporary paralysis of large infrastructure works. In this sense, Santilli stated that “the attack on autonomy” of the City is very strong and considered that with this the National Government only manages to “reduce federalism in our country”, unlike what the President argues by justifying the approval of this measure that would aim to promote the autonomy of the provinces.” When you want to sustain federalism, you have to increase provincial autonomy. The City of Buenos Aires contributes 22% of Argentina’s revenue and received 3.5%,” Santilli considered justifying this point.

On the cut in infrastructure works in the City, Larreta Security Minister said: “We are going to stop doing a lot of infrastructure works to sustain and consolidate this resource drop. The great works are going to stop until we have a step from the Supreme Court that restores CABA’s resources.” Regarding the judicial situation of the case, the Porteño official emphasized that he has faith that the Maximus Tribunal will rule on “defense of autonomy, as he did with San Luis or Córdoba” and regretted that “these demands usually last a long time”. It is worth remembering that the measure of cutting funds to the City was approved in order to favor the Province of Buenos Aires, territory that according to its governor Axel Kicillof “needs resources” because there resides the most vulnerable sectors. Despite the remove, the Vice-Chief of Government of Buenos Aires noted that the City of Buenos Aires decided to sustain “investment in education, health, education and maintenance”. He also stated that there will be no reduction in the security or trash budget. Asked about whether removing it from funds affected the city government’s relationship with Alberto Fernández, Santilli stated that: “It hurts institutionally, one cannot think of Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, Alberto Fernández, Cristina Kirchner or Mauricio Macri, one has to think of Argentines. The country’s great challenge is to bet on dialogue to find points of agreement and take care of the work of Argentines,” he reiterated.

Original source in Spanish