Santa Fe governor Antonio Bonfatti raised the stakes on Thursday and asked the National Government to pay an $8 billion pesos debt, after recently demanding it also pays the province a debt of $1.3 billion pesos in pension funds.
The head of the Santa Fe governor presented before the Supreme Court a claim similar to the one presented by Cordoba governor José Manuel de la Sota, currently demanding the payment of a $1 billion debt from the National Government.
Bonfatti’s claims are related to the transfer of the management of pension funds to the National Government, a methodology that several provinces chose not to implement.
“I hope we can come up with a solution without taking the matter to court. We think that if the debt is fully canceled if would leave us in spectacular conditions,” he said.
He admitted, however, that he is a “prudent” person and assured that the province “is simply asking to be allowed to get its cut, which is a 15 percent of the co-participation funds.”
“We have to be sensitive and work together for the country,” the governor explained.
Regarding Santa Fe’s current financial situation, Bonfatti admitted there are “certain difficulties due to a drop in economic activity.”
Source: Buenos Aires Herald