Capitanich defends new controls on overseas internet purchases

Capitanich

Chief of Cabinet Jorge Capitanich has defended new conditions for shopping online outside of Argentina, stating that the measures introduced by the AFIP help to encourage national interests and industry.

According to the updated regulations, buyers will have to complete a sworn statement and will be limited to two purchases per year via internet, if the seller is based overseas.

Capitanich asserted, in this morning’s press briefing at Government House, that 65 percent of the merchandise bought from overseas came from Hong Kong and China. «What we are doing is defending Argentines’ money,» he maintained.

«We want transparent operations and we want to ask the Argentine people: ‘Do you want there to be national production?’. Therefore we have to defend what is ours,» he added.

«It is not easy to penetrate countries in order to sell value-added Argentine products. What we can do is defend Argentine money, the national interest; it should be shared by all.»

The cabinet chief also criticised certain economists who had stated that Argentine was lacking a coherent fiscal model, labelling the unnamed academics «eternal failures, employees or spokesmen for dominant groups,» whose opinions «border on the ridiculous and irresponsible.»
buenosairesherald.com