On the second and last day of the Argentine Industrial Union’s (UIA) annual conference, which president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is expected to close with a speech, its head Héctor Méndez said that the relation with the president “is in no way strained.”
“The president has joined us in every single one of our conferences. There is no strain,” Méndez said during an interview with FM Nacional Rock radio. However, the industrial leader acknowledged that recently there have been several demands from its sector to the government. “Each in its place, but we all due respect we say what we need to say,” he stated.
The conference is being held amid growing tensions between business leaders and the federal government over the new anti-hoarding law, whose constitutionality is challenged by the so called G6 group of Argentina’s top business leaders, and the drop in the country’s economic activity.
Méndez said this year was “a little bumpy, complicated and tense” but he said that everything is going “as expected.” The industrial leader highlighted that 2015 will be an election year, and he recommended “caution.” He pointed out that “there is no debacle or catastrophe, only the reasonable scenario in a country going through a pre-election year.”
Furthermore, he expressed optimism about the years ahead. “We believe that next year (the economy) will bounce back a little and that from 2016 forward,”he said. “Industrial investments have always been there, with all government, when there is growth and profit in the industrial sector.”
Ms. Kirchner is expected to arrive at the UIA Conference in Pilar at 7 pm today to deliver a speech defending her administration’s industrial policies.
Renewal Front’s Sergio Massa spoke yesterday at the conference and opposition leaders Mauricio Macri and Julio Cobos have also been invited to speak at the event. Entre Ríos governor Segio Urribarri, Economy Minister Axel Kicillof and Defence Minister Agustín Rossi are expected to deliver speeches today.
Méndez praised “the plurality of the conference” and celebrated its full attendance. “We are very happy. We have no more room,” he said.
buenosairesherald.com