Controversy over the increase in fees for Viedma merchants

The Viedma Chamber of Commerce held a meeting with councilor Roberta Scavo and expressed concern about the increase in fees for Viedma merchants, after the Ordinance that creates the Municipal Citizen Security Tax.

“The municipality of Viedma goes hunting in the zoo,” said Scavo and explained “Yesterday we learned that the municipal executive intends to increase municipal taxes by 10% merchants with the excuse of investing in security.

According to the ordinance, these are businesses classified as “Large Taxpayers” and the funds collected monthly they will be used for the acquisition of video surveillance cameras, accessories and lighting elements for critical areas, equipment maintenance, among others.

But what aroused the controversy is that “he did not even communicate it to the sector”affirmed the councilor of Cambia Río Negro.

“We met with members of the Viedma Chamber of Commerce to listen to their opinion and find out their position,” said Scavo, who He attended together with councilors Vanessa Cacho Devicenzi from PAR and Zulma Romero from FdT.

Neither «There are no details regarding the scope that the measure will have because of the reading of the proposal it can be deduced that it will reach all merchants except monotributistas” and pointed out that “the Chamber of Commerce asked us for a copy of the project and expressed its surprise at said news.”

They also indicated that “yesterday we found out about the existence of the project and we requested time to listen to all parties and be able to have the necessary information when evaluating an increase in rates to what The ruling party refused and weighed its majority and decided to give an opinion in a hurry, between roosters and midnight.

The councilors agreed that “having the majority (some pro-government and other recent passes from one political color to another) does not mean having the absolute truth, it is important that we can listen and fundamentally if the affected sector (businesses) is requesting it.”

Scavo once again considered that this increase in rates is “absolutely wrong” and a bit confusing. The sector is going through a difficult economic-financial situation (as happens to any Argentine), inflation, tax pressure, the end of the pandemic, the drop in sales and the distressing economic outlook mean that keeping the doors open for a while commerce is more and more painful.