Minister Alex Contreras: economic impact in 5 days of protests amounts to S/200 million

The head of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), Alex Contreras, He specified that in the first five days of protests there has been an economic impact of S/200 million (preliminary figure), especially in Ica and Puno, and in the tourism sector, during an interview in RPP. On Wednesday, January 4, the protests in different parts of the country, with greater emphasis on southern regions, which also includes Arequipa and Cusco.

“There are sectors that are much more affected and the impact could be long-term. For example, in the case of tourism, we have a preliminary estimate of the cost. It is more limited if we compare it with December, but if one analyzes it from the regional point of view, the impact is much greater because they are additional costs to those already generated that month. We estimate a cost of S/200 million in these affected areas, which could be amplified,” commented the minister.

Minister Contreras stressed that the worst thing is that in some cases the impact will not be transitory, for example, in tourism it will take two to three quarters for them to recover. However, he pointed out that the MEF and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur) have a strategy to reactivate the sightseeing once public order has been restored, within the framework of the Con Punche Peru plan.

It should be remembered that the plan, in terms of the sector sightseeing, includes the promotion of investment and unlocking of regional airport projects; replacement of contingency equipment that was affected during the protests; improvement of airstrips; investment in tourist circuits such as Machu Picchu, Kuelap, Colca Canyon, among others. The IGV of goods purchased by foreign tourists will also be refunded, measures that will have a total cost of S/500 million.