Argentina changes the import system to eliminate “bureaucratic loopholes”

He Government of Argentina replaced the current Import System of the Argentine Republic (SIRA) with a new Statistical Import System (SEDI) in order to eliminate “bureaucratic turns” to the import trade in the South American country.

With the end of the SIRA and the implementation of the SEDI “The official on duty ends up being able to decide what we want to export and what not.“said the presidential spokesperson, Manuel Adorni, in a press conference at the Casa Rosada (seat of Government) when referring to the Executive’s resolution, which was published this Tuesday in the Official Gazette of Argentina.

The new model will allow the Argentine government value more “the decision of the private person than that of the one who is behind a desk“, emphasized the government spokesperson. “We always trust the worker more than the bureaucrat”, he reiterated.

The controversial SIRA was adopted by who was Minister of Economy during the second half of the Government of Alberto Fernández (2019-2023), Sergio Massa, who was also the presidential candidate who defeated the ultraliberal Javier Milei in the runoff held on November 19.

The import system, which was one of Massa’s ‘star measures’, established quotas on purchases from abroad in Argentinainstalling a discretionary system of licenses and permits for imports.

With the new scheme, which had already been advanced by the current Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, it will not be necessary to process licenses for shipments intended for consumption.

The SEDI is a statistical system that will not require prior licenses, but will require declarations, in order to carry out a tax analysis of the importers.

According to the Government, the new system will correct “distortions in the market” that generated SIRA.

The system established by the previous Minister of Economy “has affected the performance and predictability of national companies, generating serious difficulties in the trade of goods and services in the country, as well as a significant commercial debt with foreign suppliers.”says the resolution implemented by the Milei Government.