Updated 01:15 PM EDT, Thu, Apr 18, 2024

Argentine President Maurico Macri Moves to Fix Government Data & 12 Years of Populist Policies

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Agentine President Mauricio Macri has been moving quickly to refrom Argentina's economy, which has remained stagnant for over a decade. However, Macri's critics have argued that the changes he has implemented have come too fast, and might do the country more harm than good in the long run.

In a report with The Wall Street Journal, Macri is moving to overhaul 12 years of populist policies. The report with the publication says that fixing Indec's data is vital for Macri's move in fixing the country's broken economy. Inflation figures are being closely watched. Gas prices in the United States are vital for businesses, and for the state.

The former mayor of Buenos Aires announced that a new era has come to Argentina. He added that with small steps comes great transformations.

Since his term, Macri has already begun vital changes in the country, such as removing most agricultural export taxes and cutting personal income taxes. He has also announced a $500 million shale-oil investment. Macri has also appointed business executives for his cabinet, such as Finance Minister Alfonso Prat-Gay and Energy Minister Juan José Aranguren, who was the former CEO of Shell Argentina.

Many Argentines have argued that Macri's steps in transforming the country are anything but "baby steps." The former mayor of Buenos Aires has lifted the country's currency controls set by his predecessor, Cristina Kirchner. This resulted in what is called by financial analysts as a sharp, but smooth devaluation of the peso that allowed citizedns to buy dollars freely for the first time in nearly four years.

Macri has also boosted foreign investor's interest in Argentina. The publication reported that since Macri's term, prices for Argentina's dollar-denominated bonds, which come due in 2033, have jumped. After the Argentine peso weakened to 13.9 per dollar from 9.8, it has strengthened.

The Australian Financial Review reports that he has also proposed to simmer the economic tensions in the country, by keeping Fernandez's price control programs in place. He has also offered a small, one-time payment to about 8 million recipients of state pensions or child benefits.

Economists expect the devaluation of the peso to result in a recession in 2016 before a recovery in 2017, with a projected growth of 3.5 per cent. 

Supporters of Macri seem to understand the progession, calling the last 12 years as "terrible years." Many of his supporters, as well as the rest of Argentina, are waiting for Macri's labors to bear fruit. 

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