For business owners, the Government did an “excellent” job, but the most complex thing is still missing

The business establishment showed its support for the economic direction at the Abeceb Forum in Puerto Madero, but at the same time asked to improve competitiveness.

With Dante Sica, former minister of Cambiemos management and director of the consulting firm, and Mariana Camino, CEO of Abeceb, as hosts and under the motto “Battle of the year: status quo vs. cultural change”, The meeting brought together former presidents such as Mauricio Macri and the Spanish Mariano Rajoy and businessmen such as Luis Pérez Companc and Mariano Bosch.

The 900 executives who filled the Faena Art Center were eager to hear from Minister Federico Sturzenegger and President Javier Milei, who were going to be the closing speakers of the event.. But first Milei and then Sturzenegger left the Forum due to scheduling issues. The officials missed out on feeling the support for the “cultural change” that was circulating in Faena, with recognition of financial management and some concern about an economic recovery that, although it has started, continues to feel lukewarm.

Among the businessmen, one of the most anticipated voices was that of Luis Pérez Companc, president of Molinos Agro, Molinos Río de la Plata and PeCom Servicios Energía. “I am convinced that Argentina in the medium and long term will have a more important relevance than today. “The world needs energy and food and Argentina can offer them.”

Regarding the country’s role, the businessman said: “We are very competitive in agrobusiness and we are on the way to being very competitive in energy. We are applying technology to mature fields to be able to extract oil at increasingly lower costs. One has to think about those things and dream big,” he said. But at the same time lamented the missed opportunities. “Twenty years ago we produced 50 million tons, the same as Brazil, and today they are at 150 million and we are still at 50 million.”

“Argentina is at a pivotal moment. What the Government has done in such a short time has been an excellent job in stabilizing the macroeconomy, there is still much to do and what remains is the most complex. The challenge is to be competitive and increase productivity, leveraging our natural resources and talent. “We are on the right path,” he added.

Pérez Companc gave an example of the change of era. “We began in Chubut to take over a mature production area. The conversations with the governor and the unions were very productive. Today everyone understands that the model has to change, that we have to be more efficient. If we do not work together to achieve more productivity, it will be very difficult for Argentina to change. “It’s not going to happen overnight, but we’re on the right path.”

Martín Castelli, president of Blue Star Group, the company that owns the Todo Moda and Isadora brands, participated in the same panel. “Argentina must be integrated to sell to the world, to export, not to import and buy a lot, there I think there is an agenda that could be interesting,” he noted.

Also Mariano Bosch, CEP of Adecco Agro, said that “there is a very good opportunity for Argentina and the region to produce more and more sustainable food; I am very excited about the opportunity that we have as a company to export more milk, more rice. , more grain, more peanuts”.

When asked by Dante Sica about how they see the current situation in the country, Bosch responded: “I think it’s good that more and more markets are opening up and there is more and more competition.. In our case, how can I worry if milk is imported from Uruguay if I am convinced that the country produces the best milk in the world?” he added.