ARGENTINA-UNFAIR TAXES.
"The tax burden tends to suffocate the free press," the ADEPA newspapers owners association said in a statement.
Opening two days of discussions, the 139th ADEPA Editors’ Assembly yesterday addressed the difficult financial situation in which most of the Argentine media are immersed. Their plight is made even worse by abusive tax pressure which could drive many of them out of business.
ADEPA had held various meetings held with the Cabinet Chief and other government officials with the aim of getting the State to commit itself — as provided for by Decree 756/2003 — to tackle to fiscal inbalance presently clouding media survival.
Both the Cabinet Chief and other Government House officials had assured ADEPA the government was firmly committed to solving media fiscal hurdles for good. They also said the President would sign a new decree whereby printed as well as audiovisual media could settle their fiscal debt by releasing official advertising in exchange.
Everything looked as if the two parties were heading toward a solution. Signature of the decree appeared to be imminent but, inexplicably, signature of the decree was put off, ADEPA said.
In the last few days two Chief-of-Staff under-secretaries assured ADEPA the President had still to signed the decree off, thereby the promises of a solution made to ADEPA had vanished overnight.
The government’s failure to keep its promise has prompted ADEBA to publish a paid ad on most national newspapers today. The paid ad is titled "Requisitory tax burden." Initially, it was scheduled to appear in March but ADEPA decided to postpone its release due to "repeated requests" by the Cabinet Chief-of-Staff.
The editor of a Northern daily newspaper told assembly members he gets tax inspections every week. He dubbed these as harassment tactics which are also being used elsewhere in the country.
Another board member said press freedom was not the only value at stake. "The rule of the Law has in fact been broken," he said.
