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The recent disaster in Bahía Blanca has rekindled the debate over investment in public works, an area that has undergone drastic adjustments under the administration of President Javier Milei. While the national government maintains its position of transferring responsibility for these investments to the provinces and the private sector, governors are seeking alternatives to complete key projects, appealing to their own funds and individual negotiations with the Casa Rosada (Presidential Palace). One of the most representative cases is that of Córdoba, where Governor Martín Llaryora announced a tender to complete two sections of the highway on National Route 19, with an investment of USD 153.9 million. The project, originally under the responsibility of the National Government, was transferred to the province through an agreement. Furthermore, the national government authorized guarantees for Córdoba to access a USD 375 million loan to finance infrastructure, as well as other provinces such as Santa Fe (USD 555 million), CABA (USD 300 million), Chubut (USD 145 million), Salta (USD 200 million), Chaco (USD 120 million), and Neuquén (USD 20 million). The Ieral report by the Mediterranean Foundation indicates that public investment in Argentina fell to a historic low in 2024, representing only 1.3% of GDP, compared to 2.6% in 2022 and 2023. The sharpest reduction was in national investment, which fell from 0.8% to 0.3% of GDP, while provincial investments fell from 1.4% to 0.8% due to lower transfers of resources from the nation. One of the most affected sectors is road infrastructure. The government had announced the privatization of national highways, but so far, no significant progress has been made. Governors such as Maximiliano Pullaro (Santa Fe), Axel Kicillof (Buenos Aires), and Sergio Ziliotto (La Pampa) have expressed concern about the deterioration of roads and the lack of funding for their maintenance. In Salta, Governor Gustavo Sáenz emphasized that his administration has supported more than 450 projects with its own resources, while the national government has committed to financing 11 strategic routes in the province. Despite the widespread cuts, at the end of 2024 the national government approved a series of projects worth $85.035 billion, including road infrastructure in Santa Fe, sanitation works in Tucumán, and improvements to national parks in Chubut, Córdoba, and Tierra del Fuego. However, several provinces, such as Misiones and Catamarca, have expressed concern about the delay in implementing agreements signed last year. Given this situation, governors continue to explore strategies to sustain infrastructure development in their districts, combining their own resources, international loans, and specific agreements with the nation in a context of financial uncertainty. |
