The government of Argentina President Javier Milei announced this week that he will start the state company’s privatization process Argentine Waters and Sanitation (Ayssa), responsible for water treatment and sanitation of the great Buenos Aires.
According to the newspaper The countrythe government will put for sale 90% of the company’s shares for the private sector. The remaining 10% will continue with employees of the company under the stock participation program, which will not be changed by the executive.
The Argentine government intends, according to spokesman Manuel Adorni, to “make a bidding adjusted to the highest national and international standards,” in order to “modernize the sector and improve the price and quality of service.”
In the announcement, held last Friday, Adorni stressed that the privatization project will be regulated by the National Securities Commission, and also took the opportunity to criticize the management of leftist Alberto Fernández.
“Only in the previous government were over $ 4.8 billion with Aysa, which worked as a campaign platform,” said Adorni. “In all, 200 million dollars were destined for works in the regions of Argentine Tiger and Malvinas, the two municipalities from which their directive summit came,” he said.
During Fernández’s management, Ayssa registered a $ 230 million deficit by 2023 – which, according to economists in the country – was caused by the freezing of electricity bills prices to contain high inflation in Argentina.
Ayssa’s privatization – nationalized in 2006 by then -President Nestor Kirchner – was one of President Javier Milei’s main campaign promises sworn in 2024.
