The Secretary of Commerce sanctioned a series of nightclubs in the city of Bariloche for cartel practices. For the first time in Argentina, the sanction included an order to divest part of the assets of one of the companies involved in the cartel.
Resolution No. 84/2022 of the Secretariat of Mining, published in the Official Gazette on 29 November 2022, created the Federal Registry of Mining Suppliers where individuals and legal entities that, due to their activity or corporate purpose, offer goods, inputs or services, including those of technological innovation and knowledge economy, to companies in the mining sector, may register.
On 29 November 2022, the Agency for Access to Public Information incorporated an online registration form to enable foreign individuals and legal entities that are not established in Argentina but that process personal data of Argentine citizens to register as “responsible for personal databases.”
National and international public tenders for the geological and feasibility exploration of 11,000 hectares in the Salinas Grandes and Laguna de Guayatayoc basins consisting of seven mining properties, in the province of Jujuy, Argentina, will soon be launched for the eventual development and production of lithium carbonate. The bidding documents are for sale until 28 November 2022 and offers will be opened on 12 December 2022. The Tender is based on a private initiative proceeding initiated by Lithos Desarrollos Energéticos SA, which grants the company preference in consideration of bids.
On 1 November 2022, the National Ministry of Security approved the adhesion template and framework agreement template for the federal campaign “STOP. THINK. CONNECT. Argentina” — a campaign for public awareness on cybersecurity and cybercrime prevention. The Ministry has invited the provinces and the city of Buenos Aires to join the Campaign. The main goal of the initiative is to generate, disseminate and implement materials, training and good practices to raise awareness about cybersecurity and cybercrime.
In the special session of 9 November 2022, the Chamber of Deputies granted the necessary approval for Congress to pass Law 27,699 by means of which the Argentine Republic ratifies the Amending Protocol with respect to the Automated Processing of Personal Data (“Convention 108+”). To complete the ratification process, the National Executive Branch will now study the law and, if approved, it will be published in the Official Gazette.
The Public Registry of the City of Buenos Aires established new additional obligations for simplified stock companies (SAS), with the purpose of identifying inactive or fictitious entities.
The General Resolution No. 13/2022, enacted on 27 October 2022, provides obligations for the SAS to evidence: (i) the existence and veracity of the legal domicile; (ii) the request made to have mandatory accounting and corporate books authorized; and (iii) the filing of financial statements corresponding to the fiscal years ending in 2020, 2021 and 2022, if applicable.
Failure to comply with these requirements would result in the Public Registry declaring the SAS as presumably inactive.
On 13 October 2022, Decree No. 682/2022 and Resolution No. 5272/2022 were published in the Official Gazette. With respect to certain transactions covered by the Tax on the Acquisition of Foreign Currency, the Federal Tax Authority added a new Collection Regime at a rate of 25% to the acquisition of foreign currency for certain payments through the Resolution.
By means of the Decree, payments for the (i) acquisition abroad of personal, cultural and recreational services (not including education), in accordance with the Central Bank of Argentina regulations, and (ii) the import of goods listed as “sumptuous” are also levied by the Tax at a rate of 30%.
By means of Joint General Resolution 5271/2022 of the Argentine Tax Authority and the Trade Secretariat published on 11 October 2022: (i) the Import System of the Argentine Republic and the Import System of the Argentine Republic and Payment of Services Abroad systems were implemented; (ii) the Import Information and Monitoring System and the Integral System for Monitoring Foreign Payments of Services were terminated; and (iii) the Single Current Account for Foreign Trade was created.
By means of Decree 679/2022, dated 10 June 2022, the Executive Power created the Promotion of Investments for Exports of Knowledge Economy Activities Regime, and incorporated benefits for those registered in the National Registry of Beneficiaries of the Promotion of the Knowledge Economy Regime provided by Law 27,506.