The federal government receives about 56% of taxpayer money and the remaining 44% is divided unevenly between the provinces. Despite various attempts at reform, the distribution system has been in place since 1988 because any change would have to be unanimously agreed upon by all 23 provincial governments.
The Argentina Independent took to the streets to ask Argentines what they think of ”co-participation” and whether the system should be reformed.
Portraits: Felipe de la Fuente
Paula Martinez, 24, Primary School Teacher, San Martín
Although I don’t really know a lot about the topic, it’s possible that it says something about our imperfect democracy. You don’t really know on what basis the federal government gives out money to other provinces. Government actions are not always transparent and that can be problematic when talking about issues such as federal co-participation.
Shanina Christiani, 28, Laboratory Technician, Buenos Aires Province
There is definitely poor organisation at the federal and local levels… there’s also a lack of oversight and the executive branch should do more to ensure that the money is evenly distributed.
Joaquin González, 25, Student, Mataderos
The way that funds are distributed does not seem entirely fair and favouritism seems to play a large role. The national government arbitrarily chooses which provinces to give the money to, depending on which provinces produce oil or have strong agro-economies. Co-participation is not transparent because the national government does not want to give funds to provincial governments from the opposition.
Sandra Montesano, 43, Teacher, Ezeiza
I have no idea about co-participation, but it sounds like democracy isn’t utilised well. The people don’t have a say in the way that the money is distributed and as a result, the federal government manages all of the capital. The government distributes the money depending on where their interests lie.
