TEHRAN, November 16 - In the Buenos Aires metro, Roberto stands in his empty snack bar and shrugs as people hurry past. He knows the problem: "There's simply no money," he says.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - Argentina's economic crisis and runaway inflation has eroded most people's purchasing power to the point where they can't make ends meet at the end of the month, let alone afford a lunchtime snack in Roberto's shop.
Even for those who have a declared, tax-paying job in a country with a massive black economy, it's difficult to make wages last until the end of the month.
"What makes me anxious is the food prices and the rent for the apartment, which has gone up enormously," said Antonia Vianello, a mother of two children, aged 17 and two.
"If it continues like this, next year's going to be hard," said Vianello, a receptionist in a clinic.
"For the moment, we've decided that our eldest will look after his little brother while we work."
Hilde counts and recounts her money in a shop before grimacing and paying up. At 86, she spends a lot of time looking for vegetables she can afford.
"Medicines have become very expensive," she said. "I can't manage with my pension, 8,000 pesos (220 dollars), so my children have to help me." The cinema and the threater are "luxuries" she can no longer afford.
Most Argentines have had to cut down drastically in the hopes of riding out an economic crisis that has seen the peso lose half its value against the dollar this year, as the conservative government slashed public service jobs.
On Thursday, the Senate approved an austerity budget which lops 10 percent off last year's, calling for greater sacrifices from a beleaguered public.
Inflation rose more than five percent during the month of October, surpassing 45 percent for the year.
President Mauricio Macri has promised to lower it to 10 percent by the end of his mandate next year, but most Argentines see that as highly unlikely.
Thousands of jobs have been lost through recession, particularly in the public sector.
Rafael Lopez, 50, puts a brave face on it, saying sales at his grocery shop are holding up, including the traditional Argentine "alfajore" cakes. But his profit margins have disappeared.
"You have to watch everything to find savings. Electricity? I only have two bulbs. No gas. No landline. I'm trying to cut fixed costs to an absolute minimum."
Source: AFP
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