|
1 -
Political Status
Argentina, which is a Latin American country,
is a federal state made up of 23 provinces and a
federal district. The capital is Buenos Aires. The
regime is that of a pluralistic democratic
republic.
The constitution dates from 1853 and was modified
in 1994.
The President of the Republic is elected by general
election for a four year term of office, which can
be renewed once.
The present President is Mr Fernando de la Rua,
since the 10th December 1999.
There are 257
members in the Chamber of Deputies, elected for a
four year period, half at a time every two
years.
There are 72 members in the Senate (3 per
province), who are elected for a 6 year term of
office by general election.
Historical outline
1816 : independence after a long struggle
1853 : after several conflicts with Brazil, Bolivia
and Uruguay, Argentina creates its own federal
Consititution
1943 : the outcome of the 1929 crisis was the
coming to power of military regimes which were both
conservative and corrupt. The last of these
presidents, Ramon Castillo, was deposed in 1943 by
a group of nationalist officers, amongst whom was
the future general Peron
1946 : Juan Domingo Peron came to power. He
developed and implemented a doctrine called
"justicialism", which was a mixture of nationalism
and social reform. His wife Eva Duarte, "Evita",
became the high priestess of this doctrine and was
adored by the people.
1955 : Peron was pushed out of power by other
military regimes. He took up exile in Spain, while
Argentina went through a series of crises.
1973 : In spite of being old and in bad health,
Peron was called back to power and re-lauched his
doctrine 1974 : death of Peron. His second wife
Maria Estela "Isabel" replaced him, but the army,
led by General Videla rapidly removed her from
office and took over the country with such ferocity
that they set the country against them
1982 : in a search for popular approval, General
Galtieri invaded the Malouine islands, a British
possession in the south Atlantic, also known as the
Falkland islands
1983 : this military failure brought about the fall
of the regime and the return to power of a civilian
president, Raul Alfonsin
1989 : the country is faced with both political
problems and serious economic problems. The
Peronist opposition won the elections with their
presidential candidate Carlos Menem, who was
re-elected in 1995. 1991 : the law is passed on the
parity of the peso and the dollar : 1 peso = 1
dollar
In the same year the free trade zone called
MERCOSUR was created between Argentina, Brazil,
Paraguay and Uruguay (*details at the end of the
chapter 'Economy' )
10th December 1999 : Fernando de la Rua (a radical)
is elected president and creates a coalition
government with the central-left wing.
Both the election campaign and the handing over of
power on 10th December 1999 took place in perfect
conditions of democratic good citizenship, proving
that democracy and political stability are now well
established in Argentina.
2 - Geographical situation
Argentina is the eighth biggest country in the
world with a total surface of 2,766,889 square
kilometers.
It is situated in the southern hemisphere near the
Tropic of Capricorn on the 50th parallel. The coast
line stretches over nearly 5000 kms along the
Atlantic Ocean. Argentina has 832 kms of borders
with Bolivia, 1224 kms with Brazil, 5,150 kms with
Chile, 1,880 kms with Paraguay and 579 kms with
Uruguay.
It is made up
of the regions of the Andes, the pre-Andine Sierras
and the Pampa, which is a flat stretch of land
covering a million square kilometers, starting 600
kms out of Buenos Aires.
The
Cordillera of the Andes rise up in the north
west.
The main towns are all in the north east.
The plains of the pampa are in the centre and the
east
And in the south there are the forests and the
glaciers of Patagonia and the Tierra del Fuego.
3 - Economy
Argentina is the richest country on the South
American continent, in 1999 the per capita income
was estimated at about 8000 dollars, which is by
far the highest in Latin America.
The economy works on a convertibility base with the
US dollar, in April 1991 the Minister of Finance Mr
Domingo Cavallo set up the system of parity, 1 peso
= 1 dollar.
Mercosur, which was created in 1991, is a free
trade zone between Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and
Paraguay (*details at the end of the chapter
'Economy')
In 1995 a
restrictive policy was put into operation to allow
major reforms to be carried out : reduction of
taxes on exporting companies, the restructuration
of the banking system, the abolition of public
sector related organizations which regulate private
activity, factors disturbing external and internal
trade.
Following the
devaluation of the Brazilian currency in February
1999, Argentina, which is following a strict parity
with the dollar so as not to disrupt the
reorganization of its banking sector, suffered a
shock. It found itself closely bound, within a free
trade zone, to a partner who was taking advantage
of a competitive devaluation. The shock was violent
enough for the Argentinian authorities to discuss
the dollarization of Mercosur. In any case it
disturbed the export figures which had already gone
down following the drop in prices of raw
materials.
The country
remains interesting to investment capital, due to
the Asuncion Treaty, to exports within the Mercosur
countries and to the agreement signed between the
European Union and the Mercosur countries. The
legal framework for investing is very liberal.
Foreign investors can invest in any activity of an
economic nature, without previously getting
permission and within the same conditions as local
investors, except in the audio-visual sector. As a
result of privatizations which have taken place
over the last ten years, foreign groups now control
all the public services, 40% of industry and 90% of
the banks.
Argentina is
strongly backed up by the international financial
community. In mid-December 2000 the IMF proposed a
rescue plan for the Argentinian economy which will
involve over 40 billion dollars.
The external
debt ratio is extremely high : the external debt
represents 400% of the export revenues and its
service charges absorb two-thirds of them. Exports
represent less than 10% of the GDP.
The social
situation has got worse, household consumption has
gone down and unemployment has gone up. The
official unemployment rate is 15.4%, and on top of
that there is an under-employment which concerns
14.5% of the working population, which gives a
total of at least four million Argentinians with
employment problems. Labour charges are much higher
in Argentina than in neighbouring countries, the
gross average monthly salary is a little above 600
dollars, social charges are very high (the
employers contribution is 33%), they are the
highest in Latin America. Black market jobs have
increased, which deprive the workers of any health,
welfare or retirement benefits. The gap between
rich and poor gets bigger all the time. Over two
million Argentinians live with less than a dollar a
day.
The budgetary
deficit and unemployment are governmental
priorities, measures are in the pipeline to reduce
the deficit and the number of unemployed. De la
Rua's government has made an effort to improve the
fiscal balance as required by the IMF by hiking up
taxes. However, a report recently made by the
University of Columbia (USA), which studied all the
policies implemented to reduce the fiscal deficit
in Latin America, concludes that the countries
which have reduced their expenditures have had long
term positive results, whereas those who use the
policy of raising taxes have failed, for you have
to take into account the very strong resistance to
paying taxes that exists in South America. Tax
evasion is one of the favourite sports in Argentina
and can be estimated at 20 billion dollars a
year.
The market
value of agricultural and mining raw materials has
increased and this is a positive element.
Economic statistics
|
|
1997
|
1998
|
1999
|
2000
|
|
economic
growth (%)
|
8.1
|
3.9
|
-3.2
|
2.0
|
|
inflation
(%)
|
0.3
|
0.7
|
-1.6
|
0.0
|
|
public
balance/GDP (%)
|
-1.6
|
-1.4
|
-2.0
|
-1.6
|
|
rate
of unemployment (%)
|
13.7
|
12.4
|
15.4
|
nd
|
|
exports
(billions $)
|
26.4
|
26.4
|
23.8
|
26.3
|
|
importats
(billions $)
|
28.6
|
29.4
|
24.4
|
27.7
|
|
balance
of trade (billions $)
|
-2.1
|
-3.0
|
-0.6
|
-1.4
|
|
current
balance/GDP (%)
|
-12.0
|
-14.7
|
-13.1
|
-12.8
|
|
external
debt (billions $)
|
124.1
|
140.4
|
150.2
|
160.7
|
|
debt
charges/exports (%)
|
43.4
|
52.9
|
66.0
|
67.8
|
General information
|
GNP
1999
|
278.88
billions $
|
|
GNP
per inhabitant
|
8,260
dollars
|
|
Purchasing
power parity (PPP)
|
9,140
dollars
|
|
GNP
growth 1990-1997
|
+4,2%
per capita per annum
|
|
Households
with PPP +$30000pa
|
2,150,000
= 22%
|
|
Households
with PPP +$15000pa
|
5,070,000
= 52%
|
|
Households
with PPP -$5000 pa
|
880,000
= 9%
|
|
Aid
1998
|
12.723
billion $
|
|
Foreign
investment 1999
|
23.152
billion $
|
|
Tourism
revenues 1998
|
5.363
billion $
|
Division of the GDP by sector of activity
:
agriculture :
5.7%
industry : 19.1%
mining : 9.6%
services : 65.6%
Argentina's
main export partners:
|
Brazil
|
23.2
%
|
|
USA
|
11.1
%
|
|
the
Netherlands
|
7.5
%
|
|
Chile
|
6.3
%
|
|
Italy
|
4.2
%
|
And its main import partners :
|
USA
|
19.4%
|
|
Latin
America
|
31.3%
|
|
of
which Brazil
|
22.6
%
|
|
Japan
|
4.6
%
|
|
European
Union
|
27.6%
|
Imports to Argentina are subjected to two
different regimes depending on where they come
from. Products from outside Mercosur are subjected
to an external rate which goes from 0% to 20%, the
most frequent tax being 14%. The Mercosur agreement
established the principle of free movement of goods
within the zone. However, the four countries have
maintained customs barriers on certain products
which will progressively disappear.
Cars and
spare parts are not subjected to the external
Mercosur importation rates. Customs duties are
fixed for each country. The trade of automobiles
and spare parts between Argentina and Brazil is
done in conformity with a bilateral agreement of
zero duties, subject to compensation.
Other
importations pay a tax of 0.5% + VAT on entry into
Argentina. There are special procedures concerning
the importation of pharmaceuticals or foodstuffs
which have to go via the appropriate
ministry.
Franco-Argentinian economic relations :
To encourage and help enterprises to set up several
measures have been taken by the Franco-Argentinian
Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(CCIFA).
The CCIFA
works with several other organizations eg the
Assembly of French Chambers of Commerce and
Industry, is a member of the Union of French
Chambers of Commerce and Industry overseas, and
constantly deals with other countries like those of
South America.
You can get
aid directly from this Chamber, its activities are
directed to and available to companies : trade
fairs, exhibitions, a rapid courrier service
between Argentina and the rest of the world, job
centre, French language courses, etc.
French
technology is more and more present in Argentina
(EDF, Télécom, Bouygues, Groupe
Accor, Peugeot, Renault, la Lyonnaise des
Eaux-Dumez in Aguas Argentinas etc.) Over 200
subsidiary companies are implanted as well as
several French sub-contractors.
The Mercosur
The Mercosur (the Southern Common Market), a
fundamental step in the economic integration of
Latin America, started with the Asuncion Treaty
which was signed on the 26th March 1991 by the
Presidents of the four founder-countries Argentina,
Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay.
The basic texts of this 'common market' laid down
four main principles :
- the free circulation of goods, services and
elements of production between the member states
(interzone trade), basically via the abolition of
customs duties, non-fiscal restrictions and other
equivalent measures. - the establishment of a
common customs rate for countries outside Mercosur
(extrazone trade) with a communal trade policy
- the same macro-economic and sector related
policies between the member states
- an arrangement to harmonize the different
national legislations in order to consolidate the
process of integration.
The model that the agreement is based on is that of
the European Economic Community and the 1957 Treaty
of Rome, which appoints an autonomous organization,
doted with its own competence and a partial
surrender of sovereignty on behalf of the
Community.
(sources
MOCI, Le Monde, le nouvel Observateur)
4-Agriculture
Agriculture
(in millions of tons, head, m³ for timber)
|
Production
|
1996
|
1997
|
1998
|
1999
|
Rang
|
|
Millet
|
0.047
|
0.044
|
0.046
|
0.057
|
27
|
|
wood
|
11.428
|
11.428
|
11.428
|
-
|
-
|
|
wheat
|
15.914
|
15.000
|
11.500
|
14.200
|
12
|
|
sugar
cane
|
17.600
|
19.450
|
19.400
|
19.400
|
14
|
|
cotton
|
0.432
|
0.300
|
0.316
|
-
|
10
|
|
maize
|
10.518
|
15.536
|
19.360
|
13.183
|
6
|
|
oranges
|
0.504
|
0.919
|
0.984
|
0.780
|
15
|
|
barley
|
0.537
|
0.926
|
0.540
|
0.500
|
|
|
potatoes
|
2.275
|
3.080
|
3.412
|
3.450
|
14
|
|
rice
|
0.986
|
1.025
|
1.036
|
1.576
|
26
|
|
tea
|
0.047
|
0.054
|
0.057
|
0.049
|
13
|
|
wine
|
1.268
|
1.350
|
1.255
|
1.255
|
5
|
|
cattle
|
54.000
|
54.500
|
54.600
|
55.000
|
5
|
|
sheep
|
17.956
|
17.295
|
15.232
|
14.000
|
21
|
|
pigs
|
3.100
|
3.200
|
3.200
|
3.200
|
|
|
fishing
|
1.250
|
1.352
|
-
|
-
|
15
|
About 73% of the land is farmed.
The main crops are wheat, which cover 17% of the
farmed land and maize which covers 9%.
Argentina has
the fifth biggest vineyard in the world with
209,000 hectares. It is also the fifth biggest wine
producer in the world, producting 17 million
hectoliters of wine a year.
The growth of the agricultural production partly
compensated for the industrial recession in
1999.
Argentina is one of the top agricultural exporting
nations, it sells over 10 billion dollars worth of
agricultural production abroad every
year.
The foodstuff
industry is expanding rapidly in spite of the fact
that the equipment and the labour force are not
good enough. New technologies and a qualified
labour force are more and more in demand.
5 - Industry
The privatized electrical companies and the
petrol and gas companies are still planning to
build power stations, high tension lines and gas
pipe lines to transport the energy which is
plentiful in the Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia to
the high consumption areas in the north and the
west of the country.
Other sectors
which are developing are : environment, mining and
transport.
The
environment is an economic sector which should not
be overlooked, there are several problems, in
particular due to the considerable increase in the
population together with a large industrial
developement. To this can be added a lack of
investment in companies dealing with improving
sanitization, treating waste and refuse and
decisions which should be taken and are not. There
is an enormous amount which needs to be done in
Argentina to protect the environment. Drinking
water is insufficient and badly installed, hospital
refuse is not treated due to a lack of specialized
companies, and proper rubbish dumps are nearly
inexistent, it is necessary to find the means to
fight the industrial pollution.
Mining
(in millions
of tons, uranium, gold and silver in tons)
|
Production
|
1999
|
World
Rating
|
|
silver
|
36
(1998)
|
26
|
|
natural
gas
|
33.6
|
16
|
|
gold
|
11
|
23
|
|
petrol
|
42.8
|
21
|
|
uranium
|
35
(1998)
|
19
|
|
zinc
|
0.024
|
19
|
The
automobile sector was particularly disturbed by the
devaluation of the Brazilian real. A certain number
of foreign companies which had chosen Argentina as
a base within Mercosur, moved to Brazil, which
could offer much lower production costs. Big
companies like Fiat, Ford and General Motors
transferred a part or all of their production and
took with them some spare part manufacturers like
Goodyear tires. In the long term the automobile
sector is still one of the best growing. The
authorities have noticed the start of a reversal
tendency, Volkswagen announced in March 2000 that
they were going to open a new factory in
Argentina.
Another
growth sector is in the petrol and petro-chemical
industries. In 2000 the Spanish group Repsol
managed to take over the old national company YPF
and joined Shell and Exxon in the exploitation of
the country's petrol reserves.
The railway network has been totally
privatized.
Cycling has become a real economic resource for the
country. This passion which is enjoyed by a large
part of the country has encouraged the specialized
factories, Marilo SA and the Casa del Bicicletero
to turn out a massive production of bicycles and
accessories, nearly 50,000 models each.
Other companies, working under licence, are
installed in Argentina, eg Puma which produces its
own models or assembles bikes from parts imported
from Europe or Asia. China accounts for 30% of the
imports, other Asian exporters are Hong-Kong and
Taiwan, from Europe Italy and France export 6,000
models to Argentina and there are also other
suppliers from Chile, Brazil and the USA.
The best known brands are Olmo and Puma, Spalding,
Bianchi, Raleigh and Monark.
Other local companies make bikes for children :
Mastiff, Fiorenza, Cosmos, Hernan and Junior. The
production is distributed through specialized
outlets or via big stores like
Carrefour.
6 - Other
sectors
Income distribution in Argentina is totally unequal
and underlines the absence of a middle class. The
structure of household consumption shows the degree
of developement of the country : the main part of
the household budget is still allocated to food.
Less than one household out of two owns a fridge
and a washing machine and only one out of three own
a car. The weekly average expenditure of a family
in a supermarket is 450 FF.
In Buenos
Aires 80% of the consumers do their shopping in
super or hyper-markets, especially younger people
with a high socio-cultural level. For the moment
large scale distribution is concentrated in the
capital and some of the other larger towns.
Elsewhere the lack of concentration of population
makes it difficult to set up new outlets.
A new type of shop has started opening up :
'convenience stores', little self-services which
are open 24 hours a day. Also specialized
distribution is starting to appear.
All categories together, there are 474 sales points
in Argentina. The market is dominated by 11 big
groups which alone have 240 of these sales points
and represent 95% of the large scale distribution
turnover.
Franchising
:
Franchising represents a turnover of about 800
billion dollars a year, approx. 140 franchising
companies and 4,400 franchises in domaines as
varied as fast food, the hotel business, beauty
salons, automobile servicing, express cleaning and
bakeries.
7 -
Population
There are 36,125,000 inhabitants in Argentina, the
population density is 13 inhabitants per square
km.
The working age population is 22 million, of which
14 million are working (89% in industry and
services).
0-14 year
olds : 28.16%
15-64 year olds : 62.29%
65 years and over : 9.55%
life expectancy : 73.34 years
urban population : 89.30%
Ethnic composition : Europeans (86%), Criollos or
Mestizon (Créoles or Halfcastes), American
Indians
demographic
growth 1997-2015 (%) : +1.0
infant mortality (%) : 2.2
energy consumption per capita TOE : 1.67
population without drinking water (% pop) : 29
population without sanitary installations (% pop) :
32
n° of doctors per 1000 inhabitants : 2.7
n° of telephone lines per 1000 inhabitants :
191
n° of mobile phones per 1000 inhabitants :
56
n° of private cars per 1000 inhabitants :
127
n° of computers per 1000 inhabitants :
39.2
adult illiteracy (%) : 3
secondary schooling/age group (%) : 77
graduates/age group (%) : 42
8 -
Language
The official language is Spanish. Guarani is also
spoken.
Some American Indian dialects are still used in
certain regions of the Andes.
French is not spoken much, except in some middle
class communities, English (for business) and
Italian are more widely used.
9 - Religion
The country is 89% Roman Catholic (of which less
than 20% are practising RCs), 3% Protestant and
there is a big Jewish community (2%) centred in
Buenos Aires.
10 - Weights, measures and
.......voltages
Electricity : 220 Volts or sometimes still 110
Volts (you will need an adapter for American flat
pronged plugs).
11 - Money
The currency is the Peso, 1 Peso = 1 US dollar
1 peso = approx. 7,25 FF (May 2001)
It is better to have dollars with you than French
Francs. The exchange rate varies a lot and it is
not always easy to change francs.
Be careful :
avoid large dollar bills, they are often refused as
there is a large counterfeit traffic.
All
international credit cards are accepted.
12 - Main towns
The main towns are :
Buenos Aires (which has nearly 13 million
inhabitants)
Buenos Aires was founded in 1536. It was built on
the edge of the Pampa on the right bank of the Rio
de la Plata. It is an important port of call and
plays a triple role of industrial, commercial and
financial capital. It is also an artistic and
cultural centre, both for theatre and music,
particularly pertaining to tango and tango songs,
created in 1917 by Carlos Gardel. The centre of
Buenos Aires was designed during the period of
great prosperity that the country knew from 1880 to
1930, an epoch when Europe was the reference for
local architects, so the architecture of the
buildings look like those in Madrid, the
cafés like those in England, the Opera like
the Scala in Milan.... There are not actually very
many historic buildings, the main ones are the
Presidential Palace, the Casa Rosada, and the
opera, the Theatre Colon. Buenos Aires is a town
where it is pleasant to stroll, particularly in the
evening on the wide avenues in the centre of
town.
On the north side of town are the chic districts,
on the south side the working class areas,
strongholds of Peronist movements. The further you
go from the centre the more Buenos Aires becomes
Latin-American. The inhabitants of Buenos Aires,
the 'Portenos' are recognizable from other
Argentinians both by their accent and their
superiority complexes!
Cordobá (1.2 million inhabitants)
Founded in 1573, at an altitude of 387 m, Cordoba
is situated at the foot of the « Sierras de
Cordobá ». It is a tourist and cultural
town and also an industrial centre, particularly
car manufacturers.
La Plata : situated at 19 m above sea-level, to
the south east of Buenos Aires, La Plata is an
industrial and port town. It specializes in petrol
refining and in foodstuffs and cattle
industries.
Bahia Blanca is another refinery town, situated
650 kms from Buenos Aires. It is also a port on the
Atlantic Ocean.
Rosario (1.1 million inhabitants) (25 m above
sea-level) is an industrial complex and a river
port on the Rio Parana.
Other main towns are Mendoza (0,8 million
inhabitants), Santa Fé, San Juan, Santa
Rosa, La Rioja, Santa Luis, Formosa, Tucuman,
Ushuaia.
13 - Climate
Argentina has a southern temperate zone and a great
variety of climates : a humid tropical climate, a
hot sub-tropical climate in the north (with very
hot summers and dry regions), a temperate and cold
climate in the south and a Mediterranean temperate
climate.
The best
seasons to visit Argentina are
- for Buenos Aires, the end of September to the
beginning of December (spring)
- for the rest of the country, from December to
March
The seasons
are inversed compared to Europe.
Winter is from July - September : it can freeze
In summer the climate is hot and humid.
Temperature averages (max/min)
|
|
Buenos
Aires
|
Cordobá
|
Puerto
Madryn
|
Ushuaia
|
|
J
|
29/17
|
31/16
|
27/13
|
14/5
|
|
F
|
28/17
|
30/16
|
27/13
|
14/5
|
|
M
|
26/16
|
28/14
|
24/11
|
13/3
|
|
A
|
22/12
|
24/11
|
21/8
|
9/1
|
|
M
|
18/8
|
21/7
|
16/4
|
6/-
2
|
|
J
|
14/5
|
18/3
|
12/2
|
4/-
3
|
|
J
|
14/6
|
18/3
|
12/1
|
4/-
4
|
|
A
|
16/6
|
21/4
|
14/2
|
6/
- 3
|
|
S
|
18/8
|
23/7
|
17/4
|
8/-
1
|
|
O
|
21/10
|
25/11
|
19/7
|
11/2
|
|
N
|
24/13
|
28/13
|
23/8
|
12/2
|
|
D
|
28/16
|
30/16
|
26/12
|
13/4
|
Sea
temperatures : monthly average
|
|
Mar
Del Plat
(Province of B.A.)
|
Puerto
Madryn
|
Ushuaia
|
|
J
|
18
|
15
|
7
|
|
F
|
19
|
16
|
8
|
|
M
|
18
|
15
|
7
|
|
A
|
17
|
14
|
7
|
|
M
|
15
|
12
|
6
|
|
J
|
13
|
10
|
5
|
|
J
|
11
|
8
|
3
|
|
A
|
10
|
8
|
3
|
|
S
|
11
|
8
|
4
|
|
O
|
13
|
9
|
5
|
|
N
|
15
|
12
|
6
|
|
D
|
17
|
14
|
6
|
14 -
Insects & Animals In the north of the
country and around Buenos Aires in the Rio Parana
delta there are mosquitoes, especially in the rainy
seasons.
15 - Working in the country
There is a very high rate of unemployment
throughout the country.
11% of the labour force work in agriculture, 5% in
mining, 24% in industry and 60% in the other
sectors.
Before leaving
You should take Spanish lessons, or improve
your level. The quality of job you could aspire to
may depend on how well you speak the language.
If you are employed locally
When you find a job, your employer will take in
charge the formalities concerning your stay and get
a visa from the immigration authorities equivalent
to the length of your contract - usually for a
year.
(Be extremely careful when you sign your contract
to check that it is valid and that it gives you the
possibility to resort to the local court if
necessary).
With a French or international company
If your employer is a French or international
company you don't have to worry about formalities.
Usually the administrative services deal with all
the formalities concerning the expatriate staff.
Unless you are the only representative of your
company in the country (sales representative, or in
charge of a liaising office ...), in this case you
will have to deal with the formalities
yourself.
To get your residence card
You will have to give your employer certain
administrative papers before you leave so that he
can consititute your dossier :
- a copy of your passport
- a medical certificate
- your work contract
- your police record
- a copy of your birth certificate
Looking for work
You could start looking for information by
writing to French associations installed in
Argentina, to Trade Commissions, to commercial
services of Argentinian banks in France or French
banks in Argentina.
The French consulate in Buenos Aires has a
job/training service and can put you in touch with
local companies willing to employ French
personnel.
Consulat
de France (employment service)
Avenida Santé Fe 846
1059 Buenos Aires
.
(See
also in the Practical Guide for the
Expatriate).
The French
Chamber of Commerce also offers information about
the job market, the most dynamic sectors of the
economy, and edits a bulletin for French companies
and local members. You could publish a job
application in this bulletin.
The Trade Commission in Buenos Aires, or the CFCE
in Paris can furnish you with a list of French
companies established in Argentina.
The Oficina
de empleo del Ministerio de Trabajo has job offers
that you can consult if you are in Argentina. It is
a free service.
Documents
about the country are usually available in the
cultural service of the Argentinian Embassy in
Paris.
You can
however prepare your trip in a more precise manner
by making a personal appointment with the Latin
American Chamber of Commerce in order to complete
your information and get professional advice.
The international departments of the Chambers of
Commerce and Industry often have information about
the country available. Directories and useful
dossiers from the country can be helpful in getting
information on sectors of activity and the local
economic life.
While you are
hunting for information you could contact companies
directly by sending a spontaneous candidacy
proposing your services, saying that you are
waiting for your visa. A prospective employer will
not want to wait indefinitely and will only engage
you if you have already taken the necessary steps
to get a visa.
It is
advisable to avoid the services of companies
specialized in immigration.
Where to look for job offers?
In the French press (Le Monde, Le France Soir,
Figaro, Moniteur du Bâtiment, etc...), for
French companies sending people abroad.
In the local press (Clardin, a daily printing
730,000 copies, Piedras 1743-1140 Buenos Aires, The
Nation, a daily printing 230,000 copies, Bouchard
557-1106 Buenos Aires)
The international press also prints overseas job
offers, often for European companies.
French
organizations abroad publish bulletins : 'Le trait
d'union' is published by the Alliance
Française and 'Perspectives' by the
Franco-Argentinian Trade Commission.
During the recruiting
Your CV should be clearly set out, detailled
and accompanied by a hand written covering
letter.
Be well dressed for your interview, whatever kind
of job you are trying for. Your appearance will
weigh with the interviewer.
First interviews are often very short but can last
several hours if your candidacy is interesting,
depending on the post offered, and if you have to
do any psychotechnical (graphological analysis) or
aptitude tests.
Be careful not to appear pretentious about your
know-how and don't exaggerate your professional
competence.
Don't forget that nowadays the job market is a
chronic problem nearly all over the world, so take
an interview appointment seriously, jobs are not
easy to come by.
Emphasize
your real competence, your ease of adaption, your
mobility, your ability to work in a team, your
readiness to pool your experience.
The work market and the employment situation
The economic boom of the 80s did not profit
everybody in the country, a large part of the
population lives in dire poverty.
However, in
spite of the dificult situation which the work
market and the local economy are facing, job
opportunities exist. In several sectors there are
openings for highly technical posts or jobs where
experience and professionalism make the difference
(eg. hotels and restaurants).
Salaries are
low if you are engaged locally.
Several infra-structural projects are being studied
or carried out (highways, building, private
projects...). Investments and loans (IMF) will
hopefully boost the economy, encourage developement
and improve the employment situation.
If you wish
to live abroad with your family and your wife will
want to work it is better to know that
international companies and organizations,
Embassies or consulates will rarely engage someone
locally.
The advice
of the Club
Go to Argentina for a French or international
company or its subsidiary.
16 -
Formalities
Entry formalities
You can enter Argentina with a valid passport,
no visa is necessary, if you are staying in the
country less than three months.
But if you are going to study the market or look
for a job it it better to apply for a long term
visa (1year).
This will be a great help in negotiating a contract
with a local company.
Customs
Duties can be paid in cash or by cheque. There are
over 2200 forwarding agents in the country. Goods
which are dangerous or perishable have to be
cleared at the port or airport of arrival. Other
goods can be cleared within the country so long as
you have made previous arrangements and given an
advance payment. Goods can be grouped for bulk
transport. Average clearance period : 48 hours if
it is done on arrival, or 4 days if it is done
within the country.
All documents
have to be in Spanish.
17 -
Health
In the main towns the sanitary conditions are
modern and satisfactory. Doctors and medical staff
are competent. There is a French hospital in Buenos
Aires.
If you are
travelling around in the country you have to be
careful because of the climatic variations.
Vaccinations
No vaccins are obligatory to enter the country,
but it is advisable to be up-to-date with your
regular vaccins, tetanos, polio etc and to have
medicine with you for tummy upsets.
18 -
Transport
There are 11,097 kms between Paris and Buenos
Aires.
The flight time is approx. 14h10.
Air France does daily flights (return flights from
5000 FF).
Most of the European companies, KLM, British
Airways, Lufthansa etc have regular flights to
Argentina.
Internal transport
Aerolineas Argentinas has daily flights to all
the airports in the country.
They offer a "Visit Argentina" pass, which is valid
for 30 days and costs approx. 3750 FF (Tel
01 53 77 15 00)
The railway network covers a large part of the
country with 30,000 kms of railway line.
There is also a good bus network going from Buenos
Aires.
19 - Time differences
Argentina is 4 hours behind France in the
winter and 5 hours behind in the summer.
20 - Telecommunications and press
To phone Argentina dial : 00 54 + the town or
regional code + the n° of your
correspondent.
Buenos Aires : 11, Mendoza : 261, Cordoba : 351,
Ushuaia : 2901
To phone France from Argentina dial : 00 33 + the
number of your correspondent.
International communications are expensive. Arrange
rather to be called from France and check your
telephone bill before you leave your hotel,
"mistakes" can happen!
The mobile phone is a real virus in Argentina. You
can rent one from your hotel.
Television/Radio
The television is cabled by satellite and you
can receive TV5. Argentinian television broadcasts
its programmes on 5 national channels and on
several cable networks.
There are also several radio stations :
Antena
Uno :
Santa Fe.
Cadena
Top 40
: a station for young people, Buenos Aires.
Contemporanea
: La Plata.
Continental
: Buenos Aires.
Doble
U 955
FM
100 :
Buenos Aires.
FM
92.1
: Buenos Aires.
FM
ABC :
Salta.
FM
Aspen
: Buenos Aires.
FM
Ciudad
: Buenos Aires.
FM
Del Lago
: Buenos Aires.
FM
Hit :
Buenos Aires.
FM
Kristal
: Bariloche.
FM
Lider
: Buenos Aires.
FM
Marin
: Buenos Aires.
FM
Marina
: Miramar.
FM
News
: Buenos Aires.
FM
Palermo
: Buenos Aires.
FM
Succes 103
: Olavarria.
FM
Vida
: Rosario.
La
Red :
Buenos Aires.
LT
24 Radio San Nicolas
: Buenos Aires.
LU2
Radio Bahia Blanca
: Bahia Blanca.
LV3
Radio Cordoba
: Cordoba.
NRG
Energy
: Buenos Aires.
Power
FM :
Cordoba.
Radi
Atlantica
: Mar del Plata.
Radio
10 :
News, Buenos Aires.
Radio
2 :
Rosario.
Radio
America
: Buenos Aires.
Radio
Cultura
: Buenos Aires.
Radio
Del Plata
: Buenos Aires.
Radio
Mitre
: Buenos Aires.
Radio
Rio Cuarto
: Rio Cuarto.
Radiofonica
: adult station, Buenos Aires.
Rock
and Pop
: Buenos Aires.
Universidad
580 :
Cordoba.
Vox
FM :
Cordoba.
News
(medium wave) :
MITRE 790 khz
CONTINENTAL 590 khz
RIVADAVIA 630 khz
Music
(FM)
NOSTALGIE 106.7 FM
News in French, from Monday to Friday at 9h00,
13h00, 17h00, 20h.
Every Monday: sports news at 13h30 and 20h30.
The Press
French newspaper are not distributed much. The
main sales points are in the airports and sometimes
in the bigger towns. The bookshops 'Edicial' and
'Ateneo' in Buenos Aires sell French newspapers and
magazines.
21 - Airports
There are two airports in Buenos Aires : Ezeiza
for most of the international flights, which is
about half an hour out of the centre of town and
the Aeroparque Jorge Newbery.
Several other towns have their airports :
Bahia Blanca : Comandante Esport Airport
Bariloch, Comodoro, Cordoba, Esquel,
Jujuy : Dr Horacio Guzman International Airport
Mar del Plata, Mendoza, Neuquen, Rio Grande, San
Martin de Los Andes, Trelew, Tucuman, Ushuaia
22 - Car rental
Avis has an agency in all the main towns.
The telephone number of the central reservation
office is :
54 11 4300 8201 (for national reservations) and
0001 800 456 4284 (for international
reservations)
Some other agencies :
Bahia Blanca : 54 291 4501221
Bariloche : 54 2944 431648
Buenos Aires : Ezeiza Int. Airport 54 11 4480 9387,
Jorge Newbery airport 54 11 4776 3003, town 54 11
4326 5542
Cordoba : airport 54 351 47550815
Mendoza : airport 54 261 4203178
Rio Grande : airport 54 266 4969568
Tucuman : airport 54 87 317575
Ushuaia : 54 2901 422744
All Avis cars are completely equipped, have done
less than 15,000 kms and have an average age of 3
months. The vehicles are carefully prepared and
checked between each rental using a procedure
containing 7 obligatory control points. The cars
are rented with a full tank.
Renting from Avis automatically means that the car
passengers, renter and/or driver are covered by a
third party insurance as well as an insurance
covering repatriation and the immobilization of the
vehicule in case of an accident.
You can
reserve a car :
- from your travel agent
- from the international reservation centre at 0
820 05 05 05
- or from any Avis agency
Avis has an interactive network worldwide, a client
can reserve a car instantly from anywhere in the
world.
We recommend
that you pay your rental using your accredited Avis
card or with another credit card accepted by Avis :
American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Diners.
Through a simple free membership system, Avis gives
identity and/or payment cards, which are a real
help for a rapid and efficient service.
REASSURING :
No on-line payment, you can pay Avis directly at
the agency when you return the car
RAPID : Avis has the quickest car rental
reservation service on the web
ECONOMICAL : The cheapest rates on the market are
available on the Avis microsite
COMPLETE : You can rent a car anywhere in the
world.
The Avis network : 5000 agencies in 172 countries,
is now on-line!
EFFICIENT : Find your town (you don't have to fill
in the country), enter the date and click on
estimate
PRACTICAL : You only have to fill in 4 boxes and
you will receive an e-mail confirming the
reservation.
You can even rent a vehicle at the last minute just
round the corner or ... on the other side of the
world.
Be careful
: in Argentina you drive on the left.
23 - Hotels and restaurants
Some hotels :
(count about 450F for a decent room. The rates are
very high.)
Buenos
Aires
Sheraton, 34 kms from the airport
International Iguazu (in a national park, opposite
the waterfall), 7 kms from the airport
The Hyatt International Park, in the centre of
town
Gran Hotel Argentino, la 9 de Julio, Carlos
Pellegrini, tel 325 95 91 - with a view on the
biggest avenue in the world.
Hotel Alvear Palace, Alvear 1891, tel 804 40 31 -
one of the oldest palaces in the Recoleta
district.
Some
Restaurants in and around Buenos
Aires
Belgrano,
Palermo
COSTA
PATAGONICA, Alvarez Thomas 1899 (angle Los Incas) :
Oysters and shellfish
MUSEO RENAULT, Av Figueroa Alcorta 3301 :
Fashionable decoration and ambiance A typical
Japanese restaurant on the mezzanine
FREUD y FAHLER, Gurruchaga, 1750 : Very elaborate
Mediterranean cuisine in an old renovated warehouse
in Old Palermo.
Nitas
INDOCHINE, Báez, 165 : Exotic and
creative
LA FONDA DEL POLO, Báez, 301 :
Parrillas
Costanera
RODIZIO, Costanera norte.R. Obligado and Pampa
: Meat on skewers specialities
TAGO MAGO, R.Obligado et J. Salgurero, Costa
Salguero : The waiters do improvised shows. In
superb surroundings on the banks of the Rio.
RENA MORA, Costanera Norte Punta Carrasco : Spanish
restaurant. Tapas, paëllas. Flamenco
shows.
Micro-Centro
CLARK'S, Sarmiento 645 : Very elaborate menu
(leg of lamb, magret de canard, merluza negra, ...)
Sophisticated setting. Special menu after the
theatre Colón
PIOLA, Libertad 1078 : Very 'in' pizzeria, with
excellent pizzas.
Puerto
Madero
PAQUEBOT, Alicia M.de Justo, 1110 : Refined
cuisine, fish
EL MIRASOL, Alicia M.de Justo, 202 :
Parillas restaurant
CABANA LAS LILAS, Alicia M.de Justo, 516 : Really
good meat in a really nice setting.
KATRINE, Alicia M. de Justo, 138 : Refined
dishes in a refined setting.
Recoleta
LA TASCA DE PLAZA MAYOR, Posadas,1052 : Spanish
specialities
MUNICH, R.M. Ortiz 1871 : Classical Argentinian
restaurant. Synthesis of Italian, Spanish and
Argentinian cooking.
San
Telmo
LA CONVENCION, Carlos Calvo 375 : Traditional
restaurant
LA VIEJA ROTISERIA, Defensa 963 : Delicious
meat
ANTIGUA TASCA DE CUCHILLEROS, Carlos Calvo 319 :
Traditional cooking. Home made pasta.
Zone
Nord
LA CABALLERIZA, Dardo Rocha, 1740 SAN
ISIDRO : Excellent grilled meat
MARAÑA, Primera Junta 702 SAN ISIDRO
: Very refined cuisine
ROSA NEGRA, Dardo Rocha, 1918 MARTINEZ : Refined
cuisine, very good fish.
French
restaurants in Buenos Aires:
AU BEC FIN, Vincente Lopez 1827 Capital, for
big occasions: very refined restaurant.
CHRISTOPHE , Fitz Roy 1994 angle
Nicaragua Palermo : in the old Palermo
district, delicately flavoured food. Good value for
money.
GRANDA, Junin 1281Capital : Cyril Cheipe (ex La
Bourgogne) manages the kitchen. Traditional
cooking. Tray of French cheeses - dish of the day.
Better to book.
CALA BISTROT, Soler 4065Capital : Traditional
French cuisine. On Thursday evenings an excellent
chamber music duo.
CHEZ BEA, Paraguay 436 : French creperie, Breton
welcome and gastronomy assured. Piano bar on
Thursday evenings.
LA BOURGOGNE, Ayacucho 2027 : Luxury, and culinary
delight.. Only for big spenders!
24 - Your suitcase
Take plenty of casual clothes, the climate
varies enormously, if you are visiting the country
you will need comfortable shoes, a rainscoat or
windcheater and a double wardrobe summer and
winter.
If you are on
business, you should wear a suit and tie if you
want to be taken seriously, the Argentinians are
very smart.
25 -
Information
Public holidays
1st January :
New Year's Day
April : Good Friday
1st May : Labour Day
25th May : anniversary of the 1810 Revolution
14th June : Malouines Day
21st June : Flag Day
9th July : Independence Day
16th August : anniversary of the death of St
Martin
11th October : Day of the discovery of America by
Christopher Columbus
8th December : Immaculate Conception
25th December : Christmas
In business
relations you should know that Argentinians are
very proud.
They appreciate exchanging business cards and other
documents.
Argentinia is a very Latin country : personal
contact is extremely important. Don't be
over-impressed by the positive character of first
meetings, what is important is the follow-up.
They have got into the habit of taking rapid
decisions, due to the period of hyper-inflation
that Argentina went through.
Watch out for
taxi drivers who take extra-long ways to get there
to make the meter turn.
Life is expensive for a foreign visitor, hotels and
restaurants are often extremely expensive.
Don't talk about the military dictatorships or the
Falklands war.
Security :
not a real problem, but criminality has increased
due to the economic crisis
Office
opening hours are 9am - 6.30pm.
26 -
Banks
The IDB
The InterAmerican Development Bank was created
in 1959. The president must be a South American and
the vice-president must be an American. The main
share holders are the borrowing countries. A
country which chooses the IDB lets companies
participate in tenders for projects which need
financing from the IDB. The companies are then all
on equal footing.
French banks in Argentina
CIC banques, Crédit Lyonnais, Banque
Nationale de Paris.
Bank opening
hours : from 9 am - 3 pm.
27 -
Schools and education
In Argentina the school year starts in March
and ends in December.
List of schools (see Useful Addresses in the
country further on)
28 -
Guides
- Les Amériques latines - Dossier
pays/CFCE/63121-1994-110 pages-Price 350F (in
French)
-L'Argentine, A.Rouquié. Collection Que
sais-je? P.U.F Paris, 1984 (in French)
-Latin America Today - United Nations University
Press ONU/78717-1993-347 pages-Price 320F ;
-Directory of members of the French-Argentinian
Chamber of commerce and Industry/77703-1994-Price
381F
- Argentine, de P.Kalfon.Le Seuil, Paris 1973. (in
French)
-Le Guide Marcus Argentine par Françoise
Noël/Benoît Bourdeix/Pierre
Antas/Veronica Augé (in French)
-Le Grand Guide de l'Argentine (Editions Gallimard)
175F (in French)
-Le Guide du Routard Chili / Argentine (in
French)
- Trekking in Patagonian Andes (Lonely Planet)
140F
- La Patagonie et la Terre de Feu (Peuples du
monde) 150F (in French)
29 - Observations
French presence in Argentina
The first French people arrived in Argentina in
1810. Today there are over 14,000 French people,
working in a variety of sectors, 67% in the
tertiary sectors, 16% in industry and 8% in
agriculture.
Among a long
list of French companies, there are : BSN,
CARREFOUR, DUMEZ, EDF, FRANCE TELECOM, LYONNAISE
DES EAUX, PEUGEOT, RENAULT, TOTAL, USINOR.
Local relations
Relations between the French, local and other
foreign communities are good.
Relationships are easy to made and build up.
Part of the local population speak French.
French schools in Argentina are also attended by
other nationalities as well as by Argentinians.
The ambiance
The expatriate will find a large choice of
things to do in Argentina : sport, leisure and
culture activities are numerous and varied both
directly in the local life which is very lively as
well as in French cultural centres which are very
well organized.
Tango
(where to find it) :
Hotel Savoy : on Sundays in the basements on the
Avenida Callao
El Salon Elenico : to listen to old tango, Cannin
1331
El Dorado : dancing, angle Hipolito Yrigoyen and
Bernardo de Yrigoyen
Tourism
There are many tourist sites in Argentina and a
huge variety of visits to make :
One interesting visit is to Liniers, 20 minutes out
of Buenos Aires. This is one of the biggest markets
and animal slaughterhouses in the world and
constitutes a real voyage to the heart of the
Argentinian Pampa. Liniers stretches over hundreds
of hectares, guarded by uniformed watchmen. The
cattle selected for sale by auction are rounded up
by authentic gauchos welded to their 'criollos'
horses, a wild race which has been selected for its
strength.
Ushuaia is
the southernmost town in the world. It is the
capital of the Tierra del Fuego, and its pastel
coloured houses are dominated by a beautiful
mountain. Nature lovers can find there all that
they dream of : boat excursions, sea elephants,
fishing in the lakes, hiking and walks of all kinds
in the National Park of the Tierre del Fuego or
near the El Martial glacier.
Shopping
Records : Le Plus Beau Tango du monde :
the whole work of Carlos Gardel has been re-edited
on CD by El Bandoneon.
Trade Fairs/Congresses/Exhibitions
Buenos Aires
Catering. International Trade Fair of
Suppliers for foodstuff companies
Place : Centro Costa Salguero.
How often : Yearly
Products exhibited : Sector-related -
agricultural and food products ; material for
foodstuff industries, wrapping - packaging; hotel
and restaurant business.
Visitors : Professionals.
Organizer : PUBLITEC EDITORA.
Trade Fair for products, equipment and services
concerning health
Place: Centro Costa Salguero.
How often : Yearly
Products exhibited : Health.
Visitors : Professionals.
Organizer : MERCO FERIAS SRL.
30 -
Useful Addresses
Useful addresses in France
Argentinian
Embassy
6, rue Cimarosa
75016 Paris
Tel 01 44 05 27 00
Cultural
service (which acts as a Tourist Board) Tel 01 47
27 15 11
Librairie
hispano-américaine
South American bookshop
26, rue Monsieur le Prince
75006 Paris
Tel 01 43 26 03 79
Maison de
l'amérique latine
217, bd Saint Germain
75007 Paris
Tel 01 49 54 75 00
Useful
addresses in Argentina
Embassies,
Consulates, etc...
French
Embassy
in Buenos Aires
Cerrito 1399
1010 Buenos Aires
Tel : (00 54 1) 819 29 30
French
Consulate
in Buenos Aires
Avenida Santa Fé 846
4th floor
1059 Buenos Aires
Tel : (00 54 1) 312 24 09
French-Argentinian
Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Av, Presidente R.Saénz Pena 648,
9° A, (1035) Buenos Aires Argentine
Tel : 00 (54-1) 331 66 50/ 343 22 04/342 99 11
Fax : 00 (54-1) 331 24 94.
Union des
Français de l'Etranger (UFE)
Rodriguez Pena, 1832,
1021 Buenos Aires
Tel : 813 78 17
Consulate
agencies
8000 Bahia
Blanca
Fitzroy 49
Tel : (091) 21681
8332 General
Roca
San Martin 37
Tel : (0941) 23406
7600 Mar del
Plata
La Rioja 2065, Edificio Marino V
Tel : (023) 40120
3300 Posadas,
Ayacucho 1621
Tel : (0752) 26182
5000 Cordoba,
Ayacucho 46
Tel : (051) 21 94 03
19000 La
Plata, Calle 59 N°626
Tel : (021) 31616
5500 Mendoza,
Houssay 818
Tel : (061) 23 15 52
3500
Resistencia
Roque Saenz Pena 453
Tel : (0722) 24480
2000 Rosario,
San Luis 846
Tel : (041) 24 84 61
30000 Santa
Fe, Bd Galvez 2147
Tel : (042) 55 85 75
4000 Tucuman,
Laprida 19
Tel : (081) 21 82 02
4400 Salta,
Santa Fé 20
Tel : (087) 31 24 03
8400 San
Carlos De Bariloche
Elfein 13 - 1°A
Tel : (0944) 41960
Comité
des Associations françaises d'Argentine
Rodriguez Pena 1832
1021 Buenos Aires
Tel : 331 66 50
Schools
Lycée
franco-argentin
Jean Mermoz
Ramsay 2131
1428 Buenos Aires
Tél : (00 541) 781 60 54
Fax (00 54 1) 782 81 49
Teaching goes from pre-school up to secondary 1st
and 2nd cycles
College
Franco-Argentin de Martinez
Lavalle 1067, 1641 Acassuso
Tel : (00 541) 792 46 28
Fax : (00 54 1) 793 15 56
Union
Européen - MERCOSUR
Members of the section who can inform you on
different economic sectors.
Banque
Supervielle Société
Générale Fax : (54 1)
329-8090
Edenor
S.A. Fax : (54 1) 348-2149
Paribas
Fax : (54 1) 340-5400
Air
France Fax : (54 -1) 312-1101
Gec
Alsthom Int. de Argentina Fax : (54 -1)
311-4856
B.N.P
Fax : (54 -1) 311-1368
Crédit
Lyonnais Fax : (54 -1) 334-6936
Service
Tichet Fax : (54 -1) 958-2392
Instituto
Merieaux Argentina Fax : (54 -1)
33-7715
Total
Autral Fax : (54 -1) 325-8273
Saplac
Hierromat Fax : (54 -1) 313-2501
Acheco
S.R.L Fax : (54 -1) 394-2290
Carrefour
Fax : (54 -1) 313-8234
Quillet
Fax : (54 -1) 811-7091
CIC
Banques Fax : (54 -1) 313-7217
Office du
Livre Français Fax : (54 -1)
374-4747
Framat
Fax : (54 -1) 312-7993
Prodesca
S.A. Fax : (54 -1) 381-8952
La
Oxigena Fax : (54 -1) 865-3904
Usinor
Sacilor-Matthieu Fax : (54 -1)
792-8970
Peugeot
Argentina Fax : (54 -1) 331-0483
Sofregaz
Fax : (54 -1) 312-2652
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