Argentina

This report assesses well-being in the four largest urban agglomerations of the province of Córdoba and provides policy recommendations to strengthen regional development practices, and ultimately improve people’s well-being. Using around 30 statistical indicators, the report analyses the performance of Córdoba’s agglomerations in 12 well-being dimensions in comparison with 391 regions of 36 OECD countries and 98 regions of Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Costa Rica. The report also documents the well-being inequalities between Córdoba’s four agglomerations and suggests three priorities areas which the province should focus on to tackle well-being challenges: i) Ensure that well-being indicators guide future decision-making; ii) Continue strengthening and modernising the provincial statistical system to expand the evidence-base; and, iii) Strengthen governance arrangements for more effective, efficient and inclusive regional development policy outcomes.

Under Action 14, countries have committed to implement a minimum standard to strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of the mutual agreement procedure (MAP). The MAP is included in Article 25 of the OECD Model Tax Convention and commits countries to endeavour to resolve disputes related to the interpretation and application of tax treaties. The Action 14 Minimum Standard has been translated into specific terms of reference and a methodology for the peer review and monitoring process. The minimum standard is complemented by a set of best practices.The peer review process is conducted in two stages. Stage 1 assesses countries against the terms of reference of the minimum standard according to an agreed schedule of review. Stage 2 focuses on monitoring the follow-up of any recommendations resulting from jurisdictions' stage 1 peer review report. This report reflects the outcome of the stage 1 peer review of the implementation of the Action 14 Minimum Standard by Argentina.

Argentina is undertaking an ambitious reform to move beyond open government to become an 'open state'. This review assesses Argentina’s progress with implementing the 10 provisions of the 2017 OECD Recommendation of the Council on Open Government. Based on extensive data gathered from all branches and levels of government, as well as civil society, this review assesses the progress made to date in these reforms and highlights good practices. It also provides guidance on how Argentina can better align its public sector reform with the Recommendation to achieve its vision.

This Digital Government Review highlights the efforts taking place in Argentina to digitalise and improve data governance in its public sector and build the foundations for a digital government. The review explores Argentina’s institutional, legal and policy frameworks and their strategic role in the digital transformation of the public sector. The report also discusses how to reinforce the capacity of the public sector to 'go digital' and better respond to citizens' needs. It explores how ICT procurement, management, and commissioning can help improve public sector accountability and efficiency, as well as support greater policy coherence and compliance with digital government standards. The review ends with a discussion on the state of data governance in the public sector, including data leadership and stewardship, rules and platforms for data production, sharing and interoperability, data protection, data federation, and open government data initiatives.

Over many decades, Argentina’s economy has been held back by weak policy settings and productivity has stagnated. Recent and additional reforms will help to raise prosperity for all Argentinians in the medium term. Strengthening competition by reducing barriers to market entry and foreign trade has particularly high payoffs. Tariff barriers have prevented a stronger integration into the world economy, which could raise consumer purchasing power, reduce the cost of firms’ inputs and lead companies in shielded sectors to become more productive. Currently, many jobs are trapped in activities with limited potential for productivity and wage growth. As job reallocation can result in temporary income losses, policies should ease the transition by enhancing training and social protection. Social policies are effective in reducing inequalities and poverty continued its declining trend during 2016 and 2017, until a severe economic crisis pushed the economy into a deep recession in 2018. This has shifted the immediate policy focus to restoring confidence and unwinding significant fiscal and external imbalances. Swift and decisive policy responses were necessary and their implementation will lay the grounds for a return of macroeconomic stability and a recovery from the recession, although significant risks remain.SPECIAL FEATURE: FOSTERING INTEGRATION INTO THE WORLD ECONOMY

The OECD Integrity Review of Argentina assesses recent efforts to transform Argentina’s integrity framework from isolated initiatives into a  coherent whole-of-society integrity system. The Review presents concrete actions for developing an integrity strategy to sustain current reforms. The Review also provides insights into how to operationalise a risk management approach to corruption and upgrade the internal audit function within government. Finally, the Review assesses the government decision-making process and provides options for increasing its transparency and integrity for more accountable and equitable policies.

Argentina has embarked in a series of regulatory reforms to improve the quality of its regulatory framework. High-quality regulations can protect consumers and the environment without becoming burdensome for citizens and businesses. The OECD Review of Regulatory Policy in Argentina provides information on the policies, institutions, and tools employed by the Argentinian government to design, implement and enforce high-quality regulations. These include administrative simplification policies, ex ante and ex post evaluation of regulations, stakeholder engagement practices, and multi-level regulatory governance arrangements. The review offers policy recommendations based on best international practices to strengthen the government’s capacity to manage regulatory policy.