Gobierno de Santa Fe

In Sunchales, the Governor of Santa Fe, Miguel Lifschitz, accompanied by the Minister of Production, Luis Contigiani, presented the Social and Solidarity Economy Plan to be developed between 2016 and 2019 with the objective of consolidating and enhancing the cooperative and mutual benefit association presence in the territory of the province.
 
The programme consists of three areas: institutional strengthening, education and promotion of the social economy, and financing and incentives for the development of the social economy.
 
"This event is a milestone in the provincial public productive policies", said the Governor at the end of the day. In addition, he added, "If we look at the developed countries of the world, we can see that there is a strong movement in the social economy.” “So when we think of a model for Santa Fe, we cannot stop thinking about the strong presence and leading role of the social economy".

Lifschitz remarked, "The cooperative and mutual benefit associations show that solidarity, joint work and collective projects are other forms of developing the economy, so that we defend that model". In that sense, he added, "The social function of the cooperative movement is as important as its economic role." "Santa Fe would not be the same if we did not have a mutual movement, with more than one century of history".

"It is a satisfaction as a Governor to assume this commitment of moving forward, not only to generate spaces for cooperative and mutual associations participation, encouraging them and promoting the training, but also to provide funding to the cooperative and mutual association movement and to the social economy, even to the smallest ones", added the Governor.
 
"You can count on us, this is a Government that fully identifies with the values of cooperativism", concluded the governor.

"ESTABLISHING AN AGENDA IN COMMON”
Minister Contigiani said, "Perhaps the most significant fact of this meeting is the attempt of the provincial government to dialogue with unions and establish an agenda in common".
 
Then, he made a balance of the performances of his portfolio;  he mentioned the plans for the agro, the industries, the commerce and the services; and expressed, "We can have virtues and errors as everyone, but I assure that you will always see us working." "This is our vocation and we invite you to help us".
 
AGREEMENT
On this occasion, it was signed an agreement between the Ministry of Production and Casa Cooperativa from Sunchales with the objective of promoting and spreading the values and principles of the social and solidarity economy in the population in general, and developing the training of members of cooperative and mutual associations devoted  to cooperative and mutual education.

The institutions and federations that signed the agreement are the following: Asociación de Cooperativas de Trabajo of Argentina, Federación Argentina de Mutuales de Salud, Federación de Cooperativas de Electrcidad y Servicios Públicos, Federación de Cooperativas de Emprendimientos Múltiples para el Desarrollo Regional, Federación de Cooperativas de Servicios Sociales, Federación de Cooperativas de Telecomunicaciones of Argentina, Federación de Cooperativas de Trabajo of Argentina, Federación de Cooperativas Federadas, Federación de Entidades Mutualistas Rosario, Federación Santafesina de Entidades Mutualistas of Santa Fe, Instituto Movilizador de Fondos Cooperativos, Fundación Humberto Volando, and Unión de Cooperativas de Agua Potable of Santa Fe.  

Also received a copy of the agreement the representatives from Avellaneda, Carcarañá, El Trebol, Firmat, Las Toscas, Perez, Recoquista, San Genaro, San Javier, San Justo, Tostado, Villa Cañas, Villa Gobernador Galvez, Villa Ocampo, San Guillermo, Colonia Ana, Rosario and, finally, of the Universidad Nacional del Litoral.

ATTENDANTS
The activity was carried out at the Club Atlético Union of Sunchales, and participated in it the local mayor, Gonzalo Toselli; members of the provincial parliament: Omar Martínez, Inés Bertero, Clara Garcia and Joaquin Blanco; the director of the National Institute of Associations and Social Economy (Inaes), Eduardo Fontenla; the Secretary of Territorial Development and Social Economy, Mauro Casella; and the Undersecretary of Social and Solidarity Economy, Luis Cecchi; among other provincial and local authorities.

In turn, Fontenla expressed, "From the Inaes we want to accompany this idea because sustainable development is a target of the public policy since in Santa faith and Argentina there are many actors that cannot be competitive by themselves and the only way to reach competitiveness is through associativity." "The objective is to seek business matrixes so they can both have good results, the cooperative and the associated", he concluded.

On his part, Casella said, "Social and Solidarity Economy is conducive for working territory by territory, but it also needs integration and from the help of the State to deal with a system that excludes it". Also, he added, "Social Economy reinforces the development of the territories, the generation of work and brings more humanity to the next generations".
 
In turn, Mayor Toselli celebrated the launch of the programme and said, "We believe that the social and solidarity economy is able to generate opportunities and development where they are needed".

DEVELOPMENT OF ACTIVITIES
The activities began with the opening by the Secretary of Territorial Development and Social Economy. Then, the Provincial Council of Associations and Social Economy gathered in four working committees: Education and School Cooperatives, Public Services, Labour, Financing and Production Cooperative.
 
Subsequently, the conclusions of each Commission were briefed, and the meeting of the Council was closed with dissertations of Minister Contigiani and the director of the National Institute of Associations and Social Economy.