VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0592/01 0731247
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141247Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3808
INFO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 2108
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 5415
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 5397
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 5016
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 5202
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 2804
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 1907

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000592 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PASS FED BOARD OF GOVERNORS FOR PATRICE ROBITAILLE 
OPIC FOR GEORGE SCHULTZ AND RUTH ANN NICASTRI 
PASS USTR FOR LESLIE YANG 
TREASURY FOR RAMIN TOLOUI AND CHRIS KUSHLIS AND OCC 
FOR CARLOS HERNANDEZ 
USDOC FOR ALEXANDER PREACHER 
USDOL FOR ILAB PAULA CHURCH AND ROBERT WHOLEY 
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD AND J5 FOR JUAN RENTA 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIN ECON ELAB ETRD ALOWAR
SUBJECT: FEBRUARY 2006 INFLATION UPDATE AND 
PREDICTIONS 
 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.4 percent in 
February.  This brings the 12-month inflation rate to 
11.5 percent.  Food and Beverages, and Medical and 
Health Care Services were the two CPI components with 
the highest monthly price rise in February, even 
though the GOA had launched price control measures for 
food, beverages and medicines.  Average nominal 
salaries increased 1.7 percent in January and the 
purchasing power of salaried workers in January 2006 
was 5.3 percent higher than in January 2005.  Official 
surveys put the percentage of people living below the 
poverty line at 38.5 percent in the first half of 
2005, down from 40.2 percent in the previous semester. 
The percentage of people living below the destitution 
level dropped to 13.6 percent during the first half of 
2005, down from 15.0 percent in the previous semester. 
However, the peso value of the poverty line and the 
destitution line grew 0.6 percent and 1.1 
respectively, in February.  According to the Central 
Bank's survey of market expectations, whose 
methodology changed recently, CPI inflation is 
expected to be 1.2 percent in March, and 12.9 percent 
in 2006.  End Summary. 
 
------------------------ 
THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX 
------------------------ 
 
¶2.  The official Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 0.4 
percent higher in February 2006 than in January 2006, 
well below the Central Bank's (BCRA) consensus 
forecast of 0.9 percent.  February inflation brought 
12-month inflation to 11.5 percent.  Prices of Goods 
increased 0.5 percent and Prices of Services increased 
0.3 percent in February.  Prices of goods that change 
depending on the season decreased a monthly 1.1 
percent, regulated prices remained unchanged and the 
rest, which constitutes "core inflation," increased 
0.7 percent in February.  In other words, seasonal 
price declines in February overshadowed a continued 
rise in core inflation during the same month.  Core 
inflation was 13.1 percent between February 2005 and 
February 2006.  The official CPI measures inflation 
only in the Greater Buenos Aires urban area. 
 
¶3.  Food and Beverages, and Medical and Health Care 
Services were the two CPI components with the highest 
monthly price rise in February, 1.0 percent, even 
though the GOA had launched price control measures for 
food, beverages and medicines.  These items were 
followed by Housing Equipment and Maintenance, whose 
prices increased 0.8 percent.  Education was the CPI 
component that increased the most between February 
2005 and February 2006, posting a 16.1 percent 
increase.  It was followed by Food and Beverages, 
which rose 15.0 percent, and Clothing, which increased 
12.2 percent. 
 
TABLE I 
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (1999 = 100) 
 
          CPI PCT CHG       CORE INFLATION 
YEAR         PREV YR             PCT CH PREV YR 
 
2001          -1.5                n.a. 
2002          41.0                n.a. 
2003           3.7                n.a. 
2004           6.1                 6.4 
 
2005          12.3                14.2 
 
           CPI PCT CHG      CORE INFLATION 
             PREV MO             PCT CH PREV MO 
 
2005 
JAN            1.5                 1.1 
FEB            1.0                 1.3 
MAR            1.5                 2.2 
APR            0.5                 0.8 
MAY            0.6                 0.6 
JUN            0.9                 1.1 
JUL            1.0                 1.0 
AUG            0.4                 0.9 
SEP            1.2                 0.9 
OCT            0.8                 0.7 
NOV            1.2                 1.4 
DEC            1.1                 1.4 
 
2006 
JAN            1.3                 0.7 
FEB            0.4                 0.7 
 
Source: National Bureau of Statistics and Census 
(INDEC). 
 
------------------------------ 
POVERTY AND DESTITUTION LEVELS 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4.  INDEC publishes a monthly estimate of the value of 
a "total consumption basket" and a "food consumption 
basket."  These baskets are based on estimates of the 
minimum nutritional requirements and other consumption 
habits of people of different ages.  These estimates 
determine the official poverty line and the official 
destitution line, respectively.  For a family of four 
in February, the poverty line was ARP 848.92 (USD 277) 
and the destitution line was 
ARP 393.02 (USD 128).  A family of four is defined as 
a man and a woman in their thirties, an eight-year-old 
girl and a five-year-old boy. 
 
¶5.  The peso value of the poverty line grew 0.6 
percent in February, and rose 11.6 percent in the 
February 2005 - February 2006 period.  The peso value 
of the destitution line increased 1.1 percent in 
February, and rose 14.2 percent in the February 2005- 
February 2006 period. 
 
¶6.  The percentage of people living below the poverty 
line was 38.5 percent in the 28 most important urban 
areas of Argentina in the first half of 2005.  The 
percentage of the poor was 40.2 in the second half of 
2004, and 44.3 percent in the first half of 2004.  The 
percentage of people living below the destitution line 
was 13.6 percent in the 28 most important urban areas 
in the first half of 2005.  The percentage of the 
destitute was 15.0 in the second half of 2004, and 
17.0 percent in the first half of 2004.  INDEC will 
release an update on poverty in Argentina on March 20 
wherein the poverty and destitution levels are 
expected to decline. 
 
------------------------ 
AVERAGE NOMINAL SALARIES 
------------------------ 
 
¶7.  INDEC estimated that average nominal salaries 
increased 1.7 percent in January 2006 over December 
¶2005.  Inflation was 1.3 percent during that period. 
The average nominal salary increase in January was due 
 
to increases of 1.5, 4.1 and 0.6 percent in formal 
private sector, informal private sector and public 
sector salaries, respectively. Public sector salaries 
mentioned here include salaries of federal and 
provincial employees.  Informal private sector 
salaries increased at a higher rate as the demand for 
labor increased and informal private sector salaries 
began to catch up with earlier increases in formal 
private sector salaries. 
 
¶8.  Average nominal salaries grew by 18.0 percent 
between January 2005 and January 2006.  This growth 
was due to increases of 21.2, 16.0 and 11.8 percent in 
formal private sector, informal private sector and 
public sector salaries, respectively.  Inflation in 
the same period was 12.1 percent.  Therefore, the 
purchasing power of the average salaried worker in 
January 2006 was on average 5.3 percent higher than it 
was in January 2005.  However, it was only formal 
private sector workers who posted a significant 8.2 
percent gain in real salaries. 
 
----------------------- 
WHOLESALE PRICE INDEXES 
----------------------- 
 
¶9.  The Wholesale Price Index (IPIM) increased 1.4 
percent during February 2006, bringing the total IPIM 
increase since February 2005 to 13.5 percent.  This 
index measures the price changes of national products 
(including Primary Products and Manufactured Goods and 
Electric Power) and imports sold in the domestic 
market.  The IPIM also includes taxes.  The 1.4 
percent increase in February was due to a 3.3 percent 
increase in Primary Product prices and a 0.6 percent 
increase in Manufactured Goods.  The increase in 
Primary Products is largely the result of a 4.7 
percent increase in Oil and Gas prices.  Electric 
Power prices increased 1.1 percent.  Import prices 
increased 1.4 percent. 
 
¶10.  The Wholesale Basic Prices Index (IPIB) has the 
same coverage as the IPIM, except that it excludes 
taxes.  The IPIB increased 1.4 percent in February, 
bringing the total IPIB increase since February 2005 
to 14.2 percent.  The 1.4 percent increase in February 
was due to a 3.3 percent increase in Primary Product 
prices and a 0.7 percent increase in Manufactured 
Goods.  Electric Power prices increased 1.1 percent. 
Import prices increased 1.4 percent. 
 
¶11.  The prices for the sectors measured in the IPIM 
and IPIB are weighted using the corresponding value of 
product net of exports.  INDEC has devised another 
index, the Basic Prices to Producers Index (IPP), 
whose weights are calculated considering sales in the 
internal market as much as sales to the external 
market and excluding imports and taxes.  The IPP 
increased 1.3 percent in February 2006, bringing the 
total IPP increase since February 2005 to 14.6 
percent.  Primary Products increased 3.3 percent and 
Manufactured Goods increased 0.6 percent.  Electric 
Power prices increased 1.1 percent. 
 
------------------ 
CONSTRUCTION COSTS 
------------------ 
 
¶12.  The INDEC index measuring private housing 
construction costs in Greater Buenos Aires increased 
1.0 percent in February 2006.  These costs were 19.0 
percent higher than in February 2005.  The February 
 
increase is the result of a 1.2 percent increase in 
materials, 0.8 percent rise in labor costs, and a 0.7 
percent increase in other construction costs.  Wages 
of salaried employees working for the sector increased 
0.9 percent and payments to the self-employed grew 0.8 
percent.  Professional fees are not included among the 
labor costs considered by INDEC in the construction 
sector. 
 
------------------------------ 
INFLATION PREDICTIONS FOR 2006 
------------------------------ 
 
¶13.  The GOA's national budget includes a 9.1 percent 
inflation forecast for 2006.  The BCRA monetary 
program for 2006 announced on December 29, 2005, 
established an inflation target of between 8-11 
percent for 2006.  According to the BCRA's last survey 
of market expectations published on February, CPI 
inflation is expected to be 1.2 percent in March, and 
12.9 percent in 2006.  Some analysts believe that this 
rate could be even higher, given the unexpectedly high 
increase in beef prices during the first part of the 
month. 
 
¶14.  To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our 
classified website at: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires 
 
GUTIERREZ