Overview
- The national government sent a bill to the Chamber of Deputies to narrow the Zona Fría gas discount and target it to vulnerable users as part of a wider energy package.
- The plan would revert coverage to the original cold regions of Patagonia, the Puna and Malargüe, which would exclude areas added in 2021 such as Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Santa Fe and San Luis.
- Only households in the Subsidios Energéticos Focalizados registry would keep the discount, which includes families earning up to three basic household baskets, veterans’ pension recipients and holders of a Family Housing Certificate.
- Officials say higher global gas prices raised supply costs and deepened the fund’s deficit, and President Javier Milei authorized Minister Luis Caputo to lift the surcharge that finances it to as much as 11.25% from 7.5% at the gas entry point.
- Local pushback has begun, with Mar del Plata councilors and a Buenos Aires provincial lawmaker urging Congress to keep their districts covered as the bill heads into a contentious debate.