During a program on TN where the Argentine universities were debated, a foreign student demanded that taxes on Argentines be increased to ensure greater funding for public universities, while maintaining free education for students from other countries.
This is Emilio Ponce, an Ecuadorian student of Political Science at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), who defended unrestricted access to the Argentine educational system during the interview. In that context, when asked how to increase resources for universities, he proposed a higher tax burden.
“Of course we need to think of new ways of financing, applying taxes to the great wealth of the country, that is a great way of financing, of course there are ways of financing,” he stated, suggesting that the State must collect more to sustain the system.
His statements generated strong criticism, especially for demanding that Argentine citizens face higher taxes to finance a service from which foreigners benefit without any direct contribution.
The controversy also escalated when he was asked about the possibility of international students paying a fee to study in Argentina for free.
Far from endorsing that alternative, Ponce outright rejected it. “What would 100,000 pesos serve for financing? We shouldn't talk about that. It’s creating an internal enemy,” he replied, dismissing any scheme of contribution from those who come to the country to study.
Emilio Ponce, Ecuadorian student at UBA.
The Underlying Controversy
The core of the questioning revolves around the equity of the system. While Argentina maintains free and open public universities for foreigners, there is no reciprocity in the region, and Argentine students must pay high fees to access education.
In this context, the statements also reignited the debate about the impact of taxes as a financing tool. Proposals such as taxing great wealth have had precedents in the country, with widely negative results due to their effect on investment and economic activity.
This type of policy, far from being harmless, destroys long-term economic growth, disincentivizes job creation, reduces the influx of capital, and affects the country's competitiveness, impoverishing the entire country.
