The government is taxing exports by underpaying exporters for their goods, while collecting market prices from the foreign customers. The government achieves this by overstating the value of the Argentinian peso, which the exporters are forced to accept as payment (at government dictated exchange rates). This would be a problem if the government allowed citizens to purchase USD at the artificial (low cost per USD in pesos) price, so the government restricts USD purchases in Argentina.
The Chinese government implemented this policy before Argentina, which is why they are always accused of manipulating their exchange rates.
You could also look at this is as if the exporters got fair market exchange rates for the USD they earn, and the government took some of the pesos the exporters were given, and immediately converted them back into USD. The effect is the same, as the exporters end up with less money than they earned, and the government pockets USD.
Overall, this reduces the resources available to people holding (the same number of an increasing pool of) pesos, thus devaluing the currency.
The fixed official exchange rate also allows for less obvious increases in the money supply (inflation).
So, the open market value of a peso is about 0.10 USD. The official value is 0.15USD.
The official value of 1 peso (0.15USD) is higher than the open market price (0.10USD). Thus the government is overvaluing the peso.
In contrast, 1 CNY is currently worth (0.17USD), i.e. similar to the official value of 1 peso. However, some people argue that it should be worth much more (e.g. 0.25USD).
In your example, exporters are getting screwed through an implicit tax. In my example, exporters are getting an implicit subsidy.
Exporters use USD (which they receive from overseas buyers) to buy CNY. Those USD add to China's foreign currency reserves.
Source:
http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch5en/conc5en/yuanusd...
RMB was trading 1-1 with the dollar in '81, and started getting real about it in '94.
Argentina, obviously, produces some high quality goods but in another scale.
Most people here have gun, since it takes about 1 hour for police to show up. Local hospital sucks (once they forget scalpel inside patient) so most people pay bribes to get better hospital. And there is school here, but I would not dare to send my kids there.
I think "people just give up" well describes situation here.
- 20% VAT rate
- Roughly 60% marginal payroll taxes for highest earners (including both employee-paid income tax and employer-paid payroll taxes)
- 58 guns per capita in 2007
In Serbia everyone counts salary in after tax amounts, not before tax like in most of the Western world. For example you get paid 1 RSD netto, and employer pay 0.6 RSD in tax, health and retirement insurance combined. Tax is the least amount there.
Calculated by western standards that would mean ~35-40% of the gross salary take away for tax, health and retirement contribution. Still much, but comparing to other countries it's not that bad.
Regarding 58 guns per capita? It's ridiculous, that would mean that every 4 member family would need a dedicated gun storage. It's not USA.
20% VAT is higher rate. For basic needs like food, drugs and electricity VAT is only 10%.
I assume they meant per 100 citizens, which would be 0.58 guns per capita. This is the figure Wikipedia gives; second in the world after the US at 89 per 100.
Remember that many gun owners own multiple weapons.
Sources:
Just google "unemployment rate of xxxx" (argentina, spain, italy).
[1]: http://www.indec.mecon.ar/nuevaweb/cuadros/4/sh_eph_continua...
[2]: http://www.indec.mecon.ar/nuevaweb/cuadros/4/metempleo1.pdf
This is very difficult to explain to people in developed countries, but what you have to understand first and foremost is that in Argentina there is no "plan" at all, is a country in a permanent state of improvisation, and because of that you have things like this which are literally implemented overnight with no warning let alone debating about it, you know like democracies are supposed to do...
Because of crap like this many Argentines give up and either live off savings or just leave. And really, with an effective tax-rate of over 60% with virtually no rebates and a VAT/sales tax in the mid 20s you reach a point where your income no matter what you do is lower than your expenses, so why keep going? you are actually acquiring DEBT in order to WORK.
The current dolar reserve crisis is being handled in such a stupid sloppy manner that is difficult to explain, because it makes no sense whatsoever. For example the government wont let you buy or sell any foreign currency, but it subsidizes every operation in foreign currency at between 40% and 50% lower than real value. The excuse is to avoid an inflationary spiral but it actually created one, and destroyed the reserves of the central bank.