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| Argentines up in arms as McDonald's runs out of ketchup | Argentines up in arms as McDonald's runs out of ketchup |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Argentines have grown used to food shortages and strict foreign exchange controls, but running out of ketchup at McDonald's has struck a nerve in the nation. | |
| On Monday, McDonald's Argentina apologised to customers on Twitter citing a shortage problem but that didn't stop angry customers from using social media to vent their frustration- with some arguing the situation reflects the dire state of the Argentine economy. | |
| One customer tweeted: "Please Cristina (Kirchner) let us have ketchup." | One customer tweeted: "Please Cristina (Kirchner) let us have ketchup." |
| Another user wrote: "As if things weren't bad enough, now McDonald's runs out ketchup." | Another user wrote: "As if things weren't bad enough, now McDonald's runs out ketchup." |
| A spokesperson for the fast-food chain said. "We're working on this, in the meantime, we advise customers to use other dressings." | A spokesperson for the fast-food chain said. "We're working on this, in the meantime, we advise customers to use other dressings." |
| Jimena Blanco, senior Latin America analyst at Maplecroft, told The Independent: "The problem varies from week to week, product to product, but it's largely related to Argentina's foreign exchange controls." | Jimena Blanco, senior Latin America analyst at Maplecroft, told The Independent: "The problem varies from week to week, product to product, but it's largely related to Argentina's foreign exchange controls." |
| "In this case, it appears that the sachets are packaged in Chile," she added. "McDonald's Argentina may have the cash to pay for it in pesos- it's the lack of access to dollars that's usually a problem for Argentine companies." | |
| McDonald's Argentina apologised for the lack of ketchup sachets citing a shortage problem, and asking customers to use other dressings | McDonald's Argentina apologised for the lack of ketchup sachets citing a shortage problem, and asking customers to use other dressings |
| Under pressure to soften its currency rules, the Argentine government has reduced the tax rate on dollar purchases to 20 per cent from 35 per cent. | Under pressure to soften its currency rules, the Argentine government has reduced the tax rate on dollar purchases to 20 per cent from 35 per cent. |
| The new rules were introduced soon after the peso suffered its steepest decline since the 2002 financial crisis to 8 pesos to the dollar on 23 January after the country's central bank pulled support for the currency. | The new rules were introduced soon after the peso suffered its steepest decline since the 2002 financial crisis to 8 pesos to the dollar on 23 January after the country's central bank pulled support for the currency. |
| But concerns remain, inflation is expected to top 30 per cent this year as Argentines see their purchasing power decline. Last year, the country saw shortages of basic products such as wheat, corn, tomatoes and cooking oil. | But concerns remain, inflation is expected to top 30 per cent this year as Argentines see their purchasing power decline. Last year, the country saw shortages of basic products such as wheat, corn, tomatoes and cooking oil. |