In force since May 15, 2026
AySA up for bid: the State sells 90% to a private operator
Res. 704/2026 MECON (Official Gazette, May 15, 2026)
in executionNATIONALApplies the same nationwide
State, institutions and security
Res. 704/2026 calls a tender with no floor price for 90% of AySA to a strategic operator; the remaining 10% stays with the employees.
The other rules on this subject27
Royalties are shared by population, not by where the field isLey provincial 2148 (enacted on 15-Nov-1995)in force
Private property: expropriation costs more and eviction speeds up (half-sanctioned)Bill PE-13/2026 (Mensaje 22/26) — first-round approval in the Senate; now in the Chamber of Deputies (file 0032-S-2026)pending
What changed and who it applies to
What changed
Art. 1 authorizes the call for National and International Public Bid, Multiple Stage, No. 504/2-0003-LPU26, WITH NO FLOOR PRICE, for the sale to ONE (1) Strategic Operator of 90% of the National State's shares in Agua y Saneamientos Argentinos S.A. (AySA); the remaining 10% stays with employees via the Employee Stock Ownership Program (PPP). Enabling framework: Ley 27.742 (declares AySA subject to privatization), Decreto 494/2025 (authorizes full privatization), Ley 23.696 (arts. 17-18) and the regulatory framework of Ley 26.221 as amended by Decretos 493 and 805/2025. The sale operates under the new Concession Contract executed May 7, 2026 (Res. 543/2026 MECON), which sets the regulatory-tariff framework for the private operator. Timeline per the resolution: questions on the bidding terms until Aug 12, 2026 (10:00), bid submission until Aug 27, 2026 (09:59) and Stage 1 opening on Aug 27, 2026 (10:00). The exact number of municipalities in the service area is not stated in the resolution. verif May 15, 2026 ↗
In force
2026-05-15 (bid opening: Aug 27, 2026) verif May 15, 2026 ↗
Who it applies to
Domestic and international strategic water-and-sanitation operators; AySA employees (they retain 10% via the employee stock ownership program (PPP); headcount ~6,000 per press reports); users in Buenos Aires City and Greater Buenos Aires; SMEs and contractors in the sanitation ecosystem (works, metering, treatment chemicals, engineering), which now face a private counterparty with a capex mindset. prob May 15, 2026 ↗
The norm
Resolución 704/2026 of the Ministry of Economy, signed by Caputo on May 14, 2026 and published in the BO on May 15, 2026. The process runs through CONTRAT.AR with international publication (DGMARKET/World Bank). verif May 15, 2026 ↗
Our reading
The State steps away from the country's largest water utility and hands it to a strategic operator under clear concession rules: less deficit, more private investment in sanitation infrastructure, and a supplier chain with a counterparty that invests for returns. The flagship privatization of the Ley Bases, under way (R2 · the RIGI promise is kept). thesis
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Analysis and curation: Ignacio Aredez
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