Buenos Aires Customs facts for kids
The Buenos Aires Customs House (also called Aduana) is an important government building in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It's known for its beautiful architecture and is located in the Montserrat area of the city.
About the Building
This grand building, designed in a French neoclassical style, was built for the Argentine General Customs Directorate (DGA). It was started in 1909 when José Figueroa Alcorta was president. At that time, Argentina's trade and economy were growing very fast.
Local architects Eduardo Lanús and Pablo Hary designed the Customs House. It's special because of its long front, which is about 100 metres (328 ft) (328 feet) long. It also has two tall towers. The building is covered in shiny carrara marble. You can see many artistic details, like decorative bull's heads and marble statues called caryatids along the top edge. Some of these statues hold beautiful iron designs of acanthus leaves and laurel wreaths.
President Figueroa Alcorta opened the building in October 1910, just before he left office. Many years later, after some repairs, the Customs Building was named a National Historic Monument on September 28, 2009, by President Cristina Kirchner. This means it's a very important historical site in Argentina.
The Customs Office (DGA)
The government office inside, the DGA, has a long history. It started after the San Nicolás Agreement in 1852. This agreement decided that all money collected from customs duties (taxes on goods coming into or leaving a country) would belong to the national government.
The National Customs Administration was officially created in 1862. This happened after Bartolomé Mitre became president. His Economy Minister, Dalmacio Vélez Sársfield, helped set up the office.
For a long time, from the colonial era until 1930, customs duties were very important. They made up about 80 percent of the government's money. After 1945, this amount became smaller, usually between 10 and 20 percent of the national budget. In 1997, the customs office became part of another government agency called the Federal Public Revenue Administration (AFIP).
See also
In Spanish: Aduana de Buenos Aires para niños
