New interim President Adolfo Rodriguez Saa promised trade union activists the Argentino would be "the currency that will allow us to reactivate the productive sectors."
He rejected claims the government could print so much of the new money, it would spark inflation.
"Some say we will do something irresponsible. They are wrong," he said. "We will back the Argentino."
The backing would include "all assets of the ... state," including its embassies, the congress building and even the Casa Rosada government house, he said.
The new currency is technically a bond that functions like cash. People can use it to "pay everything, from salaries to taxes, goods and services," interim Finance Minister Rodolfo Frigeri told local radio stations.
He insisted there would be no devaluation of the peso, since the bonds would not be convertible into dollars or pesos.
But in an interview with the daily Clarin, Frigeri acknowledged the new currency would allow "a controlled departure" from the dollar peg. "We don't rule out the possibility that, with time, it will depreciate," he said.
Already, some Argentine businesses were believed to be marking up prices by up to 30 percent based on rumors of devaluation, moves sharply criticized by Chamber of Commerce President Osvaldo Cornide.
Неизвестно, что они будут делать в реальности - возможно, вполне осмысленные шаги - но в головах у них полнейшая каша.
