Translation: Report on Guidelines implementation

On a personal note, readers may be interested to know that I'm beginning a Master of Arts (Research) in Political Economy, under Dr. Tim Anderson, at Sydney University. It's a one-year research thesis on Cuba. Specifically, where is Cuba headed? Perhaps when it's finished I can post a link to this blog.

Here is my translation of a summary of an important address by Marino Murillo, head of the Cuban government's permanent commission overseeing the implementation of the Economic and Social Policy Guidelines, to Cuba's National Assembly in late July. I was able to watch a telecast of his address on Cuban TV. It was a very thorough report that took up about two hours, accompanied by a Power Point presentation. 

Murillo used his report to announce two major new initiatives in the implementation process: an experimental phase in the projected overhaul of central planning and state enterprises, and the establishment of 222 experimental non-agricultural cooperatives that will manage small and medium-sizes state-owned entities. Note that state-owned entities will not be privatised but handed over, under various leasing arrangements, to work collectives to manage on a cooperative basis.

It's also worth drawing attention to what this progress report indicates about the status of the Guidelines. Raul Castro has repeatedly stressed that they cannot be allowed to be shelved and forgotten, as as often happened in the past. In his closing speech to the same National Assembly session, Raul explained that "the updating of the economic model has entered a qualitatively new phase with the drafting and approval of the 2012-2015 Strategic Plan for implementation of the Guidelines, with a corresponding timetable for comprehensive, step-by-step measures." He added:

"You have no doubt noticed that in the various reports presented to the Assembly, and in my own address, repeated mention is made of specific guidelines when matters relating to them are being discussed. I must say that this is not by chance, it is intended to firmly establish in our minds a determination to fulfill these Guidelines and to not to allow decisions of the utmost importance for the future of our nation to, once again, become a dead letter."

The country will continue advancing in an organised way in the implementation of the Guidelines 

By various authors 

Juventud Rebelde, July 24, 2012 

Translation: Marce Cameron 

The country will continue advancing in an organised way in the implementation of the Economic and Social Policy Guidelines approved by the 6th Communist Party Congress, based on the principle of acting without haste but without pause, as Raul [Castro] has called for.

This was affirmed on Monday by Marino Murillo, vicepresident of the State Council and head of the Commission for the Implementation of the Economic and Social Policy Guidelines for the Party and the Revolution, who gave deputies a broad and detailed report on the measures, actions and results of the implementation process from December to the present, in line with a decision of the previous ordinary session of our National Assembly.

He said that for the implementation of the decisions of the 6th Party Congress in this period, a total of 55 objectives belonging to five groups were defined whenever the Guidelines are of a strategic nature and it is virtually impossible to view them in isolation, since they are interrelated.

The first of these groups, he explained, focuses on the most complex task — that of the conceptualisation of the socio-economic model, based on the Guidelines — that would allow us to strive for maximum efficiency within the framework of the socialist system and favour the development of the country’s productive forces.

Elsewhere in his report on progress in the transformation and updating of the economic model, Murillo stressed that the most important sector of our economy will always be the socialist state enterprise. We are now beginning to do certain things in the state enterprises in the search for a new approach to central planning. The idea is to launch it on January 1, 2013 and to train those involved between now and December.

The first thing to be established is a new system of relations between the enterprises, the superior bodies and the Central State Administration agencies. He explained that governing bodies will be set up to watch over their functioning.

It is a new category of enterprise planning, he said, and these leadership bodies will only have to monitor the functioning of the entity, focusing on the measurement of basic indicators. The enterprise will have the authority to do its job.

Murillo added that the enterprises to take part in the trial are being selected now. They will operate solely in regular [rather than convertible] Cuban pesos, and will be allowed to make their social objectives more flexible and to set prices according to production costs, taking into account international parameters.

He considered this an important step in the transformation of the socialist state enterprise, as the basic unit of our economy, in the search for maximum efficiency.

Expansion of cooperative sector

Another important step, he said, is the experimental creation of non-agricultural cooperatives. This should be considered the preferred option among the non-state forms of employment because it is more social and more in harmony with the conceptualisation of the new economic model.

Certain state entities will pass over to this new form of cooperative, comprised of persons who do not own [productive] property but contribute only their labour.

The assets will be handed over in the form of a lease, in usufruct[1], as a loan or otherwise for up to ten years, without ceasing to be state property. The premises will always continue to belong to the state via one of these arrangements, though certain equipment may be sold, such as the refrigeration equipment in the case of a cafeteria.

The enterprise will have a collective character that will be reflected in the distribution of the earnings, which will be according to the labour contribution [of each cooperative member]. However, if some of the participants contribute [financial and other] resources the cooperative will later reimburse them via its earnings, but always with the consent of the cooperative’s management committee. The legal framework is now being drafted and an initial step will involve the establishment of 222 cooperatives, in a gradual manner, in the final three months of this year.

This entails the need to draw up a General Cooperatives Law, because such cooperatives cannot be separated from those that have been established in agriculture.

New thinking in agriculture

With regard to the wholesale commercialisation of agricultural products, Murillo stressed it must be governed by the fulfilment of contracts.

Having fulfilled their commitments to the state, the producer may sell the surplus at an agreed price, he said. What cannot occur is that they don’t comply with their commitments and the produce is sold on by other means. This can’t be rectified after the fact, it has to be dealt with through the signing of appropriate contracts.

He also announced that next year, the list of products with prices fixed centrally will be reduced, and noted that this year 53% of agricultural produce had been contracted while 47% had been sold at prices agreed between the buyer and seller.

Regarding the sale of agricultural products in Havana, Murillo said that the city has 310 state markets, the majority of which are undersupplied, as well as 29 markets where prices are set by supply and demand, 400 produce stalls and more than 900 points of sale. We’ve filled the city with micro-outlets, we’re going to put them all together in the marketplaces and lease the market to a cooperative.

The majority of these micro-outlets say they’re cooperatives selling their produce, but this not true. If you want to sell then get a self-employment permit, as we’ve established.

Regarding self-employment, Murillo stressed that some regulations must continue to be made more flexible and we should cease doing things that embody certain contradictions.

He noted that the leasing of workspaces for personal and technical services had been generalised, and that in this [non-state] sector there are more than 62,000 workers hired by other self-employed workers[2], which has created jobs, the majority in food processing and sales.

In September 2010, there were 157,000 self-employed workers, while as of June of this year there were 390,000. There have been illegalities, he said, but self-employment is being adjusted with a view to flexibility and had become a source of employment.

Elsewhere in his report Murillo referred to the inevitable aging of the Cuban population, which has two basic causes: the low birth rate and increasing life expectancy.

This is now unavoidable, he said, it’s happening and it cannot be turned around in the short term. What we have to do is take measures to encourage births and also to care for the elderly, as well as adapting economic development.

The key difficulty is those entering and those retiring from the workforce. In 2021, more will leave the workforce than enter it. In 2026, for example, 120,000 will reach working age and 170,000 will reach retirement age, a difference of 50,000.

Given this, the productive processes must be improved in order to make them more efficient and require a smaller workforce.

The current Labour Code will also become obsolete and at the appropriate time a new one will have to be drafted and approved by this Assembly, he stressed.

Murillo also mentioned the national entities that are now being overhauled. Among them are the ministries of Information and Communications, Finances and Prices, and Work and Social Security; as well as the creation of two new ones: Energy and Mines, and Industries.

In addition, he said, they will have their own enterprise groups. These will be attended to by the ministries but not managed by them, since state and enterprise functions are being separated, he explained.

He announced that the overhaul of the ministries of Justice and Foreign Trade, the [urban land use] Planning Institute and the National Statistics Bureau has begun, and that the unification of the Civil Aviation Bureau and the Ministry of Transport is underway.

Murillo also noted the merging of the University of Computer Science, belonging to the Ministry of Information and Communications, with the Ministry of Higher Education, and the integration of the [West Havana] Scientific Complex with the Cuban Pharmaceutical Group, which will remain directly subordinated to the Council of Ministers, through which an important [state] enterprise group with great scientific capability will be created.

Regarding the Ministry of Agriculture, he explained that the second phase of its overhaul is underway while its productive base has been transformed.

With respect to the means by which Cuban households cook food, he said that the repair or replacement of such devices will be guaranteed.

Consideration will also need to be given to a system of credits for those who need to purchase cooking equipment, he said, although it’s complicated because some still have debts previously incurred.[3]

In this connection he emphasised that 69% of Cuban households cook with electricity, and that it’s necessary to maintain this proportion because it’s the most rational for the country.

He also announced the setting up of the Technical Advisory Council, which will undertake to organise all of the scientific work being carried out in the universities and scientific research centres that can be drawn on in the implementation of the Guidelines.

The idea is to involve institutions, rather than individuals, and to give them specific tasks, so that all of this accumulated scientific knowledge can be harnessed in the search for practical solutions to problems.

_________________
Translator's footnotes:

[1] Usage rights to state-owned productive property rent-free on a medium or long-term basis and under certain conditions.

[2] An obvious contradiction: if one “self-employed” person hires another, then one becomes a boss (a petit-bourgeois in Marxist terminology) and the other is no longer self-employed, but an employee. Official Cuban discourse glosses over this fact by labelling it all “self-employment”.

[3] To state entities for the mass distribution of stovetops and other kitchen devices, on credit, to Cuban households as part of the comprehensive “Energy Revolution” launched in 2005.

Translation: How to view the glass?

Superstitious readers may have noted that my last post was dated Friday April 13. Let me reassure you that nothing bad happened to me on that day; it just so happens that since then I've had dedicate myself almost exclusively to completing my undergraduate degree. I'm now anxiously awaiting the results of exams and assignments.

In this incisive commentary Juventud Rebelde deputy editor Ricardo Ronquillo Bello refers to one of the first significant policy changes announced by Raul Castro when he became acting Cuban president: lifting the ban on citizens staying in Cuban tourist hotels. While most Cubans can't afford to stay in such hotels —  the aim is to maximise income for the socialist state from foreign tourism — lifting the ban was a popular measure and an act of great symbolic significance. Many Cubans had resented the fact that only foreigners were entitled to stay in Cuba's best hotels, regardless of affordability, and pointed out that such discrimination was proscribed by Cuba's socialist constitution. 

In the early 1990s, Cuba turned to foreign tourism as a means to keep its socialist-oriented economy afloat after the demise of the Soviet Union and the tightening of the US economic blockade. The ban on Cubans staying in tourist hotels was aimed at minimising the social and ideological fallout from the sudden and massive expansion of tourism in a relatively egalitarian society amid great hardships and shared sacrifices.

The ethical logic was simple: if the vast majority of Cubans can't afford to stay in such hotels then no Cuban should be allowed to. In the name of solidarity, the government pursued a policy of limiting the possibilities for conspicuous consumption by a minority in the midst of a national emergency. The ban was also aimed at curbing the resurgence of prostitution during the Special Period and the growth of black-market activities aimed at fleecing tourists of their hard currency, both of which contributed to the rise in social inequality that accompanied the economic crisis.

How to view the glass?

By Ricardo Ronquillo Bello 

Juventud Rebelde, May 19, 2012

Translation: Marce Cameron

Some data published in this newspaper last week might pose a dilema for us in the style of Mastropiero. Let’s recall that the famous doctor, going by the name of Alexander Sebastian, is the originator of the well-known uncertainty principle.

That scholar carried out an experiment in which a group of people were placed in a situation in which the glass was either “half full” or “half empty”. It demonstrated that subjectivity is the element of thought that depends on the way of thinking or feeling of the person making the observation.

For Mastropiero, the throught process is linked to memory, recollections, experiences and the knowledge of the people involved, who, as individuals, usually have differing experiences.

The announcement by the Ministry of Tourism that domestic tourism has grown significantly since 2008, and that during the past year alone 580,000 Cuban citizens stayed in hotels, an increase of 32%, is one such figure that can be viewed from different perspectives.

The first, and who would deny it, is very pleasing. It’s gratifying that more of our fellow Cubans have the means to enjoy a little taste of tourism.

Fortunately, as might be expected, this growth affects all of us. As well as demonstrating the soundness and good sense of abandoning a policy that favoured foreign tourists, it dignifies Cubans and stimulates a sector that was always intended to function as an engine of the national economy; a sector that often had many of its rooms unoccupied, while numerous Cubans found themselves unable to satisfy their yearnings and spend their adequate incomes in a pleasant way.

But there’s a more defiant way of viewing the content of this “Mastropierian glass”. The good news also demonstrates that we have a country with a marked social stratification.

As this sector with money to spare grows, with the possibility of using its incomes for some deserved holidays, at the other extreme is another sector whose economic situation obliges it to turn to state subsidies just to be able to satisfy basic necessities.

Hence the need for us to bind to everyone's sensibility, with silken threads, the socialist principle that in Cuba nobody will be left helpless; that in this process of adjustment of the economy and society no person or family will be cast adrift, without lifelines to this magic rope of justice that united us after 1959.

To achieve this implies replacing the egalitarian policy, that subsidised products, with another that subsidises persons, without trauma; and consolidating a taxation strategy that would guarantee the funds for our state to support an appropriate conception of redistribution and welfare, as decided by the Sixth Communist Party Congress.

After the beginning of the updating [of Cuba's socialist economic model], the best sign in this regard was the government's decision to allocate part of the proceeds from the free[1] sale of construction materials to subsidising the construction of a basic housing unit [i.e. a room] for those individuals and families of greatest social vulnerability[2].

As important as the decision itself was the way in which it was announced by the members of Workig Group 6 of the Permanent Commission for the Implementation and Development of the Economic and Social Policy Guidelines for the Party and the Revolution. They made it clear that this is neither an act of state charity nor a gift, but the fulfilment of a constitutional obligation.

They stated that the government's decision to grant subsidies to low-income individuals and families is a policy that promotes equality of opportunities in Cuba; that nobody will be left to fend for themselves, and that social solidarity will be put into effect, organised by the socialist state.

Neither can we ignore the fact that ours is a socialist state that must undertake the transformations in the midst of a serious distortion of the social pyramid[3], which means, moreover, that until it is corrected equal access won't always involve equality of opportunities. Thus it might be more complicated for us to place ourselves in front of Mastropiero's glass and answer his disturbing question: It's half full! It's half empty!
_________________
Translator's footnotes

[1] By state-owned retail stores without subsidies and in unrestricted quantities.

[2] 'Social vulnerability' is a Spanish term that is more encompassing than poverty. The UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean defines it as a multidimensional process that contributes to the risk that an individual, a household or a community may be disadvantaged by a situation or a change in circumstances.

[3] A reference to the fact that, for example, a self-employed worker or small business owner may earn more in one day than the monthly salary of a doctor, a teacher or an engineer — a legacy of Cuba's post-Soviet "Special Period".

Translation: Cuba's new housing subsidies

This detailed report in Juventud Rebelde announces a new housing subsidy scheme for low-income households. It also stresses the underlying principles: a move away from universal subsidies of products and services to targeted subsidies of people in genuine need of assistance; and the rights enshrined in Cuba's socialist constitution, in particular, "ARTICLE 9. The state... (c) works towards ensuring that no family is left without a comfortable place to live."

It should be noted that the Constitution also enshrines the right to free heath care and education at all levels, as well as other social rights that are left to the whims of the market in capitalist societies, such as the right to employment and access to sports and cultural activities.

Here is my translation of the Guidelines on housing and some introductory comments that may be helpful background reading.

Neither state charity nor a gift, but the fulfilment of a constitutional obligation

The decision of the government to grant subsidies to low-income persons and households is a policy that promotes equality of opportunities in Cuba. It aims to ensure that nobody is left destitute and that the socialist state upholds organised social solidarity.

By Ricardo Ronquillo Bello, Mayte María Jiménez, Margarita Barrios, Alina Perera and Ana María Domínguez Cruz

Juventud Rebelde, January 7, 2012

Translation: Marce Cameron

With the approval of the subsidy for low-income persons and households, a measure adopted by the Executive Committee of the Council of Ministers in December and which will be enacted on January 15, Cuba took the first step towards eliminating subsidies for products and instituting subsidies for those people who really need them.

The essence of this decision is that nobody should be left destitute, affirmed Raquel Rodríguez Gato, head of Working Group 6 of the Permanent Commission for the Implementation and Elaboration of the Economic and Social Policy Guidelines for the Party and the Revolution.

The decision is in line with Guideline 173, which aims to eliminate undue gratuities and excessive subsidies, based on the principle of compensating those who need it and no longer subsidising products as a rule.

It is also in keeping with Guideline 299, according to which “construction materials for the purposes of preservation, repair and construction of housing will be sold at non-subsidised prices. In cases where it is required, people will be partially or fully subsidised within the planned limits”.

These concepts were explained in a press conference at the head office of the Construction Ministry by representatives of the aforementioned Commission and of the ministries of Finances and Prices, Labour and Social Security, Domestic Trade, the Cuban Central Bank and the National Housing Institute.

Raquel Rodríguez emphasised that it is another way of seeking solutions to the housing problems in the country, while clarifying that it will not resolve all such situations.

This measure is one of a series of actions such as the free[1] sale of construction materials without subsidies, the implementation of a policy for bank credits for the purchase of construction materials and labour and price reductions for more than 122 construction material products. It is now possible for those low-income families who are most in need to organise their own housing repairs or construction, she said.

Miguel Limia David, a member of Working Group 6 of the Permanent Commission, said that the housing subsidy is not a charitable gesture but another means for the socialist state to offer support for the most vulnerable citizens.

The subsidy is not a credit, he stressed, and as such it does not have to be repaid. However, it does imply an elevated sense of responsibility, both on the part of the state and the beneficiaries, that is, those who are going to carry out the work that is to be subsidised.

The press conference turned into an in-depth and clarifying dialogue with the journalists about the implications of this government decision.

Miguel Lozano, Prensa Latina: "Are there reference points in the international context for what Cuba is putting into practice?"

Miguel Limia David: “Yes, there are points of reference but they’re not as comprehensive as what we’re doing, because this is a policy that is social, horizontal, universal, but which is implemented in a democratic way at the local level.

“Perhaps what is specific in our case is that it has to do with the socialist nature of our state, of the social objective of our economic policies. It shows that our state – as part of the process of improving its work as a result of the implementation of the Guidelines approved by the Sixth Communist Party Congress – is not abandoning its constitutional obligations, but looking for for a more efficient and sustainable way of guaranteeing these citizens rights.

“This is a social policy that is not implemented from the top down: the decisions are taken at the local level by the democratic governing bodies, which are the ones that decide on where it will be targeted. It’s a policy that addresses social problems, but democratically through the People’s Power local governments. That is, they identify the problem and make a decision in a transparent, accountable manner. The People’s Power municipal assembly is the body that ratifies the decision, that exercises oversight. It is also obliged to regularly inform people about the process.

“As such, it is a policy that tends to promote equality of opportunities in Cuba, to not leave anyone without support. That is, to uphold organised social solidarity through the socialist state. It’s not state charity nor a gift but the fulfilment of a constitutional obligation, but with an emphasis on individual initiative.

“On this last point there are also international experiences, but of essentially capitalist countries where the individual is left to fend for themselves. In our case the citizen is not left to fend for themselves, they are supported, though in a context in which they take their own initiative to manage credit and, together with their family, improve their housing situation without waiting for someone else to come along and do it for them.

“Such a policy breaks with the notion that you sit around waiting for someone else to come along and resolve your problems.”

Raquel Rodríguez Gato: “This new measure – aimed at assisting low-income people and households, on the basis that nobody will be left destitute – contributes, among others, to going some way to solving the housing problems in the country, in other words the problems of construction, repair and maintenance, which doesn’t mean that the state won’t continue building homes.

“The state continues, fundamentally, with the necessary work of constructing new housing in the country. The current measure is being taken in this context.”

Fidel Rendón, National Information Agency: "Are we prepared for a possible 'avalanche' of people who consider that they have the right and the need for this type of assistance?"

Loida Obregón González, head of Economics at the National Housing Institute: “Currently, the offices of the Institute are processing all of the requests that people submit. Those that have been affected by climatic phenomena have been attended to now by the Institute; there are already many applications that have been taken up by the municipal investment entities.

“We’ve had no option but to establish priorities because there are many in need of assistance. And while the Institute must process all applications, it does not have the authority to approve any of them: every application is passed on to the Municipal Administrative Council. All the requests submitted by the population will be processed.”

Vivian Bustamante, Bohemia magazine: "According to the Official Gazette, people can only make one application for the subsidy. What happens to those who want to partially build or renovate their home, that is, little by little?"

Loida Obregón González: "That’s right, you can only apply for the subsidy once. It can be up to 80,000 pesos[2] and include the purchase of the necessary materials and the hiring of the workforce.

“Subsidies can also be granted for smaller works of up to 5,000 pesos, or up to 10,000 if they are more complex, without having to apply for a building permit. The financing of such grants is based on the tax collected on the sale of construction materials in the various provinces, and is granted for the construction, repair or maintenance of up to 25 square metres, that is, for the basic housing unit comprising a bedroom, a bathroom and a kitchen."

Miguel Limia David: “The subsidy has nothing to do with bank credits, so it doesn’t have to be repaid. So every application will be evaluated in a comprehensive manner in relation to the socio-economic situation of the family, its incomes, expenses and employment, among other factors; and in accordance with the priorities we’ve established, financing for the works will be granted. This must be audited, supervised and properly administered by the beneficiary.

Ricardo Ronquillo, deputy director, Juventud Rebelde: "How can it be ensured that the decision to grant subsidies does not lead to favouritism in some cases?"

Raquel Rodríguez: “Favouritism cannot occur because there will be a commission charged with supervision and investigation of both the granting and the use of subsidies as part of the auditing carried out by the Municipal Administration Council, which will be given new powers. It will be tasked with evaluating the real needs of people, their economic situation, approval or rejection of the subsidy application and checking up on how the subsidy is spent.

“The Municipal Administration Council must report twice a year to the Municipal Assembly of People’s Power regarding compliance with the process.”

Margarita Barrios, Juventud Rebelde: "In terms of the current prices for construction materials, wouldn’t it be better to sell them at closer to their cost of production to make them affordable for more people?"

Bárbara Acosta Machín, deputy minister, Domestic Trade: “The current prices of the materials on sale in the stores are based on production costs. These prices are the same for all buyers (free sales, bank credits and subsidies). To the extent that production by local industry increases, there will be greater supply and costs will come down, as will retail prices.”

Alberto Loreydi, Radio Rebelde: "It has been explained that the priority cases for the granting of subsidies will be those whose housing was affected by natural disasters and those who are most needy. In terms of the latter, who are we talking about?"

Yusimí Campos Suárez, director of Social Security, Ministry of Labour and Social Security: “This refers to someone who requires the assistance of the state in order to carry out this type of work due to physical incapacitation, old age or something else that prevents them from working.

“The granting of the subsidy has an order of priority, which includes families affected by natural disasters such as cyclones, flooding and fire, among others; families who have suffered the partial or total loss of their homes; and critical social cases, such as the incapacitated and all those individuals who have complicated socio-economic circumstances.”

She explained that the commission that has been set up, together with the municipal branch of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, will assess each family that applies – their financial situation, incomes, as well as their social circumstances – so that they have a comprehensive sense of the realities of life of every household that applies for the subsidy.

“To these we must also add those who suffer illnesses and those who are aging, factors which prevent them from being able to cover their living costs and maintain their home in a habitable condition.

“In this regard, priority will be given to the 3,214 total collapses and the 10,179 partial collapses of homes as a consequence of meteorological phenomena in provinces such as Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, Camaguey and Holguin, according to National Housing Institute statistics.”

Although the experts and functionaries stressed that nobody who needed such assistance would be left helpless, they insisted on the need for every citizen to be conscientious and responsible in applying for the subsidy, since only those who really need it should apply.

The money must be used for the purpose specified in the contract and the beneficiary must be an active participant in the solution of their housing problems.

Adalberto Carbonell, director-general of Budget at the Ministry of Finances and Prices, explained that the subsidy is funded from 40% of the proceeds from the sale of construction materials in the provinces.

“The Provincial Administration Councils are now being empowered to distribute to the Municipal Administration Councils the funds transferred to the provinces by the Ministry of Finances and Prices according to the needs of each municipality, independently of the proceeds from the sale of construction materials.”

Carbonell added that the subsidy includes 40% of 2011 sales and those over the course of this year.

Melbys Nicola, Opciones magazine: "When does the subsidy expire? Can someone else be appointed to receive the subsidy on behalf of the applicant? If transport of construction materials is required, is this cost included in the subsidy?"

Raquel Rodríguez: “Once granted the subsidy does not expire. It must be remembered that the recipient signs a contract in which it is specified how, when and where this subsidy will be spent."

She also explained that in those cases where the applicant is unable to do it, they can name a representative to utilise the subsidy.

“Up to 30% of the subsidy that is granted may be used to cover labour costs and the transportation of materials. This labour must be be legal, that is, it must be carried out by registered self-employed workers.

José Hernández, Tribuna de La Habana: What happens to people who need subsidies and have outstanding bank debts?

Raquel Rodríguez Gato: “In each case there will be files kept by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the National Housing Institute, which will have to be forwarded to the municipal government so it can assess each situation.

“The municipal office of Labour and Social Security assesses the household, the problems they have, if they have such debts, and on the basis of this analysis they make a recommendation as to whether or not a subsidy should be granted. The analysis includes the possible reasons for the household having debts. It may be precisely because they need the subsidy. So an assessment will be carried out and a decision is then made by the Municipal Administration Council, which later on, every six months, reports back to the Municipal Assembly and also to the Provincial Assembly.”

In response to the concerns of the journalists present at the press conference regarding the procedures for applying for this monetary benefit, Miguel Limia David confirmed that the country has no precedents for such a process.

He emphasised that a lot of work was done to try to minimise the number of administrative procedures required of beneficiaries, and these were reduced to six.

They make an application and then sign a contract, he explained. They take this to the bank and open an account for the subsidy. They order the materials in the store and request a document that lists the prices of these materials; they then go to the bank and ask for a cheque. The materials are held for them for only five business days during which time the banking process is completed. If they’re not able to pick up the materials within five business days they have to begin the purchasing procedure again.

At the bank they receive two cheques, he said, one to pay for the materials and another to cover labour costs, which must be carried out by a team of licensed self-employed workers.

The process must be transparent and feasible, he stressed, and will be adjusted in response to difficulties that may arise when the subsidy becomes available from January 15.

__________________
Translator's footnotes:

[1] In unrestricted quantities at non-subsidised prices

[2] Regular (i.e. non-convertible) Cuban pesos. 

Translation: Rafael Hernandez interview Part 2

Here is Part 2 of my translation of Edmundo Garcia's interview of Cuban political scientist and Temas magazine editor Rafael Hernandez (Part 1 is here). The translation is abridged: it is complete up to the end of the text below but subsequent questions and responses on other topics, such as the papal visit to Cuba in 2012, are omitted. 

Rafael Hernandez: “The collapse of socialism is beyond the present horizon”

Interview by Edmundo Garcia, December 20, 2011

Spanish transcript published on the Cubadebate website, December 23

Translation: Marce Cameron 

Edmundo Garcia: Let’s move on now to the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) National Conference in January 2012. This has almost become another cliche, and I’d like to know your opinion. There are analysts, the so-called Cubanologists and Cuba observers, who take it as a given that the Economic and Social Policy Guidelines adopted by the Sixth PCC Congress is the key document that sets out the transformations, the updating of socialism, and that its proposals are sufficient for the updating of the socialist model. However, they are more critical of the [draft] National Conference document; some say the proposals are not similar. My specific questions are, do you perceive a distance between the two documents, between the Congress document and the Guidelines? Do you think the PCC is advancing in its own democratisation process? And finally, what do you anticipate will be the outcome of the PCC Conference in January? There you are, three questions in one.    

Rafael Hernandez: I think that naturally, there are things missing in the content of the Guidelines as adopted by the Congress, there are empty spaces, and these gaps sparked discussion during the debates on the Guidelines that several million people participated in over a number of weeks. I don’t think you can understand what is projected in the Guidelines unless you read them together with the Main Report to the Sixth PCC Congress delivered by Raul Castro, who made it clear that without a change in the style of political work, without a change in the conception of the Party’s role, in participation, in the style of Party work in relation to the population, unless we change all this then the reforms won’t succeed.

This, obviously, draws attention to the fact that – to use a mathematical analogy – the axes that these economic and social Guidelines cross are political axes. Most analysts take the view that they deal with a series of strictly economic measures, as if in a country like Cuba, with the kind of political and social system we have, one can make far-reaching economic changes that structurally modify the existing order in the economic sphere, without changing the others.

If you read the Guidelines closely, you’ll find the themes of decentralisation, de-statisation, de-bureaucratisation and the rule of law – the use of legality a tool of change, as a framework within which the changes are not only adopted but are consolidated and made permanent, which is very important. These changes, then, are political changes. They are obviously political changes, changes that have to do with the redistribution of power, with taking power away from the central structures and giving the base structures, the local bodies, more power. This is related to the democratisation of the system.

Perhaps many of those who criticise the [draft] PCC Conference document hoped that this issue of democratisation – or the gaps, the omissions in the Guidelines, such as the role of the trade unions, the role of the workers in the workplaces, in workplace decision-making, etc. – would be the key axis of the document. Given this, I think the PCC Conference can take up and elaborate on these problems that we have, which are at the very heart of the Cuban political problematic. I say this because one of the things that was truly admirable about the Party Congress is that it was a real congress, there was a debate; we saw it on TV, Cubans and non-Cubans could see in the telecast that there was a real debate on the draft Guidelines, which had previously been subjected to a popular debate.

The Congress had a content, it was not simply a ritualistic exercise to rubber-stamp a policy that had already been decided. Real decisions were made by the Congress, changes were adopted that were not in the draft Guidelines. It is to be hoped that the Party Conference will make changes likewise, that it responds to the expectations of the population and that it changes, of course, what I said a moment ago would be the most difficult thing to change, perhaps the greatest challenge, which is to change the political style [of the PCC’s work].

The political style, and I don’t mean style in the sense of a way of doing things, it has to with the whole conception of what politics is, with what is meant by the participation of the citizens, and what is the relationship between what Che Guevara called the vanguard and the mass. Today, this is more about the relationship between the leaders and the led, between the institutions of political representation of the population, it’s about the interests and desires of the population and the responses of the political institutions to these interests and desires; the ability to engage in a dialogue, to govern in a way that responds to the people, not with a package of policies that must be implemented regardless of what people think.

A measure was adopted [in the 1960s], that of nationalisation, of employment [in the state sector], and there are a million surplus workers according to an economic analysis. However, the delay in implementing [the rationalisation of state-sector employment] has obviously been the result of the realisation that the population was anxious, that there was anxiety among the people in relation to the issue of unemployment; an understandable anxiety, an understandable concern.

I think the government itself, in delaying the implementation of these measures, has displayed a great deal of political sensitivity. One thing that distinguishes the Cuban leadership is its political sensitivity regarding what the population thinks and feels. It’s hard to believe, though there are those who do believe it, that the top Cuban leadership is not aware of what the person in the street thinks and feels. At a time like the present, when Cubans are expressing themselves in different spaces, putting forward their ideas, interests and opinions which are obviously not homogeneous – we’re talking about debate, and whenever we talk about a space for expressing interests and ideas we’re talking about differences, disagreements, but listening to them and reflecting on them and taking on board, in a responsible way, these interests and desires of the population – I think this is at the heart of the current Cuban government’s concerns. 

What will be implemented, including the Guidelines adopted by the Congress, is not a magic wand, it’s not going to be a straight-jacket, a plan that’s going to be carried out as it it were a little book, a Bible. It's a working tool that’s going to be modified to the degree to which it is implemented in the months ahead, without haste, without rashness, but without pause.

[Abridged]

Cuba Guidelines debate PDF English

Here is my complete English translation of the booklet Information on the results of the Debate on the Economic and Social Policy Guidelines for the Party and the Revolution, an explanatory document published together with the final version of the Guidelines adopted by the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) Congress in April. As far as I'm aware there is no official translation of this document. Please note that this is an unofficial translation.

You can view or download it as a PDF file here or here. The Spanish text is here.

If you have any difficulties viewing or downloading this document please let me know and I'll email it to you as an attachment. 

The PDF file is just the text of the translation. It does not include my introductory comments on various chapters. You can read these on my blog, together with the corresponding chapter, beginning here. 

Alternatively, click here to view all of the instalments of the translation and my introductory comments sequentially.

 

Translation: Guidelines debate 24, Commerce

Here is the 24th and final instalment of my translation of the booklet Information on the results of the Debate on the Economic and Social Policy Guidelines for the Party and the Revolution, an explanatory document published together with the final version of the Guidelines adopted by the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) Congress in April.

I'll compile the 24 instalments into a single PDF document for easy reading and sharing and post a link to this blog.

The format is as follows: number and text of the draft guideline, followed by the text and number of the corresponding guideline approved by the Communist Party Congress, followed by the drafting commission's explanation for the change. At the foot of the translation you'll see the label "Guidelines". Click on this blue label to view all of the instalments of my translation of this explanatory document sequentially. 

An official English translation of the final version of the Guidelines has just become available. It does not include the draft Guidelines for comparison, nor the explanatory notes on the additions, deletions and amendments made on the basis of the public debate in the lead-up to the PCC Congress, all of which are included in this explanatory document.

Commerce policy

Guidelines 

283. The conditions in which the economy will operate, with the diversification of the forms of management of social property and of the participants in productive processes and in the provision of services, require a restructuring of both wholesale and retail trade. 

Restructure wholesale and retail trade according to the conditions in which the economy will operate, with the diversification of forms of management of social property and the participants in productive processes and in the provision of services. (304) 

Improves the text. Gave rise to 2,496 opinions nationwide. 

284. The structure and organisation of retail trade must be aimed at diversifying the quality and variety of the products and services offered, in order to satisfy the demands of the various sectors of the population and their purchasing power, as factors that contribute to incentivising work. 

Diversify the variety, quality and prices of the products and services on offer in order to satisfy the demands of the various sectors of the population according to their purchasing power, this being one of the factors that contributes to incentivising work. (305) 

Improves the text and broadens the scope of the guideline. 5,804 opinions were expressed nationwide. 

285. Until currency unification has been achieved, there will continue to be a two-tiered retail trade structure, with offers differentiated by their quality or characteristics in the current network of convertible currency stores and raising the quality of the offers in regular Cuban pesos. (Maintained as Guideline 306). 

286. Design a national supplies policy that takes into account the participation of the national producers and the efficient management of the imports that they carry out. Within this policy, define the forms of wholesale distribution, including those that cater to the new forms of non-state production or services, as well as the scope and characteristics of the retail network. (Maintained as Guideline 307)

287. Introduce non-state forms of management in this activity, in particular in the case of dining.

Introduce non-state forms of management in commerce, above all in food services and in domestic services and tradespeople. (308)

Substitutes “activity” for “commerce” for precision. Incorporates “domestic services and tradespeople”, which is one of the activities in which the new management models [of state-owned productive property – translator’s note] will be promoted. 1,751 opinions expressed nationwide.

288. As a consumption development policy, meat consumption, clothing and footwear, the sale of household electrical goods, construction materials, furniture and household furnishings, among others, must be prioritised.

Promote the offer of food products that encourage the attainment of a balanced diet, as well as prioritising the sale of clothing and footwear, household electrical goods, bicycles and spare parts, construction materials and hardware, furniture and household furnishings, among others, as a policy for developing consumption. (309)

Broadens the scope of the guideline. In response to 3,916 opinions nationwide.

289. Restructure the offers of goods and services, reviewing the retail prices of the basic basket of products [i.e. those available through the ration book – translator’s note], deciding which of them may be able to be sold in unrestricted quantities, without subsidies, in regular Cuban pesos.

Restructure the offers of goods and services, reviewing the retail prices of the standardised household basket of products, deciding which of them may be able to be sold in unrestricted quantities, without subsidies, in regular Cuban pesos. (310)

The term “basic basket” is amended to “standardised household basket”, referring to regulated [i.e. rationed and highly subsidised] products that will be gradually released for sale in unrestricted quantities without subsidies.

290. Structure the offers of goods and services to the population in accordance with solvent [i.e. debt-free] consumer demand. Revise the prohibitions that currently limit commerce.

Create and structure offers of goods and services to the population in accordance with the solvent demand of consumers, including after-sales services. Revise the prohibitions that currently limit commerce. (311)

Improves the wording and broadens its content. The subject of 746 opinions nationwide.

291. Exercise effective control over the management of purchases and the clearing of stock throughout the retail network, both wholesale and retail, with a view to minimising the immobilisation of resources and financial losses. (Maintained as Guideline 312)

New guideline:

Apply an effective consumer protection policy that ensures the fulfilment of the duties and rights of all retailers and consumers of goods and services. (313)

Included as a new guideline on the basis of 781 opinions.

Translation: Guidelines debate 23, Housing

Here is Part 23 of my translation of the booklet Information on the results of the Debate on the Economic and Social Policy Guidelines for the Party and the Revolution, an explanatory document published together with the final version of the Guidelines adopted by the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) Congress in April. I've now translated 303 out of 313 guidelines. Tomorrow I'll complete the translation of this document. I'll then compile the 24 instalments into a single PDF document for easy reading and sharing, and post a link to this blog.

These guidelines deal with three vital sectors: construction, housing and water resources. The Revolution faces big challenges in all three areas. Construction lags far behind what is needed. The US economic siege and Cuba's status as an industrially underdeveloped country are partly to blame. Universal rather than targeted state subsidies, low wages and the administrative stifling of individual and collective initiative – three facets of the complex and deeply-rooted phenomenon of paternalism – have also contributed to the problems in this sector. Waste, mismanagement and the theft of construction materials also play a part.

In his landmark November 17, 2005 speech in which he warned that the Revolution could self-destruct, Fidel related how he came across an illegal sale yard for pilfered construction materials: "I recall that we were building an important biotechnological centre in Bejucal. There was a little cemetery close by. I was making my rounds, and one day I passed by the cemetery. There I saw a colossal market where the construction crew, both the foremen and many of the workers, had put up a market selling cement, steel rods, wood, paint, you name it, all kinds of construction materials. You know that construction has always been a very serious problem ... [I]t’s tragic the dilemma with the workers, the weaknesses of the foremen and of others in leading positions."

The problems in the construction sector are felt most acutely in the country's housing deficit of more than half a million homes, made worse by the ferocious 2008 hurricanes and earlier storms. The Guidelines call for individuals and the expanding non-state sector – self-employment, small businesses and cooperatives – to speed up housing repair and construction and to contribute to the production of building materials. The watchword is decentralisation, devolving more responsibility for the housing programme to the municipal level. Subsidised construction materials used to be allocated administratively by local authorities, which often led to favouritism and corruption. As called for in the Guidelines, non-subsidised construction materials can now be purchased is state stores when they are available. This has led to another problem: people buying up scare materials in bulk as soon as they arrive in the stores and then reselling them for a profit. Such hoarding and profiteering will diminish as production rises and supplies become plentiful.

Guideline 299 specifies that full or partial subsidies for housing repairs and construction will be made available to people who need them, rather than subsidising construction materials (and thus subsidising everyone, including those with higher incomes). The biggest change, however, is the decree law that legalises the buying and selling of homes – limited to one residence and one holiday home to prevent the concentration of property ownership. This law goes into effect today. Until now, only exchanging one home for another has been permitted, a prohibition that didn't stop the buying and selling of homes but spawned a black market in real estate in which housing exchanges were supplemented by illicit cash payments. As with other well-intentioned but excessive prohibitions in revolutionary Cuba, the inevitable counterpart of the black market has been the widespread corruption of administrators, who had to be bribed to turn a blind eye to illegal transactions.

Guideline 297 was modified on the basis of nearly 11,000 opinions expressed during the grassroots debates on the draft Guidelines. The popular will is expressed in the difference between the draft and final versions of this guideline. In the coming weeks I'll post translations and commentaries on this important and potentially far-reaching reform. Predictably, the global corporate media is awash with commentaries hailing the housing reform as Cuba's tentative embrace of capitalism. Some disillusioned or misinformed leftists echo this nonsense. But more on this later.

The format is as follows: number and text of the draft guideline, followed by the text and number of the corresponding guideline approved by the Communist Party Congress, followed by the drafting commission's explanation for the change. At the foot of the translation you'll see the label "Guidelines". Click on this blue label to view all of the instalments of my translation of this explanatory document sequentially.

An official English translation of the final version of the Guidelines has just become available. It does not include the draft Guidelines for comparison, nor the explanatory notes on the additions, deletions and amendments made on the basis of the public debate in the lead-up to the PCC Congress, all of which are included in this explanatory document.

Tobacco farmer's house with traditional thatched roof 

Construction, housing and water resources

Guidelines

Construction

268. Continue perfecting the elaboration of the balance sheet of the national capacity for construction and assembly, given its importance as a tool for the efficient planning of investments and their associated resources. (Maintained as Guideline 287)

269. Boost construction efficiency using systems of payment for results, creating double work shifts on projects where feasible, making better use of technical and non-technical equipment and introducing new technologies in construction, in particular for works linked to tourism.

Boost construction efficiency using systems of payment for results, creating double work shifts on projects where feasible, making better use of technical and non-technical equipment and introducing new technologies in construction. (288)

Given that payment systems affect the quality of work not only in tourism, but also in other construction projects. In response to 318 opinions in 15 provinces and the Congress discussions.

270. Consider the establishment of specialised enterprises of national scope for construction projects and works in programmes such as gold courses, dolphin aquariums, marinas, spas, themes parks and aquatic parks that are closely linked to tourism infrastructure.

Consider the establishment of specialised enterprises of national scope for construction projects and works in programmes such as gold courses, dolphin aquariums, marinas, spas, themes parks and aquatic parks that are closely linked to tourism infrastructure and other economic sectors that may require them. (289)

Adds other economic sectors so that the guideline is not limited to tourism.

271. Complete the review of construction prices in the short term, with the aim of measuring the real cost of construction works and implementing price changes accordingly.

Complete the review of construction prices with the aim of measuring the real value of construction works and implementing price changes accordingly. (290)

Eliminates “in the short term” to complete it according to the planned timeline. The text is clarified.

272. Adopt new organisational forms in construction, such as cooperatives and self-employed contractors.

Adopt new organisational forms in construction, both state and non-state. (291)

Broadens the organisational forms that will be established. In response to 59 opinions in 10 provinces.

Housing

273. Maintenance and conservation works on the housing stock will be given priority attention, including the adoption of non-state forms of management in order to resolve the housing problems of the population, as well as increase the availability of construction materials. (Maintained as Guideline 292)

274. Special attention must be given to ensuring that housing programmes at the municipal level are carried out, based on the raw materials available locally and the available technology for the manufacture of the necessary construction materials. (Maintained as Guideline 293)

275. Measures will be adopted that correspond with the priority of housing construction and repair in the countryside, taking into consideration the need to improve living conditions and the particularities that make this activity more complex in rural areas, with the aim of contributing to the stability of the food-producing workforce and meeting its needs.

Measures will be adopted that correspond with the priority of housing construction, conservation and rehabilitation in the countryside, taking into consideration the need to improve living conditions and the particularities that make this activity more complex in rural areas, with the aim of contributing to the stability of the food-producing workforce and meeting its needs. (294)

Includes the terms “conservation and rebailitation” because these are activities that can be carried out on the housing stock in rural areas.

276. The construction of new housing must be organised on the basis of the adoption of new forms that include a significant proportion of individual effort, as well as other non-state initiatives. Promote the introduction of new methods and the use of construction technologies that save materials and labour and that the population would find easy to use. Devise norms for the construction of common areas within multi-family housing projects, which given their degree of technical specialisation and complexity cannot be carried out by individual owners, who must cover the cost of these works in all cases.

The construction of housing must be organised on the basis of the adoption of various forms that include a significant proportion of individual effort, as well as other non-state initiatives. Promote the introduction of new methods and the use of construction technologies that save materials, energy and labour and that the population would find easy to use. Devise norms for the construction of common areas within multi-family housing projects, which given their degree of technical specialisation and complexity cannot be carried out by individual owners, who must cover the cost of these works in all cases. (295)

Improves the text.

277. Satisfy, through the construction materials industry, the demand for materials needed by investment projects and construction maintenance, and increase exports of the most competitive materials as well as sales to the population at minimal cost and without subsidies.

Satisfy, through the construction materials industry, with the required quality and with an emphasis on the local production of materials, the demand for sales to the population for the construction, conservation and rehabilitation of housing. (296)

Deletes content that is taken up in the current Guidelines 233 and 299 and adds the quality of materials. In response to 848 opinions in 15 provinces.

278. Apply flexible formulae for the exchange, buying, selling and leasing of housing, in order to facilitate the solution of the housing demands of the population.

Allow the buying and selling of housing and make more flexible other forms of ownership transfer (exchanges, donations and others) among individuals. Simplify the procedures for renovations, rehabilitation, construction, leasing and the transfer of property ownership, with the aim of facilitating the solution of the housing demands of the population. (297)

Incorporates new elements and tightens up the wording. In response to 10,942 opinions nationwide and the Congress discussion.

New guideline:

Add to the housing stock by making available houses that are being used for administrative or state purposes, as well as buildings that can be used for housing. (298)

Establishes the objective of reviewing the use of all types of buildings that may be able to be used for housing. In response to 1,102 opinions nationwide.

New guideline:

Construction materials for the conservation, rehabilitation and construction of housing will be sold at non-subsidised prices. In cases where it is required, people [rather than construction materials – translator’s note] will be subsidised partially or fully, within the planned limits. (299)

Reaffirms the policy of subsidising people rather than products. In response to 13,012
opinions nationwide.

Water resources

279. The water audit will constitute the planning tool through which the efficiency of water use by the state and private sectors is measured against the availability of this resource. (Maintained as Guideline 300)

280. The water supply programme will continue to be developed with large-scale investments to deal much more effectively with the problems of drought and the need to use water rationally across the country, increasing the area of irrigated farmland. (Maintained as Guideline 301)

281. The programme for the rehabilitiation of pipe networks, aqueducts and domestic sewerage services will be prioritised and extended, with the aim of reducing water losses in the medium term and simultaneously reducing energy consumption and increasing water recycling.

The programme for the rehabilitiation of pipe networks, aqueducts and domestic sewerage services will be prioritised and extended, according to the plan, with the aim of improving water quality, reducing water losses, increasing recycling and consequently reducing energy consumption. Include the sale of plumbing hardware and accessories to the population. (302)

Deletes “in the medium term” because this is a problem whose solution will take more time. Adds water quality and the sale of hardware to the population, give its importance in the programme. In response to the discussion at the Congress.

282. To promoting a culture of the rational use of water, study the adjustment of water rates, including sewerage, with the aim of gradually reducing the subsidy and wasteful water use. Make it mandatory for state and private customers to meter their water use and be charged for consumption. (Maintained as Guideline 303)

Translation: Guidelines debate 22, Transport

Here is Part 22 of my translation of the booklet Information on the results of the Debate on the Economic and Social Policy Guidelines for the Party and the Revolution, an explanatory document published together with the final version of the Guidelines adopted by the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) Congress in April.

Guideline 286 was added on the basis of 13,816 opinions expressed in the public debate on the draft Guidelines. It reads: "Allow the purchase and sale of motor vehicles among individuals." For decades, only cars in private hands at the time of the 1959 revolution could be legally acquired and sold by individuals – one reason why Cuba resembles a living car museum with its fleet of 1950s Cadillacs, Buicks, Pontiacs, Chevrolets and other classics that rumble through the streets, kept on the road by the ingenuity of Cuban mechanics who graft Soviet diesel engines onto American gear boxes.

The state has a monopoly on the sale of new, imported vehicles, most of which are purchased by state entities. They have also been sold to exemplary workers (before the demise of the Soviet Union), internationalist volunteers when they return from overseas missions and outstanding sports people and artists. Cubans working overseas have been allowed to buy cars and bring them into the country. However, the resale of cars acquired after 1959 was prohibited – ownership could only be transferred to family members – which led to a thriving black market and the corruption of officials whose job it was to police this illicit trade.

On October 1, a decree law legalised the sale and purchase of all privately owned vehicles among individuals. Informal ownership can now be formalised, the policing of the old prohibitions and the resulting corruption are a thing of the past and taxes on transactions will contribute to the state's coffers. Cubans who emigrate will be able to sell their vehicles or transfer ownership to a relative rather than having them seized by the state.

The private importation of vehicles remains restricted, as is the state's selling of new cars to individuals: buyers must be able to demonstrate that they acquired the money to purchase the vehicle legally through their work, rather than through corruption, black market activities or remittances. The explanation accompanying this new guideline reaffirms that improving public transport is the Revolution's priority. 

A major renovation of Cuba's railway system is underway and Brazil is financing the construction of a large port complex at Mariel, west of Havana, that will become the island's main import-export hub.

The format is as follows: number and text of the draft guideline, followed by the text and number of the corresponding guideline approved by the Communist Party Congress, followed by the drafting commission's explanation for the change. At the foot of the translation you'll see the label "Guidelines". Click on this blue label to view all of the instalments of my translation of this explanatory document sequentially.

An official English translation of the final version of the Guidelines has just become available. It does not include the draft Guidelines for comparison, nor the explanatory notes on the additions, deletions and amendments made on the basis of the public debate in the lead-up to the PCC Congress, all of which are included in this explanatory document.

The view from a 1950s Cuban taxi

Transport policy

Guidelines

249. Continue the recuperation, modernisation and reorganisation of transport, with the aim of improving the quality and efficiency of the transportation service for cargo and passengers, based on the rational use of all resources, especially energy, projecting the use of the most economical.

Continue the recuperation, modernisation and reordering of land and sea transport, increasing the efficiency and quality of the services for cargo and passenger transportation, based on the most rational use of resources. (269)

Changes the word “reorganisation” for “reordering” [i.e. prioritising rail over road freight, etc. – translator’s note], which is the correct term for the process that is being carried out. That which follows the word “resources” is eliminated to aid comprehension. In response to 12,247 opinions nationwide.

250. Closely examine freight movements across the country, prioritising the use of the most efficient transport modes. In this sense, the order of priority is rail, shipping between Cuban ports and the specialised transportation enterprises.

Ensure the utilisation of the most efficient schemes and methods for each type of transport to optimise the proportion of freight moved by the various transport modes, utilising the comparative advantages of rail, shipping between Cuban ports and the specialised container transportation enterprises to develop multi-modal transport. (270)

Adds [sic] shipping transport and the use of multi-modal transport, which are included in the national Freight Assessment. Gave rise to 1,007 opinions nationwide.

251. The development of transport activity will become self-financing with the energy savings obtained as a result of the investments policy and the replacement of the fleet.

Investments will be paid for with the proceeds from investments; those related to the development of the railways and port infrastructure and their facilities will be financed, fundamentally, with energy savings and cost reductions (271)

Specifies investments in railways and ports. Gave rise to 195 opinions nationwide.

252. Increase, in overland freight transport, the involvement of the specialised fleet in total transportation, in both road transport and railways. Rail will improve its share of freight transport and will increase the returns on investments with the necessary integrality. (Incorporated into Guideline 270)

On the basis of 234 opinions nationwide.

253. Plan the expansion of the “door to door” transport mode. (Incorporated into Guideline 270)

The term “door to door” is deleted because it is not understood. In response to 472 doubts in 13 provinces and the Isle of Youth.

254. Prioritise rail transport in the programme to upgrade the road network, which requires an integration of the national investments programme and collaboration between the entities linked to construction, maintenance, utilisation and preservation.

Boost the programme for the recuperation and development of the railways within the national investment process, prioritising the upgrading and maintenance of roads and the management of roadworks to increase train speed, security, orderliness railway operations, and reduced transportation times for freight and passengers. All of this will be carried out according to the plan and real possibilities. (272)

Changes the wording to emphasise that the recuperation programme is the principal task, within which the upgrading of roads will be prioritised. In response to 4,743 opinions nationwide.

255. Organise shipping transport between Cuban ports, drawing up fixed itineraries where feasible. (Incorporated into Guideline 270)

In response to 201 opinions nationwide.

256. Develop the national merchant fleet as an important contribution to the country’s foreign trade and for the reduction of costs through freight transport charges.

Develop the merchant national fleet and the shipyards as a means of stimulating and increasing convertible currency income and savings through freight transport charges. (273)

Specifies the objective and improves the wording. Gave rise to 114 opinions in five provinces and the Isle of Youth.

257. Boost the efficiency of shipping activity on the basis of an increase in the rates charged for the unloading of ships, eliminate payments for deadfreight [i.e. charging for space booked on a ship but not utilized] and improve the utilisation of ship capacities.

Boost the efficiency of shipping activity and port operations, on the basis of the organisation of work systems that would allow for swifter processing of merchandise, including the modernisation and maintenance of port infrastructure and its facilities, as well as the dredging of the country’s principal ports. (274)

Merges draft Guidelines 257 and 258. Gave rise to 32 opinions in 4 provinces and the Isle of Youth.

258. Work towards the refurbishing and modernisation, including the dredging, where necessary, of the country’s principal ports that serve as hubs for international trade, as a means to improve shipping services and to boost the efficiency of shipping and port activity. (Incorporated into Guideline 270)

Gave rise to 87 opinions in 12 provinces and the Isle of Youth.

259. The gradual development of port infrastructure will have to depend on the availability of international financing, which will be recovered through reduced freight shipping bills and docking costs. (Maintained as Guideline 275)

260. Carry out the port infrastructure investments with the integrality that allows for greater efficiency in loading and unloading operations, reducing unnecessary storage times for containers on docks, increasing their rotation and achieving appropriate warehouse logistics.

Increase the use of containers and the efficiency of their operation, reducing storage durations and increasing their rotation with appropriate warehouse logistics. (276)

Refers to the use of containers, their efficiency and their link to the domestic economy. In response to 13 opinions in three provinces. 

261. Achieve an efficient investment programme for port development and in service operations at Mariel, given that this port is decisive for the recuperation of infrastructure, facilities and the capacity of port operations.

Achieve an efficient investment programme for port development in the country, in particular for Mariel port. (277)

Improves the wording. Gave rise to 67 opinions in 12 provinces.

262. Give special attention to the new schemes for the establishment of cooperatives or other formulas of social participation in passenger transport activity, that result in an increase in service quality and the ability to respond to this demand, according to the characteristics of each locality.

Encourage the drawing up of new state and non-state organisational forms for passenger and freight transport, as well as for other services linked to this activity, in accordance with the characteristics of each locality. (278)

Improves the wording and incorporates freight transport and other associated services. Gave rise to 535 opinions nationwide.

263. Rail transport will be increased and transportation times will be reduced, as will the proportion of passenger transport by bus. (Incorporated into Guideline 272)

On the basis of 1,897 opinions nationwide.

264. Organise and prioritise the provision of technical services for the maintenance and technical functioning of the means of transport, and the quality of these services, including the non-state sector. (Maintained as Guideline 279)

265. The civil aviation service for the transport of domestic and international passengers must assume a growth rate that corresponds with the numbers of tourist arrivals, tourism operations and national demand, utilising the national fleet with a higher index of occupancy.

Develop a strategy that would allow for the progressive modernisation of the national airliner fleet in the short term and for its efficient utilisation, with the aim of being able to keep up with the growth of tourism and national demand. (280)

Improves the wording.Gave rise to 173 opinions in 10 provinces.

266. Speed up and reduce passenger airport procedures and improve the quality of airport services.

Offer quality and competitive services in the country’s airport facilities, giving special attention to speeding up and simplifying procedures for passengers and the maintenance of prices and charges that are competitive in the Caribbean region. (281)

Improves and broadens the scope of the guideline. In response to 226 opinions in 10 provinces.

267. Increase air freight transportation on the basis of a better utilisation of the specialised airliner fleet, aimed primarily at providing services that bring in convertible currency income, and work on competitive offers that assist the export of Cuban products.

Increase air freight transport on the basis of a better utilisation of the capacities of the passenger and the specialised transport fleet, aimed primarily at providing better quality and more efficient services that would allow for an increase in convertible currency incomes, and work on competitive offers that assist the export of Cuban products and that lower the costs of imports through freight charges. (282)

Improves and broadens the scope of the text. Gave rise to 13 opinions in 3 provinces.

New guideline:

Give prioritised attention to urban, rural, inter-municipal and inter-provincial passenger transport, achieving stability and quality of service, assuring its sustainability [in the service provision rather than the ecological sense – translator’s note] and the gradual increase in the satisfaction of the demand, in accordance with the possibilities of the country. (283)

Included as a new guideline on the basis of 16, 875 opinions nationwide.

New guideline:

Implement new forms of payment for urban passenger transport to minimise fare evasion and the theft of fare collections. (284)

Included as a new guideline on the basis of 5,008 opinions nationwide.

New guideline:

Ensure fulfillment, with the required quality, of the programme for the repair and maintenance of the road infrastructure, in line with the economic plan and the real possibilities of the country. (285)

The repair and maintenance of roads is included as a new guideline. In response to 3,766 opinions nationwide.

New guideline:

Allow the purchase and sale of motor vehicles among individuals. (286) 

Relates to the purchase and sale, between individuals, of existing vehicles. Does not include, for the time being, an increase in [new] vehicle sales by the state. The priority of improving public transport is maintained. This topic gave rise to 13,816 opinions.