Cuban retirees resell news as toilet paper

Cuban retirees resell news as toilet paper
August 27, 2009

Havana -- A Cuban retiree says the country's toilet paper shortage has
created a lucrative business for seniors -- buying and reselling
newspapers as an alternative.

The Havana retiree said he and other seniors line up before dawn to buy
surplus newspapers from distribution points for factories and offices
that have closed for economic reasons and shortages of electricity and
raw materials, The Miami Herald reported Thursday.

The man, who requested anonymity to prevent trouble with authorities,
said the seniors buy the newspapers, including the Communist party's
Granma, for 20 Cuban cents -- about .007 U.S. cents. They then resell
them to neighbors for up to 20 Cuban pesos, about 71 U.S. cents, for use
as toilet paper.

Cuban officials were quoted by the official Radio Rebelde as saying the
government plans to import a lot of toilet paper by the end of the year
to ease the shortage.

Cuban retirees resell news as toilet paper | The Money Times (27 August
2009)
http://www.themoneytimes.com/20090827/cuban-retirees-resell-news-toilet-paper-id-1081680.html