Cuba's Private Sector Booms
HAVANA, April 3 (Bernama) -- Cuba is expected to see more self-employed
workers this year, as the country is embracing a private sector boom,
China's Xinhua news agency reported.
Around 240,000 workers are likely to join the private sector in 2012,
whereas 362,000 people have already registered in December 2011,
according to the statistics published on Monday by official media.
Meanwhile, the number of workers at state-run companies is expected to
drop by 170,000, Cuban Deputy Labor and Social Security Minister, Jose
Barreiro said.
Cuban leader Raul Castro launched the economic renovation programme
three years ago to encourage the expansion of the private sector to make
the island's economy more efficient and productive.
In 2011, some 1.5 million employees were laid off from the public sector
as part of the modernisation campaign. Under the government's 2012 plan,
170,000 Cubans will turn to the private sector.
"Besides, 70,000 first job finders would also work in the sector,"
Barreiro said, adding Cuba was advancing step by step in reorganising
its labour force.
In an effort to stimulate local private investment, the Cuban Central
Bank announced last November it would start granting credits and loans
to develop private-sector economy.
In an unprecedented move, the government also made it possible for
private workers and farmers to provide services and products to
state-owned companies, without placing financial limits on contracts.
These economic reforms, however, should not be seen as a signal of
political reforms, local officials stressed.
"There will be no political changes in Cuba," said Marino Murillo,deputy
president of Cuba's Council of Ministers, "But we will update the
economic model as much as necessary."
Cuba's economic model resembles the Soviet because of the strong
commercial ties between the two countries in the past, Murillo noted.
"We have studied what different countries have done in terms of
modifying their economic model such as China, Vietnam, Russia and other
European countries," he said. "However it does not mean that we will
automatically copy foreign models."
Murillo said Cuba's new economic model "will ensure equality in human
development, so no one will remain unprotected."
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