Cuba is working for the recovery of its economy, which is going through a complex situation, given the adverse international conditions generated by more than two years of the COVID 19 pandemic, the expenditure of considerable resources for its confrontation and the reinforcement of the U.S. blockade.

By María Josefina Arce

Cuba is working for the recovery of its economy, which is going through a complex situation, given the adverse international conditions generated by more than two years of the COVID 19 pandemic, the expenditure of considerable resources for its confrontation and the reinforcement of the U.S. blockade.

In his speech at the ninth ordinary session of the National Assembly of People's Power, Cuba's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Planning, Alejandro Gil, specified that a fundamental problem is the low level of foreign currency income, which has its main source in tourism, and which has been seriously affected worldwide by the disease caused by the new coronavirus and the measures adopted to prevent its spread.

And although the country has registered in recent months a discreet increase in the number of visitors compared to 2021, a year of strong incidence of the virus in the world, it is still insufficient and far from the levels achieved previously.

Hence, the aim is to undertake other actions to boost the economy, respond to old problems and meet the needs of the population, the top priority of the revolution.

In this way, the deputies were able to learn about a new package of 75 measures, which are aimed at increasing the foreign currency income, which in good part is destined to prioritized programs and which are affected by the lack of resources.

Therefore, it is vital and urgent to boost industrial and agricultural production in order to replace imports, especially of foodstuffs, a long-standing burden on our economy.  Despite repeated calls from the authorities, the country is still forced to invest substantial resources in this regard, when in many cases they can be achieved in the national territory.

There are potentials that have not yet been fully exploited due to inefficiencies, bureaucratic obstacles and deficient organization and planning that slow down the progress of certain projects that can contribute a lot to economic and social progress.

In this context, it is of great importance to pay greater attention to local development, a key element in the socioeconomic transformations underway and which can contribute so much to the advancement of the nation.

This has been repeatedly emphasized by Cuban President Miguel Díaz Canel, who has called for taking advantage of the strengths and talents of the territories.

Cuba is not renouncing the recovery of its economy; it is an aspiration it is working on and for that purpose it is looking for new options, which require the effort and dedication of all.