By Roberto Morejon

Cubans hope that the very popular MSMEs, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, can act as a springboard for other changes in the economic model, in addition to contributing with goods and services at lower prices.
 
The government assures that they are here to stay, although responses to distortions are being studied, in an extremely difficult context due to the U.S. blockade.
 
The United States is also seeking the economic asphyxiation of the Caribbean nation by placing it on a unilateral list of sponsors of terrorism.
 
As a result of this infamous location and the siege, Cuba's commercial, banking and investment transactions are being pursued, which together with internal shortages, the consequences of the pandemic and the impossibility of increasing agricultural production and other sources, generates material shortages that overwhelm the parishioners.
 
In a domestic inflationary context also affected by global tensions, together with the impact on remittances, tourism and exports, the largest of the Antilles suffers a distressing shortage of foreign currency.
 
The minimum available is earmarked for priorities such as the electric power system, oil and food purchases and care for the vulnerable.
 
In this environment, MSMEs absorbed a number of workers who could not find space in state entities.
 
With state and private MSMEs, the latter proliferated, but although the United States is betting on turning them into an opposition flank, many of their members reject it, President Miguel Díaz-Canel pointed out in a public appearance.
 
This type of private business sometimes has an easier time importing, is less blocked than state entities and is able to acquire raw materials and then link up with state enterprises.
 
To the extent that they have cooperated in setting up productive systems efficiently, the usefulness of the MYPIMES can be seen, in addition to providing services to society that the State should not assume.
 
The government is attentive to the high prices and speculation of some of these entities, but they should not be demonized, as postulated by some, who even spoke erroneously of what they called neoliberalism.
 
President Díaz-Canel emphasized the need for the existence of clear, precise and consistent rules to prevent distortions of MSMEs.
 
All of them with an adequate relationship with the state sector help to take steps towards a more decentralized economic model.