Havana, October 17 (RHC)--  President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez headed a meeting to check the country's industrial program, which analyzed the current state and development prospects of the island´s Chemical Industry, a sector of great complexity due to the diversity of its productions and the technologies involved in it.

The sector´s business group gathers 14 national companies, 65 base business units, and five mixed companies. More than 6,800 workers work in these companies. Its main productions are industrial and medicinal gases; caustic soda chlorine and its derivatives; fertilizers; rubber; glass; paper, pesticides, and sulphuric acid.

The chemical industry has a primary impact on the sugar agroindustry, non-sugar and food industry, pharmaceutical, biotechnological and biomedical production, water resources, construction, transport, light industry, and tourism.

According to a report on national television, today, the sector is in urgent need of technological renewal, and  Its production does not satisfy the current demands and it annually imports a large number of raw materials and products.

The development project planned for the year 2030 aims to transform this state of affairs gradually.

In evaluating compliance with the indications of the Industrial Program, the Cuban president highlighted the enormous potential that the country has in this sphere, which has a significant impact on the national economy.

The meeting also examined the progress of the packaging program. It was announced that 95% of the annual production plan is expected to be completed by year´s end.