Havana, May 15 (RHC)-- Far from leading to the neglect of the most diverse aspects of the nation's daily life, the confrontation with COVID-19 has ratified the importance of maintaining as working principles determining aspects of the country's future, such as planning, saving, confronting corruption and illegalities, as well as the constant search for alternatives to replace imports and boost national production.

In this way, President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz held a new working meeting with the main authorities of the country's 15 provinces and the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud, where the head of state insisted on the integrative approach with which the island's economic and social development should be projected.

The extensive agenda of the meeting, which was also attended by the Vice President of the Republic, Salvador Valdés Mesa, and all the deputy prime ministers, had as its first point of analysis the presentation by the Minister of Economy and Planning Alejandro Gil Fernández, of the fundamental elements that have been defined to carry out the adjustment of the Economy Plan for this year; the indications for the elaboration of Plan 2021; and the main elements that define the economic strategy that Cuba will follow to face the situation caused by the pandemic.

These issues, which had already been approved in previous meetings of the Council of Ministers, are of crucial importance in the current scenario, hence Gil Fernández's insistence on emphasizing that it is not a matter of adapting to the current situation, but of anticipating and doing everything possible to minimize the effects we may have, and even increase productive activities.

During the meeting, an evaluation was also presented on indiscipline, illegalities and manifestations of administrative corruption in 2019, an aspect that Prime Minister Manuel Marrero considered, calling for the reflection on the need to do things differently, to put thought and action into seeking more effectiveness.

Special attention was given to the strategy that the country has proposed to promote the production of animal food with its own resources, where the use of different protein plants whose cultivation is promoted in the national territory stands out.  Likewise, the important challenge facing the Food Industry and Agriculture to increase, from the local level, the production of food for the people was highlighted.