The Cuban Government has announced the recent grant of licences ofoperation for over 80,000 private businesses as part of an overall planto improve the national economy.
The resumptionof licensing private businesses has been occuring since October lastyear, and is aimed at expanding private business in 178 categories ofservices in order to provide jobs for a majority of 500,000 redundantworkers set to be laid off from the State-owned economic sector.
Economists predicted a surge in self-employment when the massive lay-off move comes into force this month.
The island country of 11.2 million has a workforce of 5 million, with 3 million employed in the State sector.
The Government has planned to lay off 500,000 public workers up tolate March and another 500,000 later on in order to increase theeconomy’s competition and salaries for public workers.
Havana also made public its plan to disburse 130 million USDthis year to import production materials and other products necessaryfor expanding the private economic model. The Government is also toprovide credit information for private business people.
Deputy Minister of Information Industry and Communication Jorge LuisPerdomo on February 7 said the ministry might sell 27 percent of thestock of the State-run telecom group Etecsa to foreign businesses afterits Italian partner, Telecom, sold its shares back to the Cuban telecommonopoly for 706 million USD in January.
Perdomoadded that the Cuban National Assembly is expected to pass the firstever telecom law this year in service of sector development.
Also on February 7, an international information technology andtelecommunication fair opened in Havana , drawing over 2,000 expertsfrom 35 countries across the world./.
The resumptionof licensing private businesses has been occuring since October lastyear, and is aimed at expanding private business in 178 categories ofservices in order to provide jobs for a majority of 500,000 redundantworkers set to be laid off from the State-owned economic sector.
Economists predicted a surge in self-employment when the massive lay-off move comes into force this month.
The island country of 11.2 million has a workforce of 5 million, with 3 million employed in the State sector.
The Government has planned to lay off 500,000 public workers up tolate March and another 500,000 later on in order to increase theeconomy’s competition and salaries for public workers.
Havana also made public its plan to disburse 130 million USDthis year to import production materials and other products necessaryfor expanding the private economic model. The Government is also toprovide credit information for private business people.
Deputy Minister of Information Industry and Communication Jorge LuisPerdomo on February 7 said the ministry might sell 27 percent of thestock of the State-run telecom group Etecsa to foreign businesses afterits Italian partner, Telecom, sold its shares back to the Cuban telecommonopoly for 706 million USD in January.
Perdomoadded that the Cuban National Assembly is expected to pass the firstever telecom law this year in service of sector development.
Also on February 7, an international information technology andtelecommunication fair opened in Havana , drawing over 2,000 expertsfrom 35 countries across the world./.
