Cuban ministry of culture updates regulations for import and export of cultural goods

A resolution of the Cuban ministry of culture will allow for transparency in the import and export of cultural goods, while becoming a tool for the citizen, who for the first time will have much clearer what to do and the permits to obtain, it was learned at the Informative Mesa Redonda today.

Nilson Acosta Reyes, vice president of the National Council of Cultural Heritage, recalled that a new regulation is in the legislative program of the National Assembly of People's Power, and the measure will contribute to prohibit and prevent the entry and exit of cultural goods of the nation, or to transfer them an illicit property.

He defined as novelties of the new customs regulations that the scope of competence of each instance is more clearly defined, and the regulatory terms for the different cultural goods recognized in the norm are updated.

It also exempts from export permits amateur paintings, as well as other cultural goods less than 50 years old, except for those exempted in the resolution itself.

According to the director, from now on the officials of the National Council of Cultural Heritage at the border are empowered to issue export permits for a limited group of goods, which are defined in the resolution, taking into account, for example, if it is cultural heritage, the value it may have, its antiquity and exceptionality.

It also offers flexibility to that body to update the regulations every year.

Nelson Cordoves Reyes, head of the General Customs of the Republic, expressed at the same program that the measures adopted to facilitate and expedite the export and import processes have been very well received by the organizations and new economic actors, and in general by Customs officials.

He informed that the enunciated rules will be published on April, and will come into force in the following 30 days.

The working group, chaired by the PM, Manuel Marrero, continues reviewing all the regulations that have an impact on the border activity, with the intention of eliminating obstacles to improve our processes, the directive concluded.