Cuba’s Council of Ministers approves norms on economic players

The Cuban Council of Ministers exercised the legislative initiative on several issues related to the country's economic players, in an extraordinary working session, the Presidency of the Republic informed on Thursday.

In the presence of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, the highest government body agreed to submit to the Council of State six decree-laws that will make it possible to reorganize and improve the work, so that all forms of management contribute to the economic and social development of the country.

Prime Minister Manuel Marrero said that these updates respond to how to correct the distortions that are present in the performance of non-state management forms.

He also stated that actions to order such an activity are outlined, so that it acts consistently and that its contribution is a true complement to the national economy.

During the extraordinary session, the draft bills modifying Decree-Law 44 on Self-Employment; Decree-Law 46 on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises; and Decree-Law 47 on Non-Agricultural Cooperatives were submitted.

It also included the Decree Law amending Decree Laws 48 and 65, which establish the Special Social Security Regime applicable to Self-Employed Workers and members of Non-Agricultural Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and that of the owners and contracted workers of Local Development Projects.

Likewise, the Decree-Law amending Decree-Law 113 on the Tax System and the Decree-Law amending Decree-Law 45 on Contraventions in the Exercise of Self-Employment, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Non-Agricultural Cooperatives were also approved.

The prime minister emphasized that the updating of the norms ‘is not at all a crusade against MSMEs, nor against other forms of non-state management.’

Marrero pointed out that these changes are related to the policies that were approved at the 8th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba and ratify the participation of several stockholders in the economic and social development strategy.

He explained that this update is necessary to continue to advance on the right path and to delimit ‘the role that corresponds to each player in the country’s economy’.

Marrero recalled that the Constitution of the Republic makes it clear that the main economic player is the socialist state enterprise and the different forms of non-state management are a complement to it.

The Council of Ministers also decided to approve a decree modifying Decree 49 on the non-authorized activities to be carried out by Micro, Small and Medium Private Enterprises, Non-Agricultural Cooperatives and Self-Employed Workers.

It was also adopted a decree for the creation of the National Institute of Non-State Economic Players.