CUBA MAJOR REAL ESTATE REFORMS

Cuba Travel Guide

CUBAN'S  CAN BUY AND SELL PROPERTY
Havana. Cuban Communist Party leaders say Cuba will try to balance its budget, repay all its foreign debt, no longer support loosing state operated companies, and finally allow Cubans to buy and sell their private property according to a new blue print circulated in front of a major congress designed to save Cuba's cash-strapped island from total financial disaster.

The economic reform paper was given out to all the local Cuban party activists this week during a meeting by the new President of Cuba, Raul Castro, in which he announced that Cuba would hold a do or die Communist Party Congress in Havana next year. The economic document recommends abolishing the dual-currency system and seeking new ways for individuals to finally be able to buy and sell thier own private property without hassles. These proposals are not new, however having them discussed openely in public makes clear that the congress will be allowed to set a new economic direction for Cuba at least in terms of economic ideas.

CUBA CHANGES ECONOMY
The last meeting which last took place in 1997, has been traditionally used to announce major policy changes and its to be held at least every 5 years, but it has been delayed repeatedly as Cuba had to deal with health issues of Fidel Castrom and a serious financial crisis. There has been predictions that the future of former Cuban president Fidel Castro's role as the head of  the Cuban Communist Party chief might also be discussed at the congress. A Communist Party meeting also stated that will be held at some later point in the spring of 2011 however Cuban President Raul Castro made no mention of his brother, Fidel Castro, in his speech."The Sixth Party Congress will concentrate on a solution to our economic problems," stated Raul Castro on Cuban TV.

The economic report will outline areas for discussion that gives a accurate assessment of Cuba's current economic devastation, saying that Cuba now suffers from a terrible innefficiency and a lack of capacity in both production and infrastructure and a much older aging population. The report also states that Cuba has suffered a great deal due to a 2003 decision to attempt to centralize control over foreign currency, with layers of bureaucracy that make it almost impossible for state owned businesses to operate properly.

CUBAN ECONOMY
The Cuban economic paper is titled "Guideline Project for Economic Policy," and clearly states that inefficiency and incompetence have grown expotentially by neglect and a little bit of simple bad luck. From 1997 to 2009, Cuba lost $10 billion Dollars because of a drop in world prices of the products Cuba sells most including sugar, tobacco and nickel, combined with and a spike in the prices of products it is forced to import, such as oil and many basic foods. The same document states that Cuba, the island was hit by a record 16 hurricanes in that approximate period, causing another $20 billion in damage to the island. That $30 Billion dollar damage has been an enormous blow for a country with an annual gross domestic product thought to be about less than $40 billion . However the proposals makes it clear that there will be no change in Cuba's communist one-party, socialist political system.

Raul Castro stated in the Cuban newspapers "Socialism is still capable of overcoming the current difficulties and preserving the victories of the revolution,". This summit of the Cuban Communist Party congress came at a celebration of the 10th anniversary of an economic agreeemnt with Venezuela, which has become Cuba's most important benifactor by sending billions of dollars worth of oil to Cuba every year just to keep the Cuban economy afloat. Castro also stated that the meeting will make important decisions on how to modernize the Cuban economy and implement economic and social policy of the Cuban communist party and the revolution of Cuba.

CUBA AND VENEZUALA
The younger Cuban leader was together with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who promised to continue supporting the Cuban people both economically and politically, as the two countries reaffirmed the pact for another decade.  President Chavez praised Cuba's Castro brothers for having the courage and vision to change the world. He stated "Raul's courage in modernizing socialism must be recognized," adding that his government would "join" the island going forward.

Since Raul Castro took over from his older ailing brother Fidel Castro in 2006 temporarily, then permanently, Raul has pursued a series of major economic reforms for Cuba. In the summer, Cuba announced it was laying off a 500 thousand government workers while opening up new sectors for private citizens to start  ther very own private businesses for the first time. Those layoffs will be completed by this spring , just ahead of the economic congress.


RAUL AND FIDEL CASTRO
Raul Castro also has begun to roll back the deep food subsidies, utilities and many other public services on which Cubans have depended upon for many decades. Former Cuban President Fidel Castro who just turned 84, still remains the leader of the Communist Party and is still referred to as Cuba's commander in chief.
After five years out of the public realm, the revolutionary leader bounced back on the political landscape this sumemr and now makes frequent appearances to discuss world affairs, particularly his fear that a nuclear confrontation between the United States, Israel and Iran is inevitable.

Since Fidel's health improved, many speculated Fidel would step aside from his top party position at the next party congress however Fidel has shown no sign that he is ready to step aside and leave Cuba in the hands of his younger brother. Cubans must now wait till the next Cuban congress to see how this effect the future of Cuba.


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