By Lluís Muñoz Pandiella
Havana (EFE).- Cuba’s 176 economic and social reforms that allow private companies with over 100 employees, direct hiring, investment by Cubans abroad, the use of land for an indefinite period, and greater openness in trade and tourism, seem to be laying groundwork for the entry of the market economy into the island.
As of Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Trade Óscar Pérez-Oliva stated that the new regulations “could have an impact on the economy in the short term,” though he noted that their actual scope cannot be calculated due to “external pressure we cannot ignore.”
On Tuesday, Deputy Minister Carlos Luis Jorge Méndez stated in an interview reposted by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment’s X account that the reforms are part of a serious and real process.
Economist Omar Everleny agreed with both officials, who, in an interview with EFE, stated that the new legal framework is excellent as it confirms that Cuba is moving toward a market economy; yet, he warned that «if sanctions are not eliminated or reduced, it will be difficult to implement it.»
