Since this Friday, the Cuban regime increased the prices of the products contemplated within the Natural and Traditional Medicine Program.
Through resolutions 21 and 22 of the Ministry of Finance and Prices that appeared today in the Official Gazette No. 33, the governors of the provinces are empowered to "approve the retail prices in Cuban pesos of the products of the Natural and Traditional Medicine Program, of local dispensary production, up to the limits established by the Minister of Finance and Prices" and whose maximum reaches 50 pesos, the information indicates.
According to a published table, products such as shampoo, mouthwash and creams will be sold from now on at previous maximums of between 24 and 50 Cuban pesos.
The official newspaper Granma affirms that the measure is part of the regime's plan "to correct distortions and re-boost the economy", which was announced by the prime minister, Manuel Marrero Cruz.
The regime justified the increase in the midst of growing inflation on the island by ensuring that the current prices of these products "are irrational", "practically symbolic" and are outdated in relation to the expense of their manufacture.
Vladimir Regueiro Ale, head of Finance and Prices, said at a press conference that this modification does not include those assortments that are recognized as medicines by the Center for State Control of Medicines, Equipment and Medical Devices, such as PPG, Oleozon and Trofín.
He pointed out that some products will have a marketing price, because their real costs are quite high.
"This measure fundamentally aims to reduce the participation of the State Budget subsidy in this activity, as well as make the Program sustainable and able to cover its costs and expenses"he explained.
The Ministry of Finance and Prices affirms that last year 1 billion pesos of the state budget were allocated to produce natural medicine, and with the new prices the state would subsidize only 300 million.
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