Private worker in Santa Clara fined for selling in dollars and refusing digital payments

In the Capiro Popular Council, in the city of Santa Clara, a self-employed worker was fined after denying his customers the option to pay through the digital payment platforms established in the country and selling items in US dollars, a practice not authorized for non-state management forms.

Ester Lilia Molerio Sáez, director of Inspection in the provincial capital of Villa Clara, informed the official media outlet CMHW that the offender was also in violation of Resolution 111 of 2023 from the Central Bank of Cuba and the regulations from the Ministry of Domestic Trade (MINCIN) regarding the mandatory use of a fiscal account for their operations.

These irregularities are classified in Decree Law 91 of 2024, which is why the corresponding fine was imposed.

Similarly, other anomalies found as a result of a Price Control Exercise involving 301 professional and temporary inspectors in the same Popular Council included the detection of four individuals engaging in economic activities without the required authorization, who were each fined 16,000 pesos.

In another control action, inspectors in Santa Clara identified a truck transporting goods with an invalid document.

As a result, the responsible party was fined 36,000 pesos, in accordance with Decree Law 91, and the cargo was confiscated.

Although the penalty imposed on the private worker for selling in dollars and evading digital payments aims to prevent abuses, it highlights contradictions in Cuba's economic policy.

While the authorities prohibit private entrepreneurs from conducting transactions in USD, the government itself has opened stores that operate exclusively in this currency.

An example is the 3rd and 70 supermarket in Havana, which only accepts payments in cash dollars or through cards linked to foreign currency accounts. This has generated criticism from the public due to the exclusion it represents for those who do not have access to this currency.

This "partial dollarization" of the economy has been defended by the government as a necessary measure to attract foreign currency and control its flow. However, economists like Pedro Monreal argue that this strategy amplifies economic distortions rather than correcting them, limiting the effectiveness of monetary policy and increasing the risk of a liquidity crisis.

Additionally, the opening of these dollar stores has exacerbated social inequalities, creating a dual market where only those with access to foreign currency can acquire certain products, while the majority of the population, who receive their salaries in Cuban pesos, remains excluded.

The situation becomes even more complicated when private workers are penalized for practices that, while violating current regulations, reflect an adaptation to the economic policies implemented by the government itself.

Frequently Asked Questions about Fines and Economic Regulations in Cuba