The Cuban regime announced that it will prioritize revenue generation through tax collection as a central strategy to sustain the state budget, within a context of declining productivity, financial constraints, and prolonged economic crisis.
During an intervention this Monday on the program Mesa Redonda, the Minister of Finance and Prices, Vladimir Regueiro Ale, explained that the budget continues to be the primary tool of the State to manage the economy and ensure essential services, while reorganizing expenditure items in coordination with regulatory agencies and local governments.
The official noted that some of the funding will be redirected towards essential productive activities, particularly in the agricultural sector, through budgetary funds such as those allocated for agricultural development, with the aim of boosting local food production and reducing external dependence.
Regueiro stated that a significant growth in revenue is expected by 2026, which would support the level of social spending. He emphasized that 66 percent of the state budget is focused on social areas such as education, health, social assistance, and social security.
In this final sector, he acknowledged that significant challenges persist, although he assured that the budget will allow for a partial increase in pensions, with an estimated impact of over 20 billion pesos by 2026, which, he stated, will ensure monthly payments to pensioners.
Nevertheless, the minister admitted that the current economic situation directly affects the levels of national production, which necessitates a more rigorous and meticulous approach to revenue collection, given that the volume of resources will not be the same as in previous years.
In this context, he highlighted the national campaign for the declaration and payment of taxes, which involves taxpayers from both the state and non-state sectors, and called for greater discipline and punctuality in meeting fiscal obligations, presenting tax payment as a collective duty to support social expenditures.
Regueiro warned that the tax administration will implement administrative and institutional mechanisms more rigorously to ensure tax collection, in response, he stated, to public demands for improved fiscal discipline.
The minister added that the State will maintain tax benefits and fiscal concessions to support the importation of supplies and raw materials, as well as productive linkages, although he acknowledged that these mechanisms need to be communicated and implemented more effectively.
Finally, he emphasized that local governments have promoted investments in renewable energy sources with the involvement of the non-state sector, also supported by tax incentives, as part of the official efforts to alleviate the energy crisis and sustain the basic functioning of the economy.
The minister's statements generated critical reactions on social media. User José Fernández commented that the state budget prioritizes repression and the maintenance of the political police over the actual needs of the population.
For her part, Demi Lobaina R Lobaina questioned the official discourse and pointed out that the announced reorganizations only benefit the high-ranking leaders and their families, while the rest of the country continues to bear the burden of the crisis.
In another comment, he criticized the use of language that he deemed unclear and filled with convoluted words.
Alejandro Pérez Guilarte stated that after more than six decades of government, the money stolen from the people explains the current situation, and he expressed skepticism regarding any promises of economic restructuring.
In a more ironic tone, Roberto López challenged the official rhetoric and questioned where the concrete results are for the population, alluding to the lack of basic food supplies.
This makes the article more complete, with a clear contrast between the regime's discourse and the citizens' reaction, without overeditorializing or deviating from your guidelines.
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