Cuban Lumey Guzmán denounced on social media what she described as "the biggest business in Cuba," referring to the restrictions and fees citizens face when trying to withdraw their own money from banks.
In a Facebook video, Guzmán explained that currently, banking entities limit cash withdrawals to around 5,000 Cuban pesos per transaction, an amount he considers laughable in the midst of the inflation the country is experiencing.
"The biggest business in Cuba is in the bank. You go to withdraw your money and you can't take it out because they limit the amount you can withdraw. They go up to 5,000 pesos," Guzmán stated.
That amount is not enough to cover basic expenses or sustain a business. The entrepreneur also stated that if a customer wants to withdraw all the money from their account, they must pay a fee that can reach up to 10% of the total. “If I withdraw 100,000 pesos, I have to pay them 10,000 CUP,” she reported.
Guzmán urged banking authorities to reconsider those policies and reduce the fees. “Loosen up, you can still earn a 3% profit. Don’t pull the rope so tight. Give us some breathing room too,” he stated.
The Cuban entrepreneur suggested raising the withdrawal limit to 20,000 pesos to ease the pressure on self-employed workers and small businesses.
"Use your heads. Raise the cash withdrawal limit to 20,000 and take less profit so that you can keep the public happy and you receive more taxes," he added.
Guzmán criticized the charges applied to the owners of micro, small, and medium enterprises (mipymes). "You just want to take advantage, charging 15 and 10 percent on the accounts of self-employed individuals. The money is mine," he asserted.
He also warned that private businesses could respond to the policies of the Central Bank of Cuba by stopping the acceptance of bank transfers.
"If we settle the business and do not receive payments via transfers, that little deal of yours will come to an end," he stated.
Among the comments generated by the complaint, some users agreed that self-employed workers and small and medium-sized enterprises are among the most affected by the restrictions on withdrawing cash.
Others pointed out that the money deposited in the bank belongs to the client and should not be subject to fees for withdrawal. Some also reported pressures and extortion to pay additional percentages in order to obtain cash.
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