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The Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz announced this Thursday the increase of the minimum wage in Cuba to 3,210 pesos as an immediate measure during the Third Extraordinary Session of the National Assembly of People's Power held at the Palace of Conventions in Havana.
The announcement was made during the presentation of 176 proposals for economic and social transformations organized into 23 key areas, the most ambitious reform package the regime has presented in years.
Alongside the new minimum wage, Marrero Cruz announced that a comprehensive reform of salaries in the budgeted sector will be carried out, although he did not specify amounts or timelines for this broader transformation.
The new minimum wage represents a 53% increase compared to the 2,100 pesos that have been in effect since January 2021, but it remains insignificant when faced with the reality of the cost of living: studies cited in June 2026 estimated that covering basic needs would require around 96,000 pesos per month, while the official average salary barely reached 6,930 pesos in 2025.
Marrero Cruz acknowledged before the lawmakers that "the interruption of fuel supply and the impact on all sources of foreign currency income in the country have significantly contributed to the deterioration and instability of the energy infrastructure, with a consequent impact on the quality of life of millions of Cubans."
The head of government acknowledged errors inherent to the regime, although he attributed the crisis mainly to the worsening of U.S. sanctions since mid-2019, omitting six decades of failed economic management under the communist system.
The 176 measures were the result of evaluating 390 proposals, of which 66.7% were accepted, with the participation of economists, academics, and representatives from the Party commissions and the National Assembly.
Among the most significant structural changes is the elimination of the wage scale in the state enterprise system, which would be replaced by a minimum wage negotiated between administrations, workers, and unions based on the financial capacities of each entity.
Other proposals include opening up to foreign direct investment in the private sector and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the first-time authorization of SMEs in the agricultural sector, allowing companies to exceed the limit of 100 employees, and reducing the number of ministries from 27 to between 20 and 21.
It is also proposed to allow Cubans residing abroad to invest on equal terms, and for individuals to be able to hold more than one private business.
Marrero Cruz defended the reforms under the principle of "doing what is necessary to preserve what is essential," insisting that they do not represent a renunciation of socialism but rather a response to the circumstances facing the country.
The speed of the process is noteworthy: Díaz-Canel presented the package on June 12, the Extraordinary Party Plenary supported it on June 17, and the Assembly was convened to ratify it just 24 hours later, reflecting the urgency with which the regime perceives the deterioration of the economic situation.
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