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Miguel Díaz-Canel urged Cuban state companies on Thursday to allocate a portion of their profits not only to increasing salaries but also to improving the living conditions of their workers and supporting pensioners and vulnerable individuals in the communities where they operate.
The proposal was made during a visit to three productive entities in Havana —the La Pasiega pasta factory, the exporting and importing company Cítricos Caribe S.A., and the Ronera Occidental— as reported by the Presidency of Cuba.
Accompanied by the Minister of Food Industry, Alberto López Díaz, and the Minister of Agriculture, Ydael Pérez Brito, the leader advocated for companies to allocate part of their profits to address social needs.
"The profits cannot be allocated solely to salary increases. They should also be used to support workers in areas such as housing, food, and other incentives, as well as to assist retirees and vulnerable members of the community," summarized the official information.
The statements come in the context of a significant decline in the purchasing power of Cubans.
Currently, the minimum pension is around 4,000 pesos per month, an amount that equates to less than 10 dollars at the unofficial exchange rate and is insufficient to cover basic food needs.
The financial situation also affects the State itself. In June, the Government of Granma acknowledged that it was facing difficulties in ensuring the payment of pensions to more than 111,000 retirees, reflecting the fiscal tensions the country is experiencing.
More autonomy for businesses
The tour was part of the implementation of the 176 economic and social measures approved in June by the Government and the Communist Party.
During the visit, Díaz-Canel emphasized that the new measures will grant greater powers to state-owned enterprises, including the ability to set certain prices, manage their profits with more flexibility, establish their own remuneration systems, directly manage fuel, and import without intermediaries.
The official also emphasized that workers should be involved in company decisions "from the creation of the plan to the distribution of profits," as part of a strategy to strengthen the sense of belonging and reduce the loss of the workforce.
Companies that are also facing difficulties
The visited entities reflect the issues facing the Cuban economy.
The pasta factory La Pasiega is currently operating at 80% of its capacity and produces about 10 tons daily, while progressing in its transformation into a state-owned small and medium-sized enterprise to gain greater management autonomy.
On its part, Ronera Occidental, producer of brands such as Legendario, Herencia, and Don Diego, experiences power outages that at times exceed eight hours a day.
To reduce the impact of power outages, the company is developing a photovoltaic generation project. It currently has 150 kilowatts installed and plans to double that capacity to 300 kilowatts to cover a significant portion of its energy demand.
Díaz-Canel's call comes as the government promotes a model that expands the social responsibilities of companies.
Economic reforms anticipate that both state entities and private actors will contribute resources to finance community actions and social support programs, in a context marked by the State's budgetary constraints.
All of this occurs while the official average salary remains well below the estimated cost of meeting the basic needs of a Cuban family, a gap that continues to affect the standard of living for millions of people on the island.
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