The Cuban regime published on Tuesday in the Official Gazette the Decree 160, a regulation that replaces the uniform list of prohibited activities for the private sector with differentiated regulations according to the type of economic actor. This represents the largest reorganization of these restrictions since the legalization of private micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (mipymes) in 2021.
The decree, on July 22 and published in Official Gazette No. 62 Ordinary, repeals Decree 107 from August 2024, which established a list of 125 prohibited activities for private micro, small, and medium enterprises, non-agricultural cooperatives, and self-employed workers.
The new decree completely removes the prohibitions on 46 activities and modifies 35 others from the previous list, leaving a total of 124 restrictions over a universe of more than 2,000 possible activities from the National Classification of Economic Activities.
The main novelty of the Decree 160 is the introduction of four categories of restrictions instead of a uniform prohibition for all non-state actors.
The official text itself justifies the change: "The approved Economic and Social Transformations make it necessary to replace the uniform list with a regulation differentiated by type of economic actor, which clearly distinguishes between unauthorized activities and conditioned or permissible activities."
The four categories are: absolute prohibition for activities that pose an unmanageable risk; activities reserved for the State due to sovereign functions or critical infrastructure; activities restricted only to self-employed workers but permissible for private companies and cooperatives; and activities that are permitted or conditional, which can be carried out with prior license or certification.
Among the activities that are being opened or relaxed are pharmaceutical services, residences for the elderly, wholesale trade, direct importation of mopeds and electric cars, electricity generation from renewable sources, and the operation of gas stations.
The extraction of crude oil and natural gas is classified as an activity that can be authorized through an administrative concession, while fishing for protected or endangered species remains a .
The decree also includes a provision that requires non-state actors renting homes or spaces to individuals residing abroad to inform the Ministry of the Interior of the identification details of the tenant and their companions.
The regulation is part of the package of 176 economic and social measures announced by Marrero Cruz before the National Assembly on June 18, 2026, which also removed the limit of 100 workers for mipymes and allowed a single person to own more than one private company.
In July, the elimination of the limit on hectares in usufruct and the suspension of the 5,000 pesos cap on payments among economic actors were also approved, measures that are part of the same reform process.
The Decree 160 comes into effect on August 4, 2026, seven days after its publication, and the Council of Ministers must review it at least every two years at the request of the National Institute of Non-State Economic Actors.
However, Cubans maintain a deep skepticism about whether these reforms will have a real impact, given the history of announcements without effective implementation amidst a crisis marked by prolonged blackouts, fuel shortages, and rampant inflation.
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