Abolishing the income tax, constitutionally protecting private property, creating a new Cuban entrepreneurial class, opening the country to international investment, and establishing voucher systems for education and healthcare are some of the proposals in a roadmap outlining how to rebuild Cuba after the end of the communist system.
The document, driven by Cuban-American businessman Jorge Mas Santos and the Cuban American National Foundation (FNCA), lays out in 13 pillars a transformation of the economy, institutions, and society of the island based on the rule of law, free enterprise, and a substantial reduction of the state's burden on the economy.
The proposal stems from the need to essentially reconstruct numerous institutions from the ground up after more than six decades of a centralized model, and it suggests that future prosperity will depend not only on the influx of capital but also on Cubans being able to become owners, entrepreneurs, and investors.
Rule of law and private property
The first pillar places institutions before the economy.
The roadmap proposes a new constitutional framework that guarantees individual freedoms, private property, the fulfillment of contracts, equality before the law, and the independence of the Judiciary.
Legal security emerges as a fundamental condition to attract investments and enable business development.
The model would represent a break from the current system, in which the state retains broad powers over economic activity and the key strategic sectors.
Recovering human capital both inside and outside of Cuba
The second pillar focuses on Cuban human capital.
The proposal considers it essential to leverage both the existing talent within the island and that accumulated over decades by the diaspora.
To this end, it proposes an open migration policy that facilitates the return and participation of Cuban professionals, entrepreneurs, and specialists living in other countries.
The goal would be to connect the capabilities of Cubans on the island with the knowledge, business networks, and capital developed by several generations abroad.
Opening a business without navigating a bureaucratic maze
The third pillar proposes to radically simplify regulations.
The roadmap proposes creating a single-window system for establishing businesses, obtaining permits, hiring workers, and carrying out other necessary procedures to engage in economic activities.
The regulatory philosophy can be summarized in one of the principles of the document: if something is not expressly prohibited, it should be considered permitted.
The purpose is to reduce administrative discretion and facilitate the rapid creation of new businesses.
Abolish the income tax
One of the most striking proposals appears in the fourth pillar: the elimination of the personal income tax.
Instead, the document proposes a national consumption tax, the collection of which would be supported by digital systems.
It also proposes to to provide predictability for both citizens and investors.
The stated goal is to .
Mortgages, loans, and capital markets
The fifth pillar addresses the reconstruction of the financial system.
The roadmap proposes to develop a modern banking market that allows for granting mortgages, financing businesses, and mobilizing savings and investment.
It also includes the creation of capital markets and the free movement of investments and profits.
Access to credit would be especially important in a country where millions of citizens would need to finance housing, small businesses, and new entrepreneurial projects.
Create a Cuban business class
The sixth pillar represents one of the central commitments of the project: to ensure that Cubans are not just workers for the companies operating in the new economy, but also owners.
The roadmap proposes incentives for companies that have at least 10% Cuban ownership.
Such participation should not be merely nominal; it must include actions, voting rights, and protection mechanisms for minority partners.
The intention is to promote the emergence of a new class of Cuban entrepreneurs and investors and to ensure that a portion of the wealth generated by the reconstruction remains in national hands.
Seven sectors to diversify the economy
The seventh pillar identifies seven priority sectors: agriculture, technology, manufacturing, mining, construction, infrastructure, and tourism.
The goal is to prevent the economy from becoming overly dependent on a single activity.
Agriculture would need to regain productive capacity; construction and infrastructure would take on a significant part of the physical reconstruction of the country; and technology and manufacturing should enable Cuba to develop higher value-added activities.
Tourism would continue to play an important role, but it would cease to function as one of the few significant sources of foreign currency.
Free trade and international openness
The eighth pillar proposes to quickly integrate Cuba into international markets.
The document outlines free trade agreements with the United States, Canada, Latin America, and the European Union, as well as bilateral treaties to protect investments.
It also includes areas designated for export processing and a thorough modernization of customs.
One of the specific goals is to ensure that goods can be dispatched within a 24-hour period, reducing the barriers that currently hinder trade.
Change the economic culture as well
The proposed transformation does not end with new laws.
The ninth pillar holds that after decades of a state-run economy, it would be necessary to promote a culture based on individual responsibility, ownership, entrepreneurship, and civic duty.
The roadmap suggests that these concepts should be integrated into the education of new generations.
It also proposes a formal process of truth and reconciliation to address the political and social consequences accumulated over decades of communist regime.
Rebuild electricity, roads, ports, and telecommunications
The tenth pillar addresses one of the most urgent needs of any transition: infrastructure.
The proposal includes massive investments in electricity generation and distribution, roads, ports, airports, and telecommunications.
The extent of the accumulated deterioration makes this reconstruction a prerequisite for much of the rest of the project: without stable electricity, connectivity, transportation, and logistics, it would be difficult to attract large investments or develop a competitive economy.
Educational vouchers and freedom of choice
The eleventh pillar proposes a profound transformation of the educational system.
Each child would receive a voucher funded by public resources that could be used at any accredited school. Students from low-income families, those with disabilities, and residents in rural areas would receive increased funding.
The proposal also places special emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, as well as on vocational training, trades, and entrepreneurship.
The state would fund education, but families would have greater ability to choose where their children study.
A similar model for healthcare
The twelfth pillar applies a philosophy similar to the healthcare system.
Each citizen would receive a voucher to obtain services from authorized providers.
The model would allow for the coexistence of public hospitals, private clinics, telemedicine services, and other providers, while simultaneously ensuring protection for individuals with pre-existing conditions.
The proposal aims to separate public funding from the exclusive provision of services by the state and to promote competition among providers.
A safety net for those who truly need it
The last pillar proposes to maintain a social protection network, but focused particularly on vulnerable groups.
Elderly adults, people with disabilities, and workers experiencing temporary periods of unemployment would be among its main beneficiaries.
The intention is to provide assistance without creating a system that generates permanent dependence on the State.
A model for Cuba in the day after
The 13 pillars outline a transformation that goes far beyond merely replacing a government.
The roadmap proposes shifting from a state-dominated economy to one based on private ownership, individual initiative, investment, and competition, while maintaining public funding and protection mechanisms for certain services and social groups.
The project does not independently address some of the more complex issues that a transition would have to face, including the handling of confiscated properties, the fate of numerous currently state-owned assets, and the specific timeline and cost of the reforms.
But it does provide a detailed response to a question that is becoming increasingly important in any scenario of political change: what economic and institutional model could replace the one built by castroism over more than six decades.
The response of this roadmap involves a rule of law, private property, international openness, and, especially, making the Cuban citizen the economic protagonist of the country's reconstruction.
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