The authorities in Las Tunas limited garage sales exclusively to weekends following the enactment of Decree 167 "On Domestic Trade," while the amount of the fee that vendors will have to pay remains pending approval, confirmed the digital portal Tiempo 21 this Saturday.
The regulation, published in the on August 28, went into effect on September 4, after the seven days stipulated had passed. The decree repeals Resolution 102/2021 from the Ministry of Domestic Trade (Mincin) and establishes new rules for this form of commerce.
Oslayda López Espinoza, director of Finance and Prices for the municipality of Las Tunas, confirmed that the Municipal Administration Council is still discussing the amount of the tariff.
While a decision is being made, sellers will be able to continue their activities, but only during the weekends.
Decree 167, approved by the Council of Ministers on August 7, defines garage sales as a temporary activity reserved for individuals to sell household or personal items. Although it does not require a commercial license, it does establish the payment of a fee, the amount of which must be set by each territory.
The new regulation also establishes that, exceptionally, sales may take place during holidays. Permits must be requested from the subsidiaries of the Central Commercial Registry, either in person or online, while the points of sale must have an official graphic identifier and comply with the established provisions for advertising.
The regulations also prohibit the sale of batches of imported or manufactured new items, animal skins, precious woods, food, cigars, tobacco, and alcoholic beverages.
The new decree is part of a package of 176 economic and social transformations announced by the government in June, aimed at integrating the state and private sectors.
The same Official Gazette No. 69 also published the Resolution 15/2026 from MINCIN, which relaxed regulations on wholesale trade for private small and medium-sized enterprises and non-agricultural cooperatives.
The context in Las Tunas is one of intense inspection pressure. Only in August, the authorities conducted more than 4,000 inspections, identified 24 individuals for price gouging and issued more than 2,000 fines.
This punitive climate has direct precedents. Since January 2025, inspectors are compensated based on the number and amount of the fines they impose, a system that has led to a sharp increase in penalties across the country.
One of the most notable cases was that of Dr. Álvaro Pérez Pérez, the only oncology specialist on the Isle of Youth, who was fined 4,000 pesos in June for organizing a garage sale where he offered used clothing and notebooks.
"The salary is not enough to live on. I set up a stand to sell used rags and put a notebook for 100 pesos, and then the inspector comes and charges me half of my entire month's salary," the doctor reported, sparking a wave of solidarity across the country as well as criticism of the behavior of the inspection body.
Garage sales were approved for the first time in Cuba in July 2021 through Resolution 97/2021 from Mincin, which allowed individuals to sell used items without needing a self-employed worker license.
Decree 167 represents the third regulatory generation of this activity in just five years.
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