The authorities in Matanzas closed 46 establishments and issued more than 1,000 fines after detecting 1,818 violations during an inspection offensive conducted across the 13 municipalities of the province.
The official newspaper Girón reported this Wednesday that the control measures took place between August 10 and September 3, targeting both state commerce and the private sector.
According to the data released by the Social Communication Group of the Provincial Government of the People's Power of Matanzas, during that period, 1,818 violations were detected, resulting in 1,074 fines.
The report specified that 587 fines were imposed under Decree 30 and another 479 under Decree-Law 91. However, both figures add up to 1,066, eight less than the total of 1,074 reported, a discrepancy that the publication does not explain.
The economic sanctions amounted to a total of 6,853,570 Cuban pesos.
Additionally, 63 complaints, 86 reports, and 247 warnings were recorded.
Noel Sánchez Roque, coordinator of Programs and Objectives of the Provincial Government of the People's Power, added that during the control actions, there were also three seizures, 22 forced sales, and two project withdrawals.
The Matanzas branch of the National Office of Tax Administration (ONAT) determined taxpayer debts totaling 19,958,506 pesos.
Among the main violations cited by the authorities are the application of profit margins exceeding 30%, as well as the failure to comply with the agreed deposits with the Bank and violations of the authorized projects.
The inspectors also detected unemployed workers and establishments that were unable to present invoices or other legal documents that would allow verification of the origin of the products and the formation of their prices.
The list also includes the noncompliance with the use of payment gateways, the absence of information boards, and the sale of products without visible prices.
The official report also noted cases of owners who did not present the requested documentation, closed their establishments to evade inspectors, or concealed products.
Authorities assured that they will maintain control measures and stated that "each violation will have its respective, fair, and legal response."
The offensive occurs weeks after the Matanzas Government enabled several phone numbers for the public to report prices deemed abusive.
Previously, the province had set reference prices for ten essential food items, including oil, chicken, rice, beans, eggs, and powdered milk, as well as establishing a profit margin of up to 30% for wholesale and retail sales.
On the other hand, the inspection campaign in Matanzas is part of a broader offensive against irregularities in state and private businesses across various provinces.
In August, a similar operation in Las Tunas resulted in 22 establishments being shut down, eight licenses revoked, and fines exceeding 1.2 million pesos.
Also in that month, 232 economic actors were inspected in a single day in Centro Habana and 15 private establishments ended up closed.
The tightening of controls has been publicly supported by Miguel Díaz-Canel, who at the end of August warned the private sector: "This sector cannot become a space for illegal activities, tax evasion, speculation, corruption, hoarding, or setting prices disconnected from reality."
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