The cash crisis in Cuban banks continues to shift responsibilities onto the private sector. Mipymes and self-employed workers have begun to directly deliver pensions to retirees in Mayabeque, using cash from their own sales for this purpose.
The province's incorporation into the "Caja Extra" scheme was presented this week by the official Canal Caribe as an alternative to facilitate payment for the elderly and spare them the need to travel to bank branches.
The mechanism operates using the cash available in the businesses themselves: the bank provides a payroll with the names, identification numbers, and amounts corresponding to each retiree; the establishment pays the money and subsequently has up to 72 hours to submit the documentation and receive reimbursement in its account.
In Mayabeque, the Popular Savings Bank (BPA) convened the main economic players of the province to integrate them into the system.
"They brought together all the main economic actors and gave us the mission and task that they were going to incorporate retirees, the most vulnerable people, and people with disabilities," explained one of the participants to Canal Caribe.
Social workers previously conducted a survey by district to identify retirees, find out where they received their payments, and assess their mobility options.
In the case of elderly individuals with disabilities who were unable to visit the establishment, the economic actors themselves brought the cash to their homes.
"We visited some retirees who are disabled and could not make it to the business; we brought them the payroll and the money that was already in the envelopes," said Yamilet Marrero Ponce, social worker.
The retired women interviewed by the state channel appreciated the accessibility of the service.
"I think so, that this method has been very beneficial for us older people, that we can collect it nearby, and look, sitting here with all the comfort and attention," one of them said.
Another described the initiative as "a measure of love more than anything else for those of us who can no longer be active."
An alternative born from the lack of cash
Beyond the official rollout, the system has spread amid the prolonged cash shortage that prevents many retirees from accessing their pensions normally.
«Caja Extra» began as a pilot project in April in four municipalities of Havana — La Lisa, Playa, Plaza de la Revolución, and Old Havana — and in May expanded to Holguín, where around 20 MIPYMES and other economic actors took on the payment for nearly 5,000 pensioners.
In July, the government announced the national extension of the mechanism, which was included among the measures adopted to address the liquidity issues of the banking system.
The scheme has not managed to eliminate scenes of retirees waiting for hours to receive their money.
In Santiago de Cuba, seniors up to 80 years old have had to line up since the afternoon before in an attempt to cash their checks. In September, reports documented the presence of elders sleeping on the ground during the early morning in front of a bank to secure a spot for the next day.
The Bandec of Santiago de Cuba itself acknowledged in July that retirees had to wake up early to get cash and introduced "Caja Extra" as one of the alternatives in light of the difficulties faced by bank branches.
The formula has also been extended to Guantánamo. In September, the provincial authorities proposed to broaden payment options through Mipymes, cooperatives, and self-employed workers to alleviate congestion in the banks.
Participating businesses receive commissions and other incentives, such as prioritized banking services and preferred access to cash.
The Cuban economist Elías Amor has warned that the model transfers a state responsibility to private businesses and could create liquidity issues and new bureaucratic burdens for those establishments that must advance the funds.
Cuba has around 1.77 million retirees. The minimum pension, raised to 4,000 pesos per month in September 2025, remains well below the cost of basic necessities.
Thus, while the official discourse presents "Caja Extra" as a service for older adults, its expansion across several provinces takes place in a context where the state banking system has failed to ensure that thousands of retirees can access their pensions in cash without long waits and sacrifices.
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