The Cuban regime inaugurated a new “neighborhood market” in Boyeros, Havana, with the promise of offering food and hygiene products at prices 10% to 15% lower than those of other establishments, at a time when difficulties in accessing basic products continue.
The establishment opened in the Reparto Sierra Maestra, in the Nuevo Santiago Popular Council, and was inaugurated by the Minister of Domestic Trade, Betsy Díaz Velázquez, according to reported this Sunday by Tribuna de La Habana.
The official publication states that this approach aims to transform the network of grocery stores, markets, and butcher shops and "partially address the shortage of products that were previously provided through the basic basket".
Included among the foods are powdered milk, ground beef, hamburgers, chicken, sausages, eggs, vegetable oil, rice, sugar, wheat flour, coffee, grains, pasta, noodles, canned tomatoes, and instant soups.
It is also presumed that items such as detergent, soap, toilet paper, deodorant, and toothpaste are being sold.
According to the authorities, these products should be sold with a price reduction of between 10% and 15% compared to other establishments, although the published information does not specify the exact prices of each item nor does it provide a product-by-product comparison.
The new establishment is the third of its kind opened in Boyeros. Previously, similar markets began operating in Santiago de las Vegas and in the Popular Council Armada.
Michel Rodríguez Najaro, deputy director of the Distribution Program of the municipal government, explained that the location aims to particularly benefit communities that are far from the town center and have a significant presence of elderly residents.
"The aim is to gradually expand the offerings and variety of products, as well as to achieve more accessible prices," he stated.
The Sierra Maestra establishment could incorporate that wholesale selling model in the future. According to the authorities, the program is expanding to all provinces, with Havana and Guantánamo among the territories currently hosting the largest number of these markets.
The market is part of the 176 economic and social measures approved in June 2026 by the Cuban authorities, a package that includes changes in state enterprises, ownership and management, agriculture, subsidies, prices, commerce, the private sector, and foreign investment, among other areas.
Among these transformations, there was an increased participation of private actors in commerce, gastronomy, and services, as well as a gradual decentralization of prices and new relationships between state-owned enterprises and non-state businesses.
In the case of neighborhood markets, the Government offers incentives to private economic actors interested in managing or supplying these establishments.
The minister explained that they will be able to benefit from a 5% discount on the sales tax and, in certain cases, from exemption from that tax when they sell wholesale to selected entities in the Domestic Trade system.
The contracts also include the wavier of rent payment for the first two years and priority for retaining employees who were already working at the converted establishments.
The opening in Boyeros continues a process through which old warehouses, butcher shops, and other state-owned establishments are being transformed into "neighborhood markets", with an increasing involvement of non-state management forms.
The Ministry of Internal Trade also promotes the so-called wholesale markets, designed for wholesale sales under supply and demand conditions, and allowing self-employed workers and other economic actors to supply their businesses.
Related videos:
Filed under: