A branch of Banco Metropolitano in Havana served only 25 customers in seven hours on Thursday, according to a citizen complaint that questioned the restrictions and the treatment received by those who came to withdraw their money.
The incident occurred at the office located on Prado, at the corner of Ánimas and Virtudes, in Old Havana. According to the publication on Facebook by the page La Cuba real, the entity claimed that the only available worker at the counters was ill.
The complaint sarcastically addressed the numerous interruptions throughout the day, including breaks for bathroom trips, smoking, snacks, and lunches, as well as time to "chat and unwind," because "counting money is stressful."
However, one of the most serious allegations points to the differential treatment within the branch. According to the testimony, for every two customers from the general public being served, between 10 and 12 individuals associated with the bank itself were attended to, under the pretext that the teller also needed to handle business transactions.
“Only 25 people from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm?? Well, it was true, the number 25 came exactly at 3:30,” wrote the page, which questioned the conditions imposed on users and asked how much longer they would have to endure such situations.
It is not the first complaint against that office. Last week, La Cuba real reported that the bank had sent its customers home due to a supposed server failure. According to the publication, the connection was restored shortly after the arrival of a journalist from the official press, with no technician coming to repair the system.
The comments regarding the new complaint point to similar issues in other branches in Havana. One citizen claimed that at the bank on Belascoaín and San Rafael, there is usually only one teller, while another criticized that at the office on Línea and Paseo, they do not serve customers from the public, even when the counters are empty.
There were also complaints about the branch in Havana del Este, where, according to a user, reasons such as lack of water or connection are used to limit service and prioritize other individuals.
Some comments attributed the shortage of workers to the low wages in the state sector and the migration of labor toward the small and medium-sized enterprises (mipymes). "Who is going to work there without lunch, minimal conditions, and let's not even talk about the salary? Everyone is in the mipymes making good money," wrote an internet user.
Another person held the Central Bank of Cuba responsible and questioned the institutional narrative regarding the dedication of banking workers, while deficiencies in public service continue to persist.
The deterioration of the service occurred following the mandatory banking policy initiated in August 2023, which shifted a significant portion of salary and pension operations to cards and electronic channels, without the infrastructure being able to meet the users' needs.
In June, the Banco Metropolitano reduced the withdrawal limit per transaction from 5,000 to 3,000 pesos and suspended the digital reservations for appointments. By then, over 60% of its ATMs in Havana remained out of service.
The following month, the Central Bank of Cuba indefinitely suspended the maximum limit of 5,000 Cuban pesos set for cash transactions between economic actors.
The lack of cash has even forced the use of private businesses to ensure the payment of pensions. In Guantánamo, 113 establishments have taken on this task for more than 3,000 retirees, within a framework that the authorities intended to extend to 70% of pensioners in the province. This alternative highlights the difficulties faced by the State in ensuring basic operations such as the payment of benefits.
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