The Cuban regime published on Monday the law that initiates the reorganization of its state apparatus, a reform announced months ago that reduces the central agencies from 27 to 21 and includes the redistribution of workers and resources among ministries.
The , published in the , will come into effect on the 9th and allows up to one year to complete the administrative changes.
Which ministries are changing with the new law?
The reorganization includes the integration of functions that were previously distributed among different state agencies.
Among the main modifications is the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, which will concentrate responsibilities over agriculture, food industry, sugar, and fishing.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance is also established, responsible for economic planning, public finances, the budget, and tax policy.
On its part, the Ministry of Environment, Habitat, and Hydraulic Resources will take on responsibilities regarding housing, urban planning, hydraulic resources, and the environment.
The reform also establishes the ministries of Higher Education, Science and Innovation; Industries and Construction; and Information and Social Communication.
The former will have responsibilities concerning the state policy on social communication, advertising, sponsorship, and certain processes related to the organization of the media.
What deadlines does the law establish and what will happen to the workers?
The legislation stipulates that those responsible for state bodies will have up to one year to make the necessary organizational changes and transfer human, material, and financial resources to the institutions that will assume the new responsibilities.
The text does not specify what will happen individually to employees of the structures that will be eliminated or merged.
Job uncertainty becomes particularly significant after Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz announced in July the elimination of more than 92,000 positions in the ministries of Public Health, Education, Culture, and the Institute of Sports, Physical Education, and Recreation.
According to the official version, it primarily involved vacant administrative positions, so that figure does not necessarily equate to the number of workers who will lose their jobs as a result of the reorganization.
A reform announced since April
The reduction of the state apparatus had been announced in April by Miguel Díaz-Canel, who promised to reduce bureaucracy, abolish intermediary structures, and make public administration more efficient.
In May, the Council of Ministers approved the draft proposal to reduce the number of central agencies from 27 to 21. Subsequently, in June, the structure of the 20 anticipated ministries was revealed, along with the Central Bank of Cuba.
The National Assembly finally approved the legislation on July 30.
However, the final version published this Monday introduces an important modification: the entry into force is set for seven days after its publication, compared to the 60 days initially proposed in the project released in June.
Ministers will also have up to 30 calendar days from the date of entry into force to submit the schedules intended to implement the changes.
Critiques of the reorganization of the State
The reform has raised questions among specialists as well as within the affected institutions.
In August, workers and specialists from the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment (CITMA) reported that the disappearance of this organization was decided without sufficiently consulting its employees.
Among them, the head of the National Seismological Service, Enrique Diego Arango Arias, described the measure as a "serious mistake" and questioned the lack of involvement of the workers in a decision that directly impacted their institution.
In June, Cuban economist Pedro Monreal also criticized the proposed ministerial structure, particularly the removal of the Ministry of Domestic Trade as an independent body and the distribution of responsibilities related to construction and housing.
He also questioned the existence of a ministry specifically dedicated to information and social communication.
Law 186 repeals provisions that regulated the Central State Administration since 1983 and establishes a new organizational framework for the Cuban government.
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