Cuba: Government announces new measures for self-employment

HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 21 (ACN) Authorities from the Ministries of Labor and Social Security and Economy and Planning announced nine modifications for self-employment, which give continuity to the improvement of a sector that already groups more than 580 thousand Cubans.

The new measures, on which the legal norms will be issued soon, contemplate the approval of the activities of Operator and/or leaser of equipment for artistic production, Agent of selection of cast, Assistant of artistic production, Translator and certified interpreter, and Producer-seller of food products.

Marta Elena Feitó Cabrera, First Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Security, explained in a press conference that the case of the latter includes the production and sale of sausages, smoked meats, canned and the like.

In addition, will be included in the activity of Service decoration, organizing birthdays, weddings and other festive activities, the application for the health license if you prepare food associated with the service.

She specified that the municipal boards of directors will authorize the exercise of the activities of Gastronomic Service in Restaurants; Bar Services and Recreation and Leasing of Houses, Rooms and Spaces when more than four rooms or complete houses are rented; they will regulate the prices and fixed or maximum rates, in the cases that the circumstances advise it and taking into account the conditions and characteristics of each territory, and they will approve the schedules of operation of the facilities where the work is carried out by own account.

According to the Deputy Minister, holidays will be recognized as one of the reasons why the holder may appoint a subordinate to run his business on a temporary basis, and it will be established that it is not compulsory for the spouse and relatives of the holder to be registered in the activity of Contracted Worker within the first and second degree of consanguinity - children, father and mother, siblings, grandchildren and grandparents - and first degree of affinity - son-in-law, daughter-in-law, father-in-law and mother-in-law.

This last point excludes carriers of cargo and passengers, because if the relative is going to drive the vehicle it does require an Operational Transport License, said Feitó Cabrera.

The new measures also recognize that legal entities, both Cuban and foreign, can contract products and services to non-state forms of management, whose payments can be made in both currencies, according to the regulations established in this regard.

In addition, they approve that production surpluses and overfulfilments of the state mandate or the non-execution of the entities that have a plan, can be sold to non-state forms of management, in both currencies, through a bank account.

More than 580,000 people are currently self-employed in Cuba, of whom 29 percent are young people, 34 percent are women, 15 percent work for the State and 10 percent are retired.