Business & Economy

The Central Bank of Cuba granted 133,000 loans so far this year, given out primarily for the purchase of building materials and payments for labor, reported the Prensa Latina news agency.

Brazil will donate around 25,000 tons of rice to Cuba “to support food-based social protection programs throughout the country,” reported the World Food Programme (WFP) of the United Nations.

As of December 15, a record-setting 81,700 visitors from Russia traveled to Cuba in 2012, said Estefania Escobar, the director of the island’s Office of the Ministry of Tourism in Moscow.

The Foreign Ministry today denounced a new sanction laid down by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury Department, which will negatively impact Cuba.

A multipurpose cargo ship (the second of its type built in Cuba) arrived at the Venezuelan port of La Guaira on Tuesday. Based on agreements between the two countries, this is the second Cuban-built Damen Stan Lander 5612 ship delivered to Venezuela since this past March, while two more are expected to be constructed next year.

Cuban diplomats registered their complaints on Monday before the Dispute Settlement Body (OSD) of the World Trade Organization in Geneva about the illegal use of the Havana Club label on rum sold in the United States.

In accordance with the decision of the Cuban legislature in its recently held last session, not all taxes included in the new tax law will be applied when that legislation comes into effect on January 1, 2013, reported the official Cubadebate website.

The Cuban government will call a referendum on the new draft Labor Code, regulations that will including standards for cuentapropistas (self employed workers) on the island.

The newly arriving oil rig, “Songa Mercur,” is now situated in an area to the north of the island and will start up drilling operations “in the next few days” for the Russian energy firm Zarubezhneft, according to reports from the state-owned Cubapetroleo agency.