Business & Economy

The consul general and deputy consul at the Cuban Interests Section in Washington D.C. traveled to Miami to meet with emigrants from the island, representatives from travel agencies that promote trips to Cuba and other groups who support a normalization of relations between the US and Cuba.

The Brazilian government confirmed on Monday its decision to not carry through with its announced plan to contract a large medical contingent from Cuba and will instead contract professionals on an individual basis, informed Reuters. “We never reached an accord with Cuba. Now the priority is Spain and Portugal,” said the Brazilian Health Ministry.

Cuban economy planners are considering greater autonomy for state run companies in 2014 so they can accumulate capital on their own, economic chief Marino Murillo told the Cuban parliament on Sunday.

Cuban President Raul Castro said on Sunday that studies continue on the removal of the dual currency monetary system prevailing on the island. He has been announcing his goal of monetary unification since coming to power, without achieving it thus far.

The Cuban government said on Saturday it is satisfied by the “favorable performance” of the island’s economy in the first half of the year, despite an overall “slowdown” and increased unemployment. The minister of the economy presented the legislature with performance figures for the first half of 2013.

The Cuban Parliament meets today for its first session of the new legislature after the members were sworn in last February, marking the start of the second and final term of President Raul Castro, reported DPA news.

The Cuban government’s decision to halve the number of eggs to be delivered monthly to the population, through the ration book, took effect on Monday. The price increase deals a blow especially to those Cubans who only work for the government and pensioners who do not have relatives abroad sending them remittances.

A group of American intellectuals who recently traveled to Havana to attend the meeting “socialist renewal and capitalist crisis “, released a text on Saturday, criticizing the use of GMOs in the island.

Starting Monday 124 “experimental” cooperatives began operating in Cuba, in sectors such as construction, transportation, waste disposal and agricultural markets. This type of management has been designed by the government for activities that “are not transcendental” for the country’s economy.