Business & Economy

Cuba increased its landline and cellphone capacity by 18.5 percent during 2011, according to the president of the national telephone company (ETECSA).

During a session of the China-Cuba intergovernmental commission, held yesterday in Beijing, the two countries agreed to work on the development of a mid-term bilateral economic agenda. Between 2012-2016 cooperation will expand in such areas as health, biotechnology and agriculture.

The company Internacional Cubana de Tabaco S.A announced a six percent growth in exports of machined cigars for all of 2011.

A special edition of the Gaceta Oficial de Cuba today issued resolutions that extend lease options to self-employed workers starting January 1, 2012.

The head of the Permanent Committee on Development and Implementation, Marino Murillo, presented a comprehensive report yesterday that concluded the seventh session of the Cuban parliament.

One of the commissions of Cuba’s National Assembly of Popular Power (parliament) was dissatisfied yesterday with the low efficiency and poor quality of public works as well as the failure to integrate that industry with the manufacturing of needed equipment.

An expanded meeting was held in Havana of the Council of Ministers last week, Discussions were held on preparations for the population and housing census to be conducted in September 2012. The results will allow the Cuban government to have more precise information about the economic and social situation of the island’s population.

“Today people will see price cuts take effect on 122 types of construction materials,” said Odalys Escandell, the first deputy minister of Domestic Trade, speaking before Cuba’s parliament on Wednesday.

The minister of the food industry reported that the failures in post-larvae production and catches resulted in lower-than-expected income from the seafood exports, whose costs exceeded plans by nearly 1,000 CUCs per ton.

Standing committees of the Cuba’s National Assembly of Popular Power (parliament) is concluding discussions today around the plan for the country’s economy and the state budget law for 2012.