Business & Economy Archives - Page 191 of 227

Cuba Slows Down Layoff Schedule

Cuban President Raul Castro announced on Monday that the program to lay off 500,000 public sector workers by the end of March was not progressing on schedule.

Cuba’s Humidor Auction Brings 1.1 Million

The XIII Habano Cigar Festival came to a close late Friday with an auction of custom made humidors and top grade cigars that brought in US $1.1 million for Cuba’s Public Health system.

Puerto Principe Rum Has Its Bouquet

An almost mystic air floats through the storage area where different types of rum, aguardiente and wine are aged. Hundreds of Canadian and American white oak barrels contain the precious liquids in their paunches.

Sherritt to Reduce Output, Despite Increasing Profits

The Canadian corporation Sherritt International expects a reduction in its productions of oil, nickel, cobalt and electricity in Cuba in 2011, despite the increase in its profits in 2010, when it registered a net income of 222.4 million dollars, according to the U.S. news site Cuba Standard.

Cuba to Implement New Milk Controls

The Cuban authorities will extend to the entire country a study carried out in the province of Mayabeque, southeast of Havana, to control the distribution of milk, affected by problems in the quality of the product, transportation and conservation. More than 70 per cent of the milk in the country comes from the cooperative and farmer sector.

Visit to Famous Cuba Cigar Factories

Cuban cigar enthusiasts and vendors from around the world paid a visit to the Partagas and H. Upmann factories in Havana during the XIII Habano Festival. The prestigious event for gourmet smokers concludes concluded on Friday with a gala cultural program and an auction of specially crafted humidors that brought in over a million dollars. (9 photos)

Housing Construction in Cuba Plummets

Housing construction has nosedived in Cuba since 2006, when 11,373 new homes were built, according to a report by the National Office of Statistics (ONE). In 2010 barely 34,014 homes were built. The housing shortage is one of the biggest problems facing the Cuban population, especially felt by the youth who find it nearly impossible to live independently.

Cuba’s Havana Cigar Sales Up Slightly

The sale of cigars marketed by the Habanos S.A. company grew two per cent in 2010 and it is expected that this year a similar level will be maintained, said Javier Terrés, vice president of development of the company, a joint venture between the British Imperial Tobacco Group and the island’s government. Terres said, “The coming into force of the anti-smoking restrictions, one of Europe’s harshest, in Spain will affect cigar sales.”

Cuba’s Habano Cigar Fest Begins

The 13th Habano Festival, a week-long salute to the world’s best cigars, got underway in the Cuban capital on Monday. The five-day event includes visits to emblematic Habano factories; a trade fair; seminars; tastings and marriages; the International Habanasommelier Contest; a master class on cigar rolling and a visit to tobacco plantations. (12 photos)

Havana Cigar Fest Starts Monday

The 13th edition of the Havana Cigar Festival will begin today in the Cuban capital’s Convention Centre, with the participation of more than 1,200 specialists and cigar aficionados from some 80 countries, the event’s Organizing Committee reported. The meeting includes, among other activities, two contests on the connection of rum and wine with cigars, visits to tobacco plantations and cigar factories, and the election of the “Havana Cigar Man of the Year.”