Proposal to Help the Cuban People

By amending custom tariffs for in times of natural disasters

HAVANA TIMES — As a result of the serious damage that Hurricane Irma has inflicted on our country’s infrastructure, it’s imperative that the government keep the Cuban people’s needs in mind. A people who have also suffered great damage and losses and aren’t in a position to wait for however long it takes for the foundations of the Cuban economy to recover.

Therefore, I am proposing the following solutions which might be able to help those most affected, the Cuban people, and the country will move forward much faster for things to return to normal.

First problem: Housing

The government entity responsible for administrating building materials has been affected and the resources it has are being allocated to the State’s top priority: recovering the tourism and other industrial sectors. Therefore, the Cuban people will need to wait sometime before they are able to repair their homes.

Immediate solution:

Have customs make tax exempt building material and miscellaneous imports so that the Cuban people can receive these from their relatives or friends directly. This will be one less burden for the Cuban State and it will save national resources which can then be allocated to other priorities.

Second problem: Food

This sector was severely affected as a result of strong hurricane winds, and so recovering agricultural infrastructure will take some time. I think that it would be wise for the government to enact an order so that Cuban Customs can waive tariffs on food imports too, on products such as meat, cooking oils, grains and cereals.

Third problem: The country’s health and sanitation situation

Cuba is a country that has a high number of diabetic people, people with high blood pressure and others who suffer from other diseases which can be relieved with medicine. Therefore, the need to receive resources through many different channels to improve the current situation in the country is much-needed.

Solution:

It should be the Cuban government’s priority to use its media channels to disseminate messages that inform both the Cuban people living in Cuba and abroad, that they can receive all the medicines they need by post and free from taxes.

Here are some of the medicines that would be of great help:

– Diuretics and anti-depressants for high blood pressure.
– Anticoagulants for blood circulation.
– Vitamins to strengthen people’s nutritional intake and immune systems.
– Tools to control and measure blood glucose.
– Antihistamines to control allergic reactions that are triggered by the environment.
– All kinds of medicines which alleviate pain: post-operation trauma, migraines, etc.
– First aid kits.