Cuba moves ahead with economic reforms

An important document related to the economic reform policy is expected to be adopted at the congress that is expected to attract approximately 1,000 delegates out of the 850,000 Party members.

A wide range of documents that will be submitted to the Congress were discussed earlier among Party members to reach a consensus of the entire population for enhancing economic reform to further national development.

As many as 55,000 discussions on Party draft documents were held to gather public opinions at the grassroots level, State agencies and universities.

The discussions focused on new economic models, taxation, the transport system, currency and coupons. Most agreed adjustment to the economic policies, the development of private economic models, a sharp reduction of subsidies and the labour force in the State-run economic sector, and the implementation of a new tax collection policy.

Since 1962, Cuba has gradually cut coupon subsidies as well as some other forms of subsidy and this is one of the 291 issues mentioned in the draft guidelines for socio-economic development policies to be approved by the CPC.

Looking back on the development process, Cuba has made socio-economic headway after becoming the master of its own destiny in 1959. The island nation is considered a shining example in the world because its illiteracy rate has reduced from 30 percent to below 0.2 percent over the past 50 years and all children pay no school fees.

Cuba has also helped train more than 53,000 students from 89 countries around the world and dispatched 113,000 doctors to work abroad in 103 nations.

Based on these significant achievements, Cuba’s priority in the next few years will be

boosting international cooperation, particularly for economic development. An external economic policy will be also tabled at the sixth national Party Congress.

The time-honoured relationship between Vietnam and Cuba over the past half century clearly indicates solidarity and mutual support between the two Communist Parties and peoples.

The faithful and fraternal friendship between Vietnam and Cuba set a shining example for developing countries and represents the fine sentiments and consistent revolutionary stance of the two Parties, States and peoples towards the cause of socialism and construction in their respective countries.

Along with cultural exchanges and exchange visits by senior delegations, economic cooperation between the two countries has grown strongly.

Cuba is coming up with “open” mechanisms to call on foreign investment in tourism, hotel services, golf courses, oil, gas, telecommunications and the production of consumer goods. This will offer plenty of opportunity for both countries to boost economic cooperation in the future.

Relations between the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the CPC have been also consolidated. Cuba has shown its keen interest in Vietnam’s 11^th National Party Congress held earlier this year and praised newly-elected Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong for sending special envoys to Cuba to inform its Party leader of the  congress results, thereby demonstrating the mutual trust and close-nit relationship between the two parties.

Cuba regarded the CPV’s successful organisation of the 11^th congress as a positive experience and expressed its belief that, under the clear-sighted leadership of the CPV headed by Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong, the Vietnamese people will successfully implement the Party Congress’s resolution and gain still greater achievements in the Doi Moi (Renewal) process and national industrialisation and modernisation.

 The achievements recorded by the two Communist Parties over the past years and the development targets set for the future will lay the foundation for solidifying bilateral relations as Cuba’s great leader, Fidel Castro, said “ The relationship between Vietnam and Cuba is a symbol of the era”.