Redistribution of wealth gives incentive to Cuban fishermen

HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 11 (ACN) The Ordering Task, a process initiated in Cuba on January 1, 2021, is an incentive for exports of the La Coloma Industrial Fishing Company, responsible for 45 percent of the all the Cuban lobster sold abroad.

Yordan Nogueira Tapia, deputy director of the entity, explained exclusively to ACN that this is one of the companies with the highest sales volumes to the international market of the Food Industry Business Group, hence the decision of the latter to allow them to retain 40 percent of the income from exports as liquidity capacity (CL).

He explained that the proceeds will be used to secure the necessary inputs for the production processes, certain investments and the payment of services to other companies, which undoubtedly represents greater financial autonomy, since previously it was the Group that provided the CL.

With the Ordering Task, the sales values of the products in the foreign market are multiplied by 24 - since the monetary and exchange rate unification -, and that is the amount received by the companies, he said.

In the case of the lobster, star product of the entity and with great efficiency from its capture to the commercialization, last year it represented a contribution of 20.4 million pesos by concept of sale for export; figure that is estimated to rise this year to 587.6 million.

One kilogram of lobster means an average of 350 pesos for the company, which can vary depending on the assortment," he said, "that is why it is necessary to be more efficient by obtaining higher volumes in the catch and guaranteeing the fishermen the required resources.

With 61 vessels, the lobster fleet has a high technical availability coefficient, although some have difficulties with the engines, but the demand to the suppliers has already been made, Nogueira Tapia pointed out.

The company's average catch per vessel is 36.6 tons, so that the annual lobster plan amounts to 2,232 tons.

The Fishing Company also destines other products for commercialization outside the national borders, such as sea cucumber and conch, which although their figures are considered to be lower, they also receive the benefits of the Ordering Task.

The Deputy Director also highlighted the benefits in terms of wages for the workers.

The value chain starts with lobster - the export item that generates the most income for the entity - and with its efficiency levels the other products are sustained, he added.

When we close the economic balance sheet we know the amount to be distributed as profits on a quarterly basis, at a rate of 30 percent," he said, "since the rest is allocated to different investments and activities of the company.

Sales levels, compared to the current prices of the products, increase from 45 million to 700 million pesos during the year, he said, so the volume to be distributed later in the case of profits is much higher and all the workers who have contributed during that period benefit.

Marino Murillo Jorge, head of the Permanent Commission for the Implementation and Development of the Guidelines, explained in December that the monetary and exchange order implies that the business system should work for more efficiency, in order to distribute the profits among the workers.