Over 70% of travelers arrived in Cuba through the Green Channel

HAVANA, Cuba, Dec 13 (ACN) Jose L. Muñoz, deputy chief of the General Customs of the Republic, said that between 70 and 80 % of passengers arriving in Cuba since July and to date, passed through the Green Channel applicable to travelers who do not have to make any payment to Customs; because they carry only their personal effects and their imports do not exceed 50.99 pesos.

Cuba recently announced the extension of the non-commercial importation of food, toiletries and medicines, with no limits in value and quantities, and free of customs duties.

Muñoz explained that these benefits are only applicable to those items that are included in unaccompanied baggage, while he suggested visiting the Public Health website for information on medications that are regulated or prohibited.

He also urged to check the website of the Cuban Ministry of Agriculture for information on plant and animal health, where there are also regulations to be complied with at the borders.

For his part, the first deputy minister of finances and prices, Vladimir Regueiro, indicated that the measure is a temporary provision that responds to the crisis situation faced by the country.

In the case of the entities authorized to provide import services to non-state management, he added that the measure adopted encouraged a greater contracting of a sector that is growing and consolidating, where all the technical and organizational conditions for its development must be created.

There are already more than 40 foreign trade entities that are providing services to these economic actors according to their specialties and requirements, since the reduction of the payment of tariffs for raw materials for the processes they carry out was benefited with the extension, the deputy minister emphasized.

As for the possibility of continuity or suspension of the measure, a monitoring of the impacts on the country of this provision, the opinions of the population and the indicators of recovery of our economy will always be carried out beforehand in order to determine the feasibility or not of its extension, Regueiro concluded.