Cuban parliamentary working commissions to begin sessions today

 HAVANA, Cuba, Jul 15 (ACN) As a preview to the 3rd Ordinary Period of Sessions of the 10th Legislature of the National Assembly of People's Power (ANPP), from today until July 16, the debates of the 11 Permanent Working Commissions of that body will take place on issues such as the economy, services, the fight against crime and the people's food.

Marta Hernandez Romero, coordinator of the Permanent Working Commissions, said that both days will be used to check agreements on which these sections of the Cuban Parliament have worked, which focus on issues of high significance for the country and to follow up on the legislative schedule.

She stressed that among some 90 topics to be discussed will be the control and supervision actions previously carried out, as well as the fulfillment of State policies and programs.

Hernandez Romero emphasized the evaluation of eight of the objectives contemplated in the Government's Plan to correct distortions and re-launch the economy.

The commissions, made up by about 70 % of the deputies, work during the whole year beyond the two periods in which the ANPP is in session, for which reason an analysis of the internal functioning of each one of these structures will also be carried out and priorities for the coming semester will be assessed, its coordinator indicated.

Tamara Valido Benitez, president of the Commission of Attention to Services, referred that Monday the Ministry of Domestic Trade (Mincin by its Spanish acronym) will render accounts before the Parliament.

In this exercise, the progress of the implementation of agreement X/59 will be evaluated, which includes prioritized programs such as the standardized family basket, the school lunch, the System of Attention to Families and the layette, she stated.

Betsy Diaz Velazquez, head of Mincin, will detail the behavior of foreign investment in 2023 and so far in 2024, and the productive linkages with new forms of non-state management, Valido Benitez pointed out.

She also informed that the economic results of the tourism sector, the fight against crime, corruption and illegalities in the nation's communication networks, and the progress of agreement IX/168 of the Ministry of Communications related to digital transformation, artificial intelligence, government management through science and innovation, and the process of bankarization will be presented.

According to Valido Benitez, on July 16, Eduardo Rodriguez Davila, head of Transport in Cuba, will present a report on the concrete actions of this sector to contribute to the Government Plan to correct distortions and boost the economy.
In addition, the results of the verification of the deputies to the freight forwarding activity, also known as parcels, will be discussed.

Felix Martinez Suarez, president of the Economic Affairs Commission, pointed out that the deputies will discuss the decentralization of competences for the economy in the municipalities, self-employment and accounting.

The Economy Plan will be presented in a report by Joaquín Alonso Vazquez, Minister of Economy and Planning, which will address the behavior of the sector in the first half of 2024 and the projections for the remainder of the year, he said.

This Monday afternoon's session will be dedicated to the liquidation of the 2023 State budget and the execution of the one corresponding to the current period.

On July 16, said Martinez Suarez, the Commission will focus on bankarization, its challenges and needs; the policies for the new Tax Law as well as for the rules that will regulate the socialist state enterprise.

Regarding the Agro-Alimentary Commission, Ramon Aguilar Betancourt, its president, highlighted the treatment of issues of high impact on the population, such as the basic food basket and the sugar harvest.

The results of an evaluation exercise of 10 companies classified as exporting poles will be presented, as well as the progress of agriculture in the first semester of the current year after the high inspection of the Ministry of Agriculture in 2023.

Of great importance will be the verification of the work of the State Central Administration Agencies that are part of the Commission, in order to provide answers to the concerns of the people.

The celebration of the 3rd Ordinary Session of the 10th Legislature of the ANPP will have as main motivation the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the experience of the Local Bodies of the People's Power.