So that our salary does not "go only on food"

One of the main concerns among the Cubans, even before the beginning of Task Ordering, is the price of food. One of every family’s top priorities is to ensure that they can make ends meet. The new measures and a few others taken years ago are intended to improve the state of affairs in this regard.

But what happened in early January when Task Ordering began and brought with it a rise in salaries and pensions? Prices went skyhigh, especially those of agricultural products.

In these circumstances and after constant complaints from consumers, the provincial governments and authorities were urged to put a ceiling on prices deemed to be excessive and impose fines on those who failed to comply with the regulations.

Meisi Bolaño Weiss, Minister of Finance and Prices (MFP), acknowledged the role of the population in the correct implementation of the price policies approved as part of the monetary reform. MFP reported that most denunciations are related to agricultural products and gastronomic services, mainly in non-state establishments.

Self-employed sellers usually justify their prices saying that their providers are also charging more for the goods they market

With the new strategies, production contracts become pivotal with a view to make more food available to social assistance entities, public markets and tourist facilities, among others. Even if the measures implemented across the country have managed to control pricing, it is still necessary to keep on a tight leash those who make the most of shortages to overprice what they sell.

Cuba strives to improve people’s income, but its efforts will only make improvements if the cost of living does not become too expensive, which is precisely what we must avoid.