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It is not a secret that the new measures passed by the General Customs of the Cuban Republic (AGRC) to regulate the quantities of different articles imported by natural citizens have caused many opinions; some approving and others disapproving them.
More than analyzing the appropriateness of the resolutions 206, 207 and 208 from the AGRC, and the 300 from the Ministry of Finance and Prices which will be in effect from September 1, 2014 on, I believe it is sensible to focus on the challenge such decrees have for the Cuban industry and commerce.
Since long ago, every country has established the necessary laws to protect its economy, what means understanding the right of this nation to preserve it in such sense.
But reality today makes clear that one thing is to protect domestic market developed by the state and the other completely different that is such branch would offer in quantity and variety required what the population demands. The current dilemma is there.
Since several years ago, Cubans “got used” to look for alternative spaces “mainly in private things” imported clothes or shoes by people who had found in this practice, a way to have personal incomes, which, many times, offers from the shops (TRD) are rejected.
As consequence, officially recognized, TRD shops do not contribute with the expected incomes compared to years before affecting the country’s economy. Why is that?
The answer: offers from “the left” are sometimes more tempting than the state shops.
In respect to size, colors, variety and selection, durability of the piece, attachment to fashion, quality, prices, guarantee system and even the possibility to buy on installments, offers from the informal market are better those from the state.
This situation must change, in favor to a domestic state market that should really honor benefit and satisfy the clients.
Change should come through two ways, one targeting inside, and the other one routed to outside the frontiers.
Cuban industry, mainly the Light Industry, needs to be reborn like Phoenix, in pursue to give the shops the lines to satisfy the pleasure of the population in all Cuba, not only the capital or the main cities.
But, As we know recovering in such branch will take time “taking into consideration the current situation facing today in modern technology and availability of raw material” the immediate thing to look for will be to zealously observe that the purchases carried out abroad be done according to the demands of the clients.
It will perhaps be necessary a better training, of those in charged to travel the markets abroad selecting the articles that will later be on sale on the TRD.
In relation to our currency shops, it does not matter the entity they belong to, it is also urgent to revolutionize “with attachment to Fidel’s thought to “change everything that should be changed”, because, tendencies are not today what they should be.
A change in image is needed, although many seem to be untidy warehouses than places to enjoy watching the products and be tempted to purchase them without hesitation.
Of course, it goes together with the kindness of the clerks and their abilities to sale which at present is an exception and not a rule.
It will be worth to reevaluate the commercial taxes of the products, establish credit system sales, as well as stimulating the presence of merchandise for all occasions, either daily or special ones.
We are almost in September, we should wait and trust good things will happen, so the purpose to enforce these new measures would to see its intentions crooked and will happen what had many times did: what had been regulated goes through one way and life through another.
Acerca del autor
Periodista cubana. Máster en Ciencias de la Comunicación. Profesora Auxiliar de la Universidad de Oriente. Guionista de radio y televisión.
