‘We have to be more demanding in planning, which also means strengthening the economic structures at all levels’, he noted.
In this regard, the President of the Councils of State and Ministers expressed the urgent need for strong working teams to propose solutions and study alternatives.
‘It is necessary to take advantage of the talented intellectuals and researchers in economic matters and evaluate the suggestions they make’, he stressed.
According to Granma’s report, the head of Economy and Planning, Alejandro Gil Fernandez, took part in the meeting, saying that late 2018 the Cuban economy is expected to show a slight growth.
The Minister highlighted communications, trade, manufacturing, public health and other social services among the most successful activities.
But others such as the sugar industry, agriculture, construction and mines and quarries fell short of plan, he admitted.
Gil Fernandez added that by 2019 has been formed ‘a realistic and enforceable plan, to ensure development and growth, enhancing the use of internal reserves.
The Minister reiterated the need to focus on increasing export revenues and boosting domestic industry, aiming to replace imports of final goods and encourage the import of intermediate goods, inputs or raw materials to better exploit the country’s productive capacities.
At the same time, the Vice Minister of Finance and Prices Meisi Bolaños Weiss presented the Preliminary Draft State Budget for 2019, which, according to Granma’s report, is based on the principle of its social character and from which the different social policies and integral development programs of the provinces and municipalities are supported.
Bolaños assured that, in comparison to the 2018 estimate, similar behavior of the expenses of the budgeted activities is kept, guaranteeing the basic services to the population with special attention in the Education and Public Health sectors, to which 51% of the total is allocated. (Taken from Prensa Latina)
