Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Adventurer]

Page last updated at 00:18 GMT, Saturday, 12 April 2008 01:18 UK
E-mail this to a friend Printable version

Cuban leaders plan more reforms

Some restrictions on farmers have already been lifted
Recently announced agricultural reforms in Cuba could be the springboard for more changes, says a state newspaper.

The official Granma newspaper also welcomes the lifting of restrictions in several sectors of the economy.

Cuba has introduced a series of reforms since Raul Castro officially took over the presidency from his elder brother Fidel in February.

These include the removal of some restrictions on the purchase of electrical goods.

The state has also lifted a ban on its people staying in hotels previously reserved for foreigners - a measure which has only now been officially acknowledged in the latest edition of Granma.

Cubans have also been given unrestricted access to mobile phones for the first time.

Agricultural output

The agricultural reforms give farmers more scope to decide how to use their land, which crops to plant and supplies to buy.

Unused state land is now being lent to private farmers as part of efforts to increase agricultural output.

Farmers are also being paid more by the government for some products, such as potatoes.

The official newspaper says the reforms were initiated by Fidel Castro and expanded on by Raul with contributions from millions of Cubans with a view to improving socialism.

But in a separate article, Fidel Castro criticises what he terms people who worship selfishness.

CUBAILOVESALSA

[Milwaukiedave]

I think the reforms are going to continue to trickle for the next few years as he brings Cuba around the corner to a more open society. Eventually he (Raul Castro) is going to have to figure out how to pass the reigns off to someone else as he's getting up there in age as well.

This is slightly off topic, but I was talking to some of my Korean students the other day about North Korea and I brought up Cuba. In my opinion, I'd like to see something like this happen in the North with a gradual ease of tensions and economic reforms. There are too many things that could go wrong if the country outright collapsed. In reality I don't think any of this will happen until Kim dies.