173: Cuban reforms pick up pace

This story was fairly widely reported today, but I picked up the version in The Economic Times of India. Raul Castro, the recently confirmed President of Cuba, announced another set of reforms today aimed at freeing up the country's economy and improving citizens' living standards. Consistent with promises made on his appointment, Castro is beginning to dismantle some of the restrictions Cubans have faced for years. For example, all Cubans will now be able to stay in major hotels, and buy goods such as mobile telephones, microwaves and personal computers - provided they can afford to, of course (and the average government salary is just around $20 per month!). In a parallel move designed to increase productivity and prosperity (and perhaps export revenue), Castro announced that all unused government land would be made available to farmers and their associations, for the cultivation of coffee, tobacco and other crops. The details of all these initiatives will become clearer over the coming weeks and months, and their effects will take yet longer to assess, but this article suggests most Cubans welcome Castro's reformist zeal. Certainly, it feels like the beginning of a new era...