Cuban VP Murillo Offers 126 New Cooperatives
HAVANA TIMES – Marino Murillo, one of Cuba’s vice presidents and considered the gatekeeper of the Communist Party’s economic “updating”, told the Council of Ministers on Tuesday that a first group of 126 non-agricultural cooperatives will be operational soon, reported the official press on Thursday.
“These new forms of management will be initiated in 111 farmers markets, five are associated with passenger transport services, six auxiliary transport services, two for waste recycling and 12 related to construction activities,” said Murillo.
The new guidelines aim to increase the country’s gross domestic product, which has a projected growth for 2013 of 3.7 percent, after last year’s 3.1.
What was not explained was whether the cooperatives are organized by the Cuban government or by the members themselves, and the degree of autonomy they will have related to investments and profit distribution.
What may be happening is a replay of the Yugoslavian attempt to maintain state ownership of enterprise, yet give workers administrative responsibilities, in order to make them work harder and be more productive. If this is the case, it will not work, and it will discredit worker cooperatives, in general.
The “timbiriche” economy moves “forward” to save the Castro Oligarchy!