The minister stated stold to the National Assembly of People’s Power (ANPP) that the State budget faced exceptional situations caused by Covid-19 and the tightening of the US blockade against Cuba.
Bolaños stressed that the Government had taken sanitary, hygienic and epidemiological measures to fight the pandemic, which demanded financial, tax and expenditure measures.
Concerning the economic context, the sanitary situation and the US blockade had a negative impact on major activities including tourism and others in both state-run and private sectors.
As an expression of priority given by the State and Government to actions for preventing and fighting Covid-19, which includes attention and care of the Cuban people, an additional CUP $1,676 million were alloted, she added.
In this scenario, over 446,000 workers, including health, paramedical and auxiliary personnel, worked in order to assist thousands of Covid-19 patients at the end of 2020.
She argued that the salary guarantees generated by the effect of Covid-19 required CUP$567 million for protecting interrupted workers and artistic sector, as well as mothers of minor children, a practice that continues this year.
She said that the General Reform of Wages, Pensions and Social Assistance will come into effect in coming December in order to guarantee that people would have income to challenge the increased prices forecast as of January 2021.
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