Deputy Minister of Economy and Planning Johana Odriozola stressed that the expansion and distribution of self-employment, and the approval of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and non-agricultural cooperatives go far beyond a temporary solution to certain problems.

Addressing the 2nd Cuba 2021 Business Forum on Wednesday, the deputy minister said that Cuba prioritizes all actions that contribute to the internationalization of the enterprises, for what it represents to the inflow of foreign currency.

Vivian Herrera, general director of Foreign Trade at the Ministry for Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (MINCEX), explained that once the possibility of exporting and importing for the private sector was approved, 25,112 forms of non-state management showed interest in doing so.

The importance of these actors for the local development, to generate linking with the national industry and encourage the growth of the state sector through competition and the establishment of alliances, were other reasons to continue expanding their participation and performance.

Cuba already has 883 MSMEs, 865 private enterprises, 18 state-owned enterprises and 18 non-agricultural cooperatives, which have generated more than 14,100 new jobs.

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