Cuba gone wild
Posted on March 13th, 2008 by bile Categories and Tags: Uncategorized, car alarms, cellular telephones, communism, confiscation, Cuba, economics, electricity, Havana, healthcare, Internet remains, microwave, police state, politics, prohibition, property, Raul Castro, Reuters, Technology, VenezuelaCommunist Cuba has authorized the unrestricted sale of computers and DVD and video players in the first sign that President Raul Castro is moving to improve Cubans’ access to consumer goods.An internal government memo seen by Reuters on Thursday said the appliances long desired by Cubans can go on sale immediately, although air conditioners will not be available until next year and toasters until 2010 due to limited power supplies.
Only foreigners and companies can buy computers in Cuba at present, while DVD players were seized at the airport until last year, when customs rules were eased.
Now Cubans will be able to buy them freely, paying for them in hard currency CUCs, or convertible pesos, worth 24 times more than the Cuban pesos state wages are paid in.
“Based on the improved availability of electricity, the government at the highest level has approved the sale of some equipment which was prohibited,” the memo said.
It listed 19-inch (48-cm) and 24-inch (61-cm) television sets, electric pressure cookers and rice cookers, electric bicycles, car alarms and microwaves.Cubans were delighted with the prospect of being able to buy items such as microwave ovens and air conditioners that were previously only available as stolen goods on the black market.
Shop attendants in central Havana had not heard about the measure but said there was great demand for the items.
“That’s great. I hope this is the necessary start along a new path,” said second-hand clothes vendor Maritza Hernandez, eager to see further reforms to Cuba’s command economy.
Many Cubans expect the state to soon allow them to buy cellular telephones. While they will now be able to buy computers, access to the Internet remains controlled by the government.
Toasters in 2010 huh? Welcome back… to the 20th century. Too bad it’s only because of help from Venezuela.
They don’t have toasters or electricity but at least they have “free” healthcare.
4 Responses to “Cuba gone wild”
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March 14th, 2008 at 8:23 am
They might wise up and go in the direction of China. If you think of a laissez faire economy as being organic, this command economy can be the equivalent of genetic engineering. You can get some monsters most of the time, but you can also get lucky some of the time. Of course you’ll need aside silly things like individual freedoms.
March 14th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Singapore?
March 19th, 2008 at 8:39 am
I wonder how much of their "not having toasters" results from the trade embargoes imposed on them. Master Blaster: "Embargo On!"
March 19th, 2008 at 9:23 am
I very much doubt it. 1) They say in the article I believe that it’s because of electrical usage. 2) Making a toaster isn’t exactly difficult. I would hope the Cuban grey/black market could create them.