A few months ago, I noted how Cuba has opened up its economy to capitalism in an unusual way, starting from the bottom by allowing individuals to operate effectively as sole traders.
France 24 reports that another step has been taken on that road this week, allowing individuals to sell agricultural produce, act as telecommunications salespeople or sell real estate (property, it seems, is not necessarily theft...), amongst eighteen professions now made legal for individuals to take up.
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| Raul Castro - bringing capitalism for the masses? |
One of the things that I noted on my trip to Cuba in February was that there appeared to be a lot of agricultural land unworked, the reason being that the lack of fertilisers made it harder to work it effectively, especially without any personal incentive. And perhaps, if a profit motive is introduced, it might encourage people to start to grow some of the foodstuffs that Cuban consumers want.
It also potentially offers an alternative for other Caribbean nations. Anyone who visits a resort in the region will note that much of the foodstuff, even the most basic items, are shipped in, often from the United States. If Cuba were to become a breadbasket for its neighbours, it might mean that the drain of profits to developed nations might be reduced somewhat, and I believe that the potential is there.
So, good luck to the Cuban people, whose government might have found a socialist route to capitalism, albeit perhaps through necessity...
* hat-tip to Andrew Emmerson for bringing this to my attention
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