Complaints about food prices are mounting as authorities try to contain them without any visible results. The government admits the situation is out of control.
Prices that don't stop
Since the beginning of the so-called Ordering Task, the Government promised to combat the abusive and speculative prices through sanctions and controls. However, daily reality shows that this battle is being lost.
The prices of basic goods are rising "like wildfire," according to a Havana government publication shared by Radio COCO on Thursday, which openly questions the effectiveness of the inspections and measures implemented so far.
El text raises specific concerns: "Can a retiree afford to buy oil, chicken, or powdered milk worth more than a thousand pesos?", and wonders "What's the point of so many inspections if, in the end, that SME or forklift operator is just going to continue doing whatever they want?"
A pricing structure that is beyond all logic
The article warns about the disproportionate nature of current prices, calling them absurd, irrational, and excessive. The criticism, unusual in state media, points out that the phenomenon is hitting working families hard, especially the elderly who must continue working because their pensions are insufficient.
The situation is so serious that the government admits that a radical transformation is urgently needed in the functioning of the Finance and Prices Departments and municipal governments, so that they apply the law with rigor and consistency.
The average salary is not enough to even start.
The National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) published this week that the average salary in Cuba during 2024 it was 5.839 CUP. To today's informal exchange (365 CUP per dollar), that represents 16 dollars per month, that is, a little more than 50 cents per day.
The paradox is clear: although the statistical average wage has grown, prices have risen much faster, leaving the majority worse off. A bottle of olive oil can cost more than 1.200 euros. CUP, and a carton of eggs already exceeds 2.000 in many private points of sale.
The population demands a halt, the State admits the urgency
The article published by Radio COCO reflects the level of public anger. While it mentions the efforts made in the territories and national control operations, it also warns of a lack of strictness and consistency in enforcing the rules.
The Cuban economy is trapped in a spiral where informal market prices determine the true cost of living, while wages are devalued and foreign currency becomes the only way to access basic necessities.
In short, prices have become the main enemy of Cubans' pockets, and the government itself recognizes that solutions aren't working.
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7 comments
If the salary increases, you say retirement.
They have to raise wages to be able to buy basic foodstuffs and they didn't pay for bread for the three days we were without it. We have to find a solution to so many problems.
Meanwhile, Marrero has been re-boosting the economy for three years and everything is getting worse. All the measures they take are against the average Cuban.
It is disrespectful to the people to talk and talk about the same thing, whether it be the cart drivers or the MSMEs, and not give them a solution with worthwhile wage increases, just like the retirees. You see them in the garbage cans, they are selling things sitting on the sidewalks or anywhere asking for money or food. It is a shame to see a country like this. And don't get sick because if you don't buy medicines at high prices on the black market, you die. Nothing here is within the reach of the people, not to mention public transportation, shocking prices. There hasn't been bread for several days, but the resellers do have those prices. This situation is very stressful.
Of course, prices have to rise, given the excessive increase in wages in some sectors, such as the ZED Mariel, ETECSA, etc., which amount to more than 50000 CUP, while retirees are forced to search for scraps in the trash. The excess money in these sectors causes prices to rise ever higher, due to the scarcity of offers and the need to spend; they can buy at any price.
Please, it's time to stop blaming the pushcart vendors, private vendors, or MSMEs. There's only one culprit here. It's the shameless, shameless government that continues to demand sacrifices when they live like kings. They fail to maintain the supply of basic products like food and medicine.
That government is a total failure. They've collapsed everything. Cuba must be the country with the most prohibitive laws, but no law will resolve the misery the government has plunged the people into. They should leave once and for all. The people are also to blame for enduring and continuing to support this failed system.
That's how it is... the market and inflation: Unsustainable
"survival" in Cuba
WE NO LONGER HAVE LIFE
No public transportation, bread is now inedible, and there has been a shortage for up to three days. The vaunted basic food basket is a joke! In bad taste!
Everything they say here is very true!