In a recent parliamentary session, Cuban Prime Minister, Manuel Marrero Cruz, addressed the measure that allows the tax-free importation of food, toiletries, and medicines.
Although this policy, currently governed by the Resolution 311/2024 of the Ministry of Finance and Prices, will remain in effect until January 31, 2025Marrero hinted that changes are coming.
The Prime Minister stressed that this measure, initially implemented to alleviate the needs of Cuban families, has generated "distortions." According to his statements“Unscrupulous” people are using this exemption for commercial purposes, selling products at speculative prices, even through social media.
“The tariff exemptions on food, toiletries, and medicine imports have been extended, but I want to digress: there are many distortions associated with this measure, which was implemented to allow individuals and families to import food and medicine tax-free. This has become a source of income for unscrupulous individuals who, through this means, bring in merchandise to sell at speculative prices, either directly or through social media,” he explained.
An uncertain future for duty-free imports
In his statements, Marrero hinted at a "reorganization" of this activity in the coming months, although he assured that the government will prioritize the protection of the population and would maintain specific measures to guarantee access to medicines.
"We intend to reorganize this activity in the coming months, always protecting the population and, above all, sensitive issues such as medications, for which no measures will be applied," he added.
However, the statements have generated speculation y divided opinions among citizens.
Mixed opinions
Some Cubans have expressed their concerncupaction in the face of possible restrictions. On the one hand, the abuses reported by Marrero are acknowledged, but on the other, many people claim that the current flexibility has allowed them to access essential products amid widespread shortages.
Mabix, in a comment posted on our page, said:
"Thanks to the unscrupulous people who sell products, I've been able to solve the problem, since I don't have any family members who can help me, and whenever I go to the pharmacies with the prescription, there's nothing."
For its part, Jorge was critical:
"It's contradictory to control and adjust what isn't guaranteed in stores or pharmacies. Don't block the consequences, but rather look for the causes and resolve them. Prime Minister Marrero doesn't seem well informed."
What will happen after January 31st? 2025?
As the deadline established by Resolution 311/2024 approaches, uncertainty grows. Although Marrero assured that medications will not be affected, the statements leave many questions about how these exemptions will be reorganized.
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5 comments
Everything they say is very true. There are those who have had to take the medicine to save themselves. I have that case and do not take that away until the Cuban pharmacies are full. Thanks to those people, I cannot go without a medicine that the pharmacy used to get and now I have it that way.
Everything they say is very true. There are those who have had to take the medicine to save themselves. I have that case and do not take that away until the Cuban pharmacies are full. Thanks to those people, I cannot go without a medicine that the pharmacy used to get and now I have it that way.
It's no less true that medicines are expensive... now I consider it unscrupulous to sell medicines that aren't real or that are stolen from our pharmacies or our hospitals... But it is true that thanks to those people who invest their money and bring medicines to sell here... they solve a problem for more than half of the Cuban population who don't have family abroad and buy what they need this way.
Thanks to them, many like me can continue taking their medication. If they eliminate that, I don't know what would become of us because, unfortunately, the state doesn't have the money to maintain it in its pharmacies. Those who speak like this know that they have their own and their family's health guaranteed (sent from abroad or in a hospital here).
I don't think it's the most feasible option at this time the country is experiencing. It's true that sometimes the prices are abusive, but most of the time it's the only way we have to acquire the medicines we need and which are never available in Cuban pharmacies.
I think they don't know what they're going to do, thanks to those people we can meet our needs, the pharmacies are closed, there's no medicine, I take enalapril and it hasn't arrived at the pharmacy for 5 months, for the slightest thing I have to go to the private sector, until when? I ask, there's nothing at all, what medicine will Madrero or Díaz Canel take for blood pressure or headaches? Surely they can take imported medicines of excellent quality, I think that to demand and impose order, the first thing is to provide minimum living conditions, the Cuban is a being that survives, not lives, tries to live!!!!!