HAVANA, December 12 (Héctor Maseda, Grupo Decoro / www.cubanet.org) -
51 food items will be withdrawn from the local markets and will only be
available in the dollar markets after January because their present cost of
production is higher than their sale price, according to government experts.
The Ministry of Interior Commerce announced the decision at a meeting with
officials from the Ministry of Prices and Finance.
"The measure was adopted," said one participant who asked not to
be identified, "because is costs the country about 50 pesos to bring in a
(U.S.) dollar by selling these items, and the exchange rate stands at 26 pesos
to the dollar."
Another participant said that products such as oil and different types of
drinks will no longer be available in the government-run stores.
In Cuba, there are three distinct types of food markets; those that only
sell in dollars, those that only sell subsidized food under the government's
rationing plan, and hybrids called "parallel" markets that sell in
pesos but at prices comparable to those in dollar markets. This are the markets
that will no longer carry the items in question.
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