HAVANA, March 24 (Reynaldo Cosano Alén) - Refilling disposable gas lighters in Cuba can be a doubly chancy enterprise. In addition to the danger of a flare-up or explosion, the enterprising lighter mechanic can run afoul of government licensing regulations.
Police in East Havana arrested Jorge Luis Rojas Peña on February 12, charged him with operating without a license, and fined him 300 pesos. Rojas had been refilling and refurbishing disposable lighters for some time while, he says, unsuccesfully trying to secure the necessary license.
Eleven days later, Rojas was subbing for Rodolfo Falcón, a licensed refiller who had asked him to take over while he went to the corner barbershop. This time police arrested both of them and again fined Rojas 300 pesos. Now Rojas has the option of paying the 600 peso fine or serving 600
days in jail.
Disposable lighters can be bought at the dollar stores in Cuba for just under a dollar, about the same as in the U. S. When the gas runs out, you just discard the lighter and buy another one. Trying to convince the average Cuban to do that would be the equivalent of trying to persuade him there
is such a thing as a disposable dollar. Thus, a market opportunity for lighter refillers.
A typical lighter refiller sets up shop at any street corner. All he needs is a folding table, neddle-nose pliers, a hypodermic needle and some used spray cans which he refills with LP gas from the stove at home. For 2 to 3 pesos ($.10-.15) he will refill your exhausted Bic or any other brand or
model; for 5 to 6 pesos ($.25-30) he will also replace the flint, stretch the spring and even change the striking wheel. All this using procedures that would make the original manufacturers cringe. They designed the lighters to be, well, thrown away.
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