Reforms by Raul Castro in Cuba

This is from Reuters.
It seems that there must no longer be an energy shortage. The article does not explain how the shortage was solved. It seems ludicrous that Cubans were excluded from their own hotels. Well now a lot are not their own but owned by foreign corporations it seems!


FACTBOX-Reforms by Raul Castro in Cuba
Tue Apr 8, 2008 1:17pm EDT
April 8 (Reuters) - In the six weeks since he succeeded his ailing brother Fidel Castro, new Cuban President Raul Castro has introduced a series of reforms to raise food output and end what he called "excessive prohibitions" in communist Cuba.

The following are some of the reforms undertaken so far:

* Decentralized agriculture to allow private farmers more leeway to decide how to use their land, what crops to plant and what supplies to buy. Farmers granted leases to unused land.

* Lifted ban on Cubans buying consumer goods such as computers, DVD players, microwave ovens and other electronic appliances previously prohibited due to energy crisis.

* Cubans can now stay at hotels at beach resorts previously reserved for foreigners only, ending a "tourism apartheid" that was a source of resentment.

* As of April 14, Cubans will be allowed to freely buy and use cellular telephones, a service that only government officials and foreign companies had access to until now.

* Reduced bureaucracy for filling medical prescriptions and began revamping family doctor program in response to public complaints it was understaffed.




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