Havana - . Since the emergence last July of the first non-agricultural cooperatives in Cuba, their number approved for the capital by the Council of Ministers totals 161. According to the opinion of the authorities, the preliminary results of the experiment are satisfactory.


(PHOTO CAPTION) THE TWO COOPERATIVES OF BUS ROUTES WITH CARS LEASED BY THE STATE INCREASED THE NUMBER OF CARRIED PASSENGERS IN THE CAPITAL.

In the words of Liliana Ezquerra, vice president of the Consejo de la Administración Provincial (CAP) [Council for Provincial Administration (CPA)], 99 of these have the Provincial Government as their state counterpart, 38 the Ministry for Construction, 6 the Ministry for Industries, 4 the Ministry for Transport, 5 the Ministry for Tourism, and 3 the Office of the Historian of the City, among others.

Within these sectors, these cooperatives are associated with the marketing of agricultural products, restaurants and cafeterias, transportation of passengers, vehicles bodywork and paint, construction and repairs of buildings, repairs of electrical equipment, hairdressing and laundry, to name a few.

In our visits we found that the cooperative members feel happy, and as a result of their management are well paid. The quality of services has improved; there is more stability in the supply of products to markets and greater variety and choice. This prevents loss and product stockpiling because they purchase only what they are able to sell - she said.

Ezquerra said that when the two bus-route cooperatives with cars leased by the State started functioning, the number of passengers carried in the capital increased. These buses operate at less the price of self-employed workers known as “boteros”.

Martín José Betancourt, president of one of these cooperatives in La Lisa, and Marcelo González, leader of a car paint, upholstery and bodywork in Diez de Octubre, spoke to the delegates at the Provincial Assembly of People's Power, whose session took place recently, and stated that their cooperatives efficiency has represented high cash incomes for their members and that they feel owners of what they do.

Another significant result has been improving the image of the leased property, whether an agro-market, a restaurant, or a service unit - said the financial vice president of the provincial government in Havana.

A novelty for the capital and the country occurred following the adoption by the Council of Ministers of the second group of non-agricultural cooperatives: the bidding process conducted for two restaurants that had been closed for years awaiting repairs: El Vicki in Infanta and San Lazaro, and El Jardín, in Línea and C.

Several cooperatives opted for the leasing of these central units, and finally the ad hoc state committee granted the leasing to those whose projects aimed not only to the immediate rescue and improvement of the units, but represented a social benefit to the community or territory as well.

The CPA vice-president stressed that despite the satisfactory preliminary results there have been difficulties with supplies. She explained that prices remain high for products and services which, in the case of agricultural marketing, will start being slowly reversed with the opening of a wholesale market in December next.

The cooperatives engaged in this activity do not yet have transportation to do their shopping, and hiring self-employed transport services increases the cost of their purchased goods, and therefore the selling price to the population. On their part, leased units for hairdressing and beauty services had limitations in supplies and equipment. (AIN)