Following an experiment since 2010 with barbershops and beauty salons that allowed employees to lease the businesses from the state companies that used to operate them, the government published three decrees that allow individuals to rent space and tools from state retail companies to operate a variety of private businesses.

The decrees, effective Jan. 1, maintain the real estate and tools continue as state property, but allow the private operators to set prices and make all other business decisions. 

The new businesses include “some, such as carpenter, photographer, and repair businesses for jewelry, mattresses, small fixtures, and appliances, as well as upholstery, unskilled couchman, locksmith, watch repair, shoe repair, and other service businesses that have been approved for self-employment,” according to three resolutions published in the Gaceta Oficial on Dec. 23. The regulations first go into effect in six provinces, but will eventually expand to all 15 provinces by the end of 2012.

The number of self-employed Cubans has skyrocketed from less than 150,000 at the beginning of 2011 to 358,000 at year-end, according to new statistics released by the Oficina Nacional de Estadísticas (ONE).

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 29th, 2011 at 7:43 am and is filed under Economy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.