They remove a pound of sugar per consumer from the basic basket in Cuba

Economy and Planning Minister Alejandro Gil Fernandez described Cuba’s economic situation as “complicated” in his recent appearance before the national press.

The truth is that the economic crisis on the island is exacerbated by problems that are not recent, such as the dependence of the basic basket on imports. In addition, the outlook has worsened due to the current cost of fuel and its shortage in the country.

One example that worries residents the most about the basic basket is the replacement of milk for children and patients with syrup.

In addition, one pound of sugar was stolen for each consumer out of the four pounds typically received. In this sense, in September, October and November, consumers get only three pounds of sugar. This was confirmed by Betsy Díaz Velázquez, Secretary of Internal Trade (MINCIN).

However, the reason for this subtraction from the regulated sugar quota per consumer has not been clarified.

Another serious problem is that almost no beans are produced on the island, so Díaz Velázquez noted: “Today we are completely dependent on imports.”

What policies have been implemented in this regard?

At the end of last September, MINCIN denied rumors about deleting some products from the monthly basket. However, others, such as sugar, decreased in quantity.

The Minister of Internal Trade said: “Currently, alternatives are being searched for what can be produced locally, but so far we do not have an answer.”

Regarding one of the products most requested by Cubans, coffee, Díaz Velázquez indicated that we will have to continue to wait. In addition, he stressed that proteins are still the most complex products in the basket.

But returning to the issue of sugar, Cuba needs between 600,000 and 700,000 tons of sugar annually for its internal consumption. However, these standards have been practically impossible to achieve for several years.