SLP, Mexico.- The Cuban Government further restricted the operations of micro, small and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs) by prohibiting wholesale trade activities, as stated in a resolution published in The Official Gazette.
The provision, published this Thursday under the heading Betsy Díaz Velázquez, minister of the Ministry of Domestic Trade, obliges the MSMEs to sell wholesale with the mediation of the Government and prohibits wholesale trade for self-employed workers.
The text cancels ex officio “the licenses to carry out wholesale activity, issued to micro, small and medium-sized companies.” private and non-agricultural cooperatives that have it approved in their corporate purpose as a secondary activity.”
With the alleged objective of “ordering” the trade wholesale and retail in MSMEs, the regulations declare that these businesses whose main objective is production may wholesale market only their own products.
Furthermore, they must do so strictly through contracts with state entities or through state wholesalers.
In compliance with the provisions of Decree 107, resolution 56 of our organization was published
Wait for more information through official media and on our website#WholesaleCuba#EconomyWithEveryone pic.twitter.com/qzgBje34T3— Betsy Díaz Velázquez (@BetsyDazVelzqu2) December 5, 2024
MSMEs and self-employed workers may sell retail as long as it is approved in their corporate purpose or project and they have a commercial license to do so.
MSMEs whose secondary activity is marketing wholesalers will have their licenses automatically canceled by the Central Commercial Registry, thus preventing them from carrying out the activity. Likewise, self-employed workers who were dedicated to this field will see their registration disappear from the registry.
The text specifies that, within a period of 90 business days, companies that have wholesale trade among their main functions and want to continue exercising itthey must update their commercial licenses.
The new commercial license that will be issued will specify that marketing is carried out through contracts with the participation of state entities.
For their part, businesses that do not ratify their intention to carry out wholesale trade will have a maximum period of 120 business days to “liquidate their inventories” and continue with retail marketing, “if they have it defined in their corporate purpose and have a license.” commercial”.
More restrictions on MSMEs
In appearance televisivia, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade, Ana Teresita González Fraga, had stated in recent months that, in order to bring foreign currency into the country, they promoted the establishment of foreign investment modalities in wholesale trade.
The official argued then that they had decided to stimulate business development throughout the country to boost wholesale trade through foreign investment. Now, that trade will be under absolute control of the State.
“Today the non-state forms, the MSMEs, are doing wholesale trade. A group of them have recently been approved that today show us the diverse ways of doing things, with a flexible, small structure, so we consider that we are at the right time for the decisions taken,” he added.
In September, the Cuban regime sent an audit to the Chinese wholesale market, called China Import, located in Cerro. During the intervention, several “irregularities” were detected that led to the closure of the establishment just two months after its opening.
The market, located in Manglar between Oquendo and Nuevo Pilar, became popular after its inauguration by offer a wide variety of products. Purchases at the store were regulated in minimum quantities depending on the type of item, with an expense of no less than 50 USD.
The business was operated by a self-employed person from the province of Santiago de Cubabased on the lease of an old warehouse of the Suchel Light Industry Company.
With the closure of China Import, the Cuban regime justified the improvement made to the regulatory framework for forms of non-state management and its relations with the state sector.
