Slight improvement
Cuban
Radar Read Spanish Version
Slight
improvement
A
Service by the Radio Progreso Alternativa Havana Bureau
A
report published on Monday, February 4, by the weekly Trabajadores
says that there has been a slight improvement in discipline at the
work place.
Under
the title "Paradoxes of a Controversial Workday," the
publication reveals figures of "a second survey by the Ministry
of Labor and Social Security (MTSS)… at 1,883 work centers.” The
study covered 244,019 workers, of which 4,602 were interviewed.
Made
in October 2007, the study found that 53% of workers "went
shopping" or to other places during working hours. In 2005, the
figure stood at 57%.
In
2007 MTSS passed Resolution 187 in order to enforce discipline at the
work place and to increase performance during working hours.
Nickel
provides highest earnings
A
report by the Cuban Prensa Latina news agency says that in 2007
earnings due to nickel exports exceeded those generated by tourism.
The
information was transmitted by Minister of Basic Industries Yadira
García in a meeting with the industry’s labor leaders and
workers, where she also urge the continuation of exploration of
reserves and for greater efficiency.
The
province of Holguín, in the eastern region of the country, has
the fourth largest nickel reserve in the world.
Parliament
leaders to be elected
Alberto
Marchante, a member of the National Candidacy Commission, told the
media that after consulting with the 614 delegates to the National
Assembly of Popular Power (parliament), proposals will be made to
elect the Assembly’s president, vice-president and secretary, as well
as proposals for president, first vice-president, five
vice-presidents, secretary and the rest of the members of the Council
of State. At present both posts of President of the Council of State
and the Council of Ministers are held by Fidel Castro, but that could
change.
The
National Candidacy Commission is made up of political organizations
and those belonging to civil society and its main role are to propose
to the delegates from among its members the ones considered most
suitable for the positions mentioned above.
The
new legislature will be inaugurated on February 24 and will face the
challenge of discussing important decisions, as acting president Raúl
Castro announced on January 20.
Presidents
of provincial legislatures elected
All
14 provinces of the country elected their respective presidents and
vice presidents of the Provincial Assemblies of Popular Power. The
legislative bodies are the top authorities in their regions, and are
formed by the recently elected 1,201 delegates. The delegates elected
their leaders from a proposal presented by the National Candidacy
Commission (CNC).
Suggestions
made by the CNC, which in general are well received, have no
automatic acceptance. The Radio Progressive Alternativa Bureau in
Havana has known that at least in two municipalities the list of
candidates presented by the CNC was rejected more than once.
The
Provincial Assembly of the City of Havana had its first meeting on
Saturday, February 2. Out of 146 delegates, 141 were present and
elected Juan Contino Aslam as president and Jorge Luis de La Rosa
Hilario as vice president.
Contino
was the incumbent president, but La Rosa was newly elected.
New
investments
Minister
of Economy and Planning José Luis Rodríguez announced
that in 2008 the government will invest heavily in urban
transportation, road repairs, hospitals, movie theaters, parks and
other works that benefit the population.
During
a tour through the capital city, together with provincial president
of Popular Power Juan Contino, Minister Rodríguez spoke about
the efforts to recover the city’s hygiene, as well as to repair
recreational centers.
Biofuels
to be discussed
In
its latest issue Cubanergía announced that the 3rd National
Workshop on Non-Edible Oleaginous Plants and Sustainable Production
of Biodiesel will be held at the National Capitol on February 12 and
13. The 1st National Seminary on Cultivation of Jatropha Curcas L.
and Exploitation of the Fuel Potential of its Biomass will also be
held.
According
to the newsletter, debate on the propagation, cultivation, botany and
harvest non-edible oleaginous plants, oil extraction and
purification, biodiesel production and exploitation of derivatives,
environmental aspects and associated legal framework will held during
the session.
The
meeting is sponsored by CITMA’s (Ministry of Science, Technology and
Environment) Center for Technological Applications for Sustainable
Development, and the Ministry of Higher Education’s Indio Hatuey
Research Center, in coordination with the Government Group for
Biodiesel and Bayer Crop Science.
On
several occasions, Fidel Castro has been very critical of the use of
edible crops as sources of biofuels and has dubbed the practice as
genocide against the poor in order to satisfy consumerism and
corporate greed of rich countries.
A
"heartfelt" visit
Upon
his arrival in Cuba, Guatemalan Vice President Rafael Espada declared
that this first visit abroad of an official of President Alvaro
Colom’s new administration is "heartfelt, and not a political
step."
Espada,
who gave up his post as professor of cardiovascular surgery at Baylor
School of Medicine in Houston, Texas, to accept his country’s
vice-presidency, met in Havana with Vice President Carlos Lage and
other high officials of the Cuban government, as well as with leaders
of the Cuban Communist Party.
One
of the President Colom’s social democrat administration’s pet
projects is the creation of the medical school in which Cuban doctors
would be part of the faculty.
Presently
nearly 300 Cuban doctors are providing free medical care in
Guatemala’s most intricate regions and a number of students from that
Central American country have received full scholarships at the Latin
American School of Medicine (ELAM) in Cuba, which Espada visited on
Thursday.
The
visit of the Guatemalan Vice President coincides with the 10th
anniversary of the reestablishing of relations between both
countries.
