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Translation: Guidelines debate 10, Foreign trade

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Here is Part 9 of my translation of the booklet Information on the results of the Debate on the Economic and Social Policy Guidelines for the Party and the Revolution, an explanatory document published together with the final version of the Guidelines adopted by the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) Congress in April.

Please note that I omitted two new guidelines, No. 70 and 71, in my translation of the guidelines on pricing policy. Apologies for this translation error. I've amended the post to include them.

The format is as follows: number and text of the draft guideline, followed by the text and number of the corresponding guideline approved by the Communist Party Congress, followed by the drafting commission's explanation for the change. You'll find it easiest to read on my blog where the amended guidelines are in bold.

Many of the changes incorporated into the final draft of the Guidelines are aimed at clarifying and simplifying the wording so that non-specialists can understand what is meant.

External economic policy

General guidelines

May Day parade through Havana's Plaza de la Revolucion

64. Guarantee the integral application of the trade, fiscal, credit, tariff, labour and other policies to ensure the results anticipated in the sphere of Cuban foreign trade in terms of developing exports and effective import substitution, in the shortest possible time-frame. (Maintained as guideline 72)

65. Work with maximum rigour to improve the credibility of the country in its international economic relations, via the strict fulfillment of contractual obligations. (Maintained as guideline 73)

66. Continue giving maximum attention to the ethical conduct and technical preparation of the cadres responsible for promoting the international economic interests of the country, and propitiate the decentralisation of decision-making in the enterprise sector, as well as improving the economic, financial, technical and legal preparation of the various negotiating teams and groups.

Continue giving maximum attention to the selection and oversight of the cadres responsible for promoting the international economic interests of the country, especially with regard to their ethical conduct and technical preparation. Improve the economic, financial, technical and legal preparation of the various negotiating teams and groups. (74)

Includes the issues of oversight and the selection of cadres and functionaries, together with their preparation. That related to decentralisation is eliminated, given that this is already taken up in the guidelines on the economic management model. In response to 229 opinions nationwide.

67. Observe the principle that "s/he who decides does not negotiate" in all of the country's activities in the sphere of international economic relations. (Maintained as guideline 75)

Foreign trade

68. Increase and consolidate incomes from the export of goods and services, for which it will be necessary to resolve all of the internal factors that are currently obstacles to exportation. Create a real interest in exportation at the national level, and substantiate the most important and strategic decisions on the basis of objective and up-to-date studies of the market.

Increase and consolidate incomes from the export of goods and services, for which it will be necessary to resolve all of the internal factors that are currently obstacles to exportation. Create a real export vocation at all levels, and substantiate the most important and strategic decisions on the basis of objective and up-to-date studies of the market. (76)

Adds the expression "export vocation" at all levels to emphasise the orientation of the guideline, given 112 opinions in 12 provinces.

69. Diversify the destinations of exportable goods and services, as well as maintaining the priority and attention given to the country's principle trading partners, and achieve greater stability in incomes derived from exports. (Maintained as guideline 77)

70. Diversify the structure of exports of goods and services, with a preference for those of greater added value and technological content. (Maintained as guideline 78)

71. Broaden and consolidate the mechanisms for setting export prices as a means to protect and promote incomes from the international commercialisation of nickel, sugar, petroleum, food, coffee, cacao and other products that can be exported.

Broaden and consolidate the mechanisms for protecting the prices of products that are listed on international stock markets and that Cuba commercialises (nickel, sugar, petroleum, food, coffee etc.) as a means to safeguard the planned levels of prices. (79)

Improves the wording to clarify doubts expressed, 33 in 9 provinces.

72. Develop an integral strategy for the export of services, in particular professional services, including the establishment of an adequate legal framework and efficient commercial structures capable of promoting associations with foreign capital, to guarantee the optimum utilisation of the potential created by the country.

Develop an integral strategy for the export of services, in particular professional services, that prioritises the sale of technological projects or solutions, and study the more flexible contracting of individual workers. Include the establishment of an adequate legal framework and efficient commercial structures capable of promoting associations with foreign capital, to guarantee the optimum utilisation of the potential created by the country. (80)

Improves the wording, taking into consideration the proposals put forward, and incorporates the study of making more flexible the contracting of individual workers. In response to 253 opinions in 15 provinces.

73. Prioritise, in the export of professional services, the sale of projects or technological solutions involving the contracting of individual workers. Develop programs for the external commercialisation of integral solutions and software applications. (Integrated with guideline 80)

Integrated with guideline 80 to avoid repetition.

74. Elaborate and implement a strategy to develop new markets for the export of medical services and products of the medical-pharmaceutical industry. (Maintained as guideline 81)

75. Recover and promote the export markets for seafood (lobster and prawns) and revise the current methods of commercialisation to make them more flexible. (Maintained as guideline 82)

76. Ensure, in the enterprises linked to exportation, that the goods and services destined for international markets are of the highest standards of quality.

Work towards ensuring, in the enterprises linked to exportation, that the goods and services destined for international markets are of the highest standards of quality. (83)

Improves the wording.

77. Prioritise, in export activities, the integral assurance of the necessary resources, in all links of the value chain, to guarantee the planned levels of exports. Draw up the corresponding mechanisms to achieve this.

Ensure the sustainability of the production cycle in the export lines and draw up the corresponding mechanisms to achieve this. (84)

Simplifies the wording of the guideline for clarity.

78. Achieve greater rationality in the management of imports through the reorganisation of the enterprises that carry out foreign trade activities, with a better allocation of product classifications to achieve an efficient utilisation of the country's purchasing power.

Achieve greater efficiency in the country's management of imports, emphasising rationality and quality, through the reorganisation of the enterprises that carry out foreign trade activities, with a better definition of product classifications to achieve an efficient utilisation of the country's purchasing power. (85)

Adds "efficiency and quality", giving greater scope to the guideline that corresponds to the need to achieve an efficient utilisation of the country's purchasing power, given 2,365 opinions nationwide.The wording is improved.

79. Increase the efficiency of the importation process, among other factors, through the development of a wholesale market and, in particular, the reorganisation of consignment activity.

Contribute to the efficiency of the importation process, among other factors, through the development of a wholesale market and, in particular, the reorganisation of consignment activity. (86)

Improves the wording for greater precision.

80. Promote an accelerated process of import substitution that ensures the maximum utilisation of the available capacity in the agricultural, industrial and human resources sectors.

Promote an accelerated process of import substitution via mechanisms that stimulate and ensure the maximum utilisation of the available capacity in the agricultural, industrial, services and human resources sectors. (87)

Adds a reference to mechanisms that stimulate the substitution of imports. Broadens the scope of the guideline, incorporating services such as insurance and transportation, among others, in response to 10 opinions in two provinces.

81. Work systematically, in the enterprises that import machinery and equipment, to identify local manufacturing capacities in the industrial branches that correspond to these products, and on this basis promote mutually beneficial agreements between Cuba's mechanical industry and the foreign manufacturers with which they have relations so that, through technology transfer, technical assistance and other means, the gradual substitution of imports is favoured, particularly with regard to components and spare parts. (Maintained as guideline 88)

82. Promote international industrial cooperation and complementarity accords, and modify the structure of exports to favour metallurgical products and services.

Promote international industrial cooperation and complementation accords in the industrial sector that favour exports of greater added value. (89)

Broadens the scope of the guideline to include other industrial branches, 16 opinions in four provinces.

83. Design and implement mechanisms to channel the demand for imports arising from the non-state sectors of production, and to realise the potential for export revenues.(Maintained as guideline 90)

84. Eradicate, in the entities that carry out foreign trade activities, among others, the deficiencies characterised by the lack of analysis of contractual prices and of international markets, the poor utilisation of the contractual documents involved in commercial decisions, the deficient drafting and negotiation of the clauses and fundamental specifications of contracts, the lack of oversight regarding the fulfillment of the parameters and clauses agreed to in contracts, in order to uphold the interests of the country.

Increase the managerial efficiency of the enterprises linked to foreign trade, prioritising the correct analysis of the market and of prices in the international context, the utilisation of contractual documents, and the integral drafting and oversight of the contractual process. (91)

Modified for clarity and simplicity of wording.

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