Cuba Customs tightens controls on the importation of food, medicines, and hygiene products.
The Cuban government has announced a tightening of controls at the Cuban Customs to prevent the misuse of tariff exemptions on the importation of food, medicines, and hygiene products, measures implemented in 2021 to alleviate the effects of the economic crisis on the island.
Although these exemptions have been extended until January 2025, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz has warned about the "distortions" that have arisen around this measure.
In statements to the National Assembly, the Cuban ruler denounced that "unscrupulous people" are taking advantage of this convenience to bring large quantities of products in order to resell them at high prices, both directly and through social networks.
Likewise, the Prime Minister stated that the General Customs of the Republic (AGR) is intensifying its efforts to detect those travelers who repeatedly enter the country with large quantities of duty-free products, evidencing commercial activity rather than personal use.
New control measures at the Cuban Customs for travelers
The customs is doing a strong job, especially detecting those people who are repeat offenders, with a lot of traffic and who arrive heavily loaded with duty-free products., dijo.
Previously, Nelson Cordovés Reyes, head of the AGR, corroborated these complaints and provided concrete examples of the detected excesses, such as passengers bringing thousands of blister packs of medication or large quantities of food and beverages. "It is a call to people to comply with the regulations," emphasized Cordovés, who warned that those who violate these provisions are subject to penalties.
In the coming months, the Cuban government has already announced that it will implement new measures to regulate this activity and ensure that tariff-exempt products reach their final destination and are not diverted to the informal market.
Honestly, it is shameful and ridiculous the behavior of customs and all the officials who, in one way or another, interfere with the free development of any matter that does not suit them, for any reason.
I am going to give you my considerations.
1- Is the money they use to buy these things yours?
2- Are the prices at which you sell things cheap? Because even the basic basket items have already had their prices increased.
3,- Because bakers and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises sell at whatever price they want and you do nothing.
4- If you don't want people to do it, then do it yourselves, since you have all the resources and logistics that no one else has, and the problem will be solved.
5- If you dedicated yourselves to other things and not to watching over people, everything would truly be better.
6 Let people bring whatever they want and sell and resell as much as they want, the more people the better, prices would go down and there would be everything.
7- Let the regulations end and there will be more abundance. Let spontaneity be what rules commerce. Because it is what regulates prices.
More abundance for whom? For the resellers who keep raising prices and even import fake medicines? Who resell and don’t pay taxes?
Strengthening controls is fine; what is not fine is limiting imports because without those limitations the people of Cuba are experiencing a high level of need in all those aspects. Imagine if they start limiting all those measures, the ones who pay the highest price are the people because the state pharmacies and the state markets, both for groceries and supplies, have been empty for a long time and without any hope.
The islands also need those glasses deals, honestly, they are expensive in everyday life so those deals would improve our vision
With all due respect, but these measures are taken when it suits them, in my opinion. I ask, is there availability of medicines in the national pharmacy network? I ask, is there availability of even the basics in the network of wholesale and retail stores that collect foreign currency? Please!!! It is true that these goods are sold at high prices, but does the Cuban government have any offer to counteract and justify the so-called upcoming measures? Of course, they don't have anything for the people. The rulers are public workers; they owe themselves to the people. If they do not meet the needs of the people, they lose their reason for being. Taxes? Ha, better to laugh. We have always been charged taxes as workers in both the state and non-state sectors. So?
Several colleagues and I are traveling to Cuba soon, and we intend to bring clothes, medicines, and other items to donate to the people of Cuba.
What do we have to do?
If they ask you at customs if you are carrying gifts for people, you say no. If you want to give it to the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), you can, and they distribute it. Or you give it to some people you see on the street who clearly need it. That way, with your own eyes, you make sure you gave it to someone who needs it. I do not recommend giving it to the owner of the place where you are staying because that person has much more than the average Cuban, unless it is the maid who maintains the apartment/house while the owner is living abroad.