Work toward substituting imports by strengthening the role of national industries within the domestic market will be the focus of the Fifth National Trade Fair, open to all sectors of the economy and taking place May 7-23 at Havana’s Expocuba fairgrounds.
In this sense, first deputy minister of Economy and Planning, René Hernández Castellanos noted that it is vital to fully exploit the potential of Cuban industry in order to meet the increasing demands of the economy.
According to Hernández Castellanos, just like past editions, this year’s fair will be aimed at presenting and promoting opportunities across all branches of national industry, from state enterprises and joint ventures, to the self-employed, in a space designed to support efforts toward meeting national demand for goods and services and preparation of next year’s plan.
The Cuban official noted that identifying productive chains within the national economy; promoting new products and services, including exportable lines; as well as the efficient management of inventories toward meeting plan targets, continue to be priorities.
In this sense, Hernández Castellanos reported that warehoused inventories currently include items valued at 24.7 billion pesos, 25% of which are either finished products, ready for use or sale, reflecting poor handling of such resources.
The fair program also includes workshops, conferences and exchanges which will focus on progress made toward implementing the national development plan through 2030, as well as strengthening links between universities and industry.
(Granma)