Havana, December 25 (RHC) -- Cuban Parliamentary
sessions concluded on Friday in Havana with the presence of President
Fidel Castro and with the approval of the budget and economic and social
guidelines for 2005.
A total of 10.5 billion pesos will be earmarked for
education, health and social assistance, culture, sports, sciences and
technology - 68 percent of expenditures included in the
budget.
Education (4.1 billion pesos), health and new programs to
improve medical and assistance services (2.3 billion pesos) as well as
payments for social security pensions (2.3 billion pesos) registered the
highest increases compared to 2003. Assignments for these three sectors
rose by 11.3 percent, 9.4 percent and 5 percent, respectively.
Some
645 million pesos were allocated for social assistance and programs to
help low-income citizens or the physically disabled.
Although science, technology and environment are
subsidized with additional resources, they were granted 248 million pesos,
while defense and interior order received 1.4 million pesos.
A
declaration in support of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas -
known by its Spanish acronym ALBA - was also approved in the last day of
sessions of the Cuban Parliament.
The declaration expresses the satisfaction of the Cuban
National Assembly with the joint declaration and agreement for the
implementation of ALBA signed on December 14th by Cuban and Venezuelan
presidents Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez during a two-day visit of the
latter to Havana.
During the final day of sessions, the Cuban Parliament
unanimously agreed to name the year 2005 as Year of the Bolivarian
Alternative for the Americas.
Also on Friday, President Fidel Castro referred to
recent agreements with China, Venezuela and Brazil.
The Cuban leader announced that China has granted Cuba
several credits to acquire medical equipment, TV sets, and fabric and to
develop the island's infrastructure in sectors such as telecommunications,
railroads and oil extraction. Chinese banks have also granted 500 million
dollars for the creation of a Cuban-Chinese joint venture that will be in
charge of constructing a nickel plant that will produce some 22,500 tons
of the metal in 25 years. China will also make a 1.3 billion-dollar
investment in a joint venture to exploit a new nickel reserve in the
province of Camagüey that will produce some 50,000 tons a year.
Regarding Venezuela, the Cuban president announced that
both countries agreed to study a program of oil supply for 2005 that, in
addition to the national oil production, will guarantee the necessary
supplies for the national use. Fidel Castro noted that Cuba's services to
Venezuela are given upon very preferential economic bases to compensate
the goods and services that Venezuela provides. Among other items, the
Cuban leader added that Cuban facilities will be used for the distribution
of Venezuelan oil in the Caribbean and that studies are being made to
create a Cuba-China-Venezuela joint venture for the production of
stainless steel in Venezuela.
Finally, Fidel Castro announced that, in order to
alleviate the damages caused by worst drought of the last 75 years and the
devastation of hurricanes Charley and Ivan, Brazil has granted Cuba an
important credit for the acquisition of food in 2005.
(RHC) 25 December 2004
