TheJournal.ie uses cookies. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Click here to find out more »
: °C Sunday 26 May, 2013

Cuba urged to allow duty-free imports after storm

Cuba’s government has been asked to help victims of Hurricane Sandy by suspending duties on imports of basic necessities such as food and medicine.

Image: Franklin Reyes/AP/Press Association Images

AN OPPOSITION GROUP appealed to Cuba’s government Tuesday to help victims of Hurricane Sandy by suspending duties on imports of basic necessities such as food and medicine.

The storm hit the Caribbean last week, killing nearly 70 people, 11 of them in Cuba. The bulk of the fatalities were in Haiti.

The Havana government has not given an overall damage figure but just in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba 130,000 houses were damaged. Of these, more than 15,000 were destroyed.

After three hurricanes devastated Cuba in 2008, causing an estimated $10 billion in damage, the government did exempt imported foodstuffs from taxes. But the measure expired on September 3.

On Tuesday, the Cuban Human Rights and National Reconciliation Commission urged the government to let food, medicine and other basic necessities into the country duty-free for at least a year.

This should include food and medicine sent by private citizens, NGOs, and foreign governments or organizations, said the commission, which is technically illegal but is tolerated by the Communist government.

- © AFP, 2012

Read next:

Comments (14 Comments)

  • A reasonable request. Now, if only the US would have a look again at the trade embargo it has forced on Cuba, which affects the welfare of millions of Cubans daily ..

    Reply
    • Brian, surely Cuba could import goods from other countries? Is the USA the sole supplier of goods to the world? I think not. Anyway Fidel never wanted anything from capitalist America as he has created a socialist utopia.
      Btw I hope the people of Cuba do get help.

      Reply
    • The embargo does make it difficult for cuba to import goods from anywhere.
      The USA punishes firms who trade with cuba, regardless of where they are based. Most companies involved in international trade have a lot of business with USA, so this is how USA enforces the embargo onto third parties

      Reply
    • Cuba id love to live there anyone that defies the US government must have some since of humanity..

      Reply
  • So just so am clear, Cuba nearly starters WW3……,.. nothing to do with CIA destruction squads, or maybe it was the vast amount of nukes they had stockpiled, no wait they have NONE
    Or Cold War and what that came with.
    History tends to be written by the victors, it’s not open and closed

    As for socialism depending on Communism,, u lost me!!!

    Reply
  • true, the embargo in fairness was from a time when cuba almost was the cause of ww3 problem is same government still that imprisons its people, been to cuba and cubans can not leave the country, not allowed. Also from what i saw of Havana a once beautiful city is a very very very bad state of disrepair any storm at all would cause massive destruction. I would like to see the cubans receive international help. Internally id like them to also get a government that allows the basic freedoms we all enjoy. Obama did say 4 years ago he was going to reexamine the links the US had with Cuba, guess that went on the long finger.

    Reply
  • cuba may have been linked to the USSR but they both had no link to communism….the USSR was parasitic during its existence….the closest the world came to a true communist utopia was during the Spanish civil war….

    Reply
  • alot of propoganda written bout cuba nd rest of latin america,hav alot of friends travel cuba best hospitals,education in world,free to all its citizens regardless of social status,they elect own council officials for different areas as for Fidel Castro get ur hands on Oliver Stones documentary “commandante”very open frank unbiased documentary unlike the propoganda get frm main stream media,if our country stays in this horrendous state for much longer cuba would be a country i would consider..thats if they have me

    Reply
  • The Cubans want relief from the SF of their country. if only they would relent , aid would start pouring in .

    Reply
    • true but what harm could a socialist country do these days without the soviet union to back them? i think it would lead to democracy faster in cuba if the embargo was lifted. Would encourage trade and human nature being human nature they will want and demand more from their government.

      The cubans are lovely people, the ones i met could not do enough for you. They deserve so much better

      Reply

Add New Comment