HAVANA, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Cuban government has approved the expansion of private sector employment, the official newspaper Granma reported on Saturday after a meeting of the Council of Ministers.
Minister of Labor and Social Security Marta Elena Feito announced the modification of a list of activities approved for "self-employment," or the non-state sector.
Of the more than 2,000 activities in which self-employment is allowed, "only 124 of them are limited, totally or partially," he said.
The Council of Ministers decided that the limits of an activity will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Planning Alejandro Gil called the measure a very important step to increase employment opportunities outside the state sector.
More than 600,000 Cubans, or about 13 percent of the workforce, work outside the state sector.
The expansion of private employment came after Cuba underwent a profound economic transformation earlier this year, which included monetary and exchange unification, elimination of excessive subsidies, and wage modifications.
The approved expansion was announced in July last year as part of the government's Economic and Social Strategy to cope with the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Enditem
