HAVANA (AP) — Cuba's government has modified a series of measures unpopular with the country's private sector, including lifting restrictions on the number of business permits a person can have and the number of chairs there can be in restaurants.
In July, authorities announced tighter controls on self-employment, including that Cubans would no longer be able to run more than a single business and high-earning businesses would pay new taxes, among other measures. The controls were meant to prevent tax evasion, abuses and the accumulation of wealth after openings on the communist-run island had fueled the rise of a prosperous upper-middle class.
Labor and Social Security Minister Margarita Gonzalez said Wednesday that authorities decided to modify some of those regulations after listening to complaints from representatives of the private sector.
