Cuban Government Mandates Fiscal Accounts for Self-Employed Workers

The Cuban Ministry of Labor and Social Security has issued a new directive that tightens regulations for self-employed work by mandating the compulsory establishment and management of fiscal bank accounts. This document, revealed by a Communications Officer from the Labor and Social Security Directorate in Río Cauto on her Facebook profile, stipulates that no certification documents will be issued to individuals without a valid bank contract.

Signed by Ariel Fonseca Quesada, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Security, the official communication is addressed to provincial and municipal directors of the agency, heads of Non-State Employment Departments, officials of self-employment assistance offices, and heads of administrative offices under municipal management councils. According to the directive, processing offices must verify that each applicant has:

An individual current account contract for natural persons authorized to perform self-employed work, and a magnetic card linked to the fiscal bank account, with initial digits of 9212 or 9213. Failure to comply will result in the cancellation of the self-employment project.

The document highlights that despite previous efforts, a significant number of private workers have not fulfilled the requirement to open fiscal accounts, prompting the reinforcement of these demands and urging cooperation from all involved entities. This measure is part of the Cuban government's bankarization process initiated in August 2023, aiming to minimize cash usage, prevent financial crimes, save foreign currency, and enhance fiscal control over the non-state sector. However, the process has faced criticism and encountered several implementation challenges.

Reports have previously noted that many private businesses resist aligning their operations with government mandates and oppose the compulsory use of electronic payment channels, opting instead for cash to maintain liquidity. Additionally, there have been issues with payment platform failures and limited access to the necessary digital means for operating within this system.

The enforcement of bankarization has also led to cash access problems for the population, with long queues and restrictions on cash withdrawals at banks and ATMs, particularly impacting workers and retirees. Despite these hurdles, the Cuban government continues to impose coercive measures to enforce the bankarization of the private sector, perceived by many as an economic control effort rather than genuine financial modernization.

This document was shared by a communications officer from the Municipal Directorate of Labor and Social Security in Rio Cauto, Granma. Its structure, wording, recipients, and signature are consistent with the usual formats of official communications from the Cuban Ministry of Labor and Social Security. Although it has not been published through official government channels, its contents reflect current guidelines within the bankarization and control process of self-employment on the island.