The Cuban Revolution Today: Proposals of Changes, Scenarios, and Alternatives 45
value-added tax)—in order to achieve significant control over the money supply
and avoid high levels of inflation. This implies promoting a taxpayer culture and
establishing an annual tax on earnings under the proper and verifiable control of
the National Office of Tributary Administration.- Elimination of the dual currency and replacement of it with a single national cur-
rency, taking the appropriate steps to ensure its international convertibility. - Elimination of the 20 percent exchange tax on the dollar in the CADECA.
- Reduction of prices in the TRDs according to international standards and apply-
ing an indirect tax on purchases. - Elimination of the ration card and the creation of direct and selective subsidies to
the persons of low income, with special attention to persons with low pensions
and single, physically handicapped, and disabled mothers under the control of the
local organs of Popular Power. - The creation of a new economic culture among leaders, executives, and workers
that focuses on profitability and efficiency at the core of economic analysis. This
means promoting economic competition in order to raise quality in production
and services, linking wages to the real results of the economic activity, improving
pricing policy, and achieving full cash flow as an essential criterion for the exis-
tence of economic activities, reducing subsidies to the minimum. - The distribution among workers of a percentage of the earnings of the enterprises.
- Legislation preserving health and safety, guaranteeing environmental protection,
avoiding great inequalities, and fostering a culture of solidarity.
Concerning property rights: - Freeing agricultural production from the constraints of the government that hob-
ble it and speeding the delivery in usufruct of the cultivable idle land to individual
peasants and preferably groups of peasants who are interested in forming coopera-
tives. - The establishment of networks of credit for peasants, cooperatives, and workers
who request it. - Full liberalization of the internal market for all agricultural and fishing products.
- Freedom to rent among nationals without taxation and through legislation pro-
tecting the house owner. - The establishment of the tax on houses renting rooms (or the whole house) to for-
eigners according to annual earnings (not, as now, to be paid in advance whether
the property is rented or not, which leads to illegal renting in order to avoid paying
taxes, enormous bureaucracy, and high levels of corruption).^31 - Freedom to sell houses among Cuban nationals living in Cuba with the payment
of an appropriate tax.