Special offers for the end of the year _ Cuba _

More than 8 900 gastronomic units in the country have been put into operation to ensure planned resources for traditional year-end dinners, as well as logistical monitoring to ensure the entry and stability of supplies in the various establishments, said Mercedes Fontanella Lara, Director of Gas at the Ministry of Internal Trade (Mincin).

At a press conference this Tuesday, the official added that as usual, agricultural fairs, fashion shows, popular dancers and special offers in shopping malls, accommodation and personal services throughout the country will take place in the last days of December, so that the customer will have a variety of options if he wants to receive 2016 at home or in restaurants, nightclubs or cabarets.

"Special attention has been devoted to institutions linked to family care, where the majority of retired persons are present, without filial protection and other social cases". There is also a strengthening of gastronomic services in the settlements of the Turquino Plan and other areas of population concentration that are difficult to access, he said.

As of tomorrow, the Ministry has also decided to advance the sale of the share of the basic family basket corresponding to the first. Another of the measures implemented by the sector is the extension of the closing times of the gastronomic units.

In this regard, María Eloísa Cabrera, head of the customers and Communication Group of TRD Caribe, reported that on 25 December she will be working until 5: 00 p.m. Whenever there is an influx of customers, intrahotel shops and well-known kiosks keep the usual schedule; and on the last Sunday of the year, as well as on 3 and 10 January, the establishments will close after 4: 00 p.m.

"among the initiatives we have implemented is the lowering of prices for certain electronics products, appliances and furniture, as well as a discount of up to 40% on footwear and clothing, the sale of stocked baskets and the provision of the gift wrapping service," he added. The tourist company Habaguanex also joins the activities with a series of culinary proposals in bars, cafés, restaurants and pizzerias, with different prices in Cup and CUC.

The meeting with the press also reported that the plan devised by Mincin for 2015, in excess of 26 billion pesos, is planning to reach it 72 hours in advance.

In this connection, Grisel Ávila Díaz, Director of Economics of the agency, said that to date they have already completed the provinces of Cienfuegos, Villa Clara, Las Tunas and Holguín, as well as the special municipality Isla de la Juventud. The situation is very different for Camagüey and Havana, which will not reach the estimated figure according to forecasts.

In this sense, Nancy Valdés, Deputy Minister of Internal Trade, clarified that despite the overall results, compliance with the plan is not directly proportional to the satisfaction of the demand. "there are certain items that have a growth as planned, but we know that they do not meet the real expectations of the population, for example in the case of liquid detergent, where the industry cap is lower than what is required in the market."

According to the Deputy Minister, several products were not fully present in the first half of the year because their delivery was displaced, either from the conception of the plans of the industry or the financing for the acquisition of raw materials. This, of course, meant that the client felt the absence of these items and that now, in the last stage, they are in greater abundance.