[NYTr] Cuban Parliament Tackles Key Socioeconomic Issues

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Prensa Latina, Havana
http://www.plenglish.com

Cuban Parliament Tackles Key Socioeconomic Issues

Havana, Dec 26 (Prensa Latina) The Cuban deputies are analyzing major
issues of the country"s 2007 socioeconomic behavior, as well as
prospects for 2008, in working commissions holding sessions Wednesday
and Thursday.

The main objective of the two-day agenda is to examine the economic
plan and budget for the sectors under parliamentary attention, as well
as the fulfilment of tasks carried out by those commissions since 2003.

Sources from the People"s Power National Assembly commented that the
production and distribution of food for the population, efficiency,
saving, productivity, and work discipline are other topics under
analysis.

The agenda also includes the assessment of results of educative and
cultural programs, and the delivery of electrical appliances to Cuban
families as part of the ongoing Energy Revolution.

In addition, the commission in charge of health and sports will debate
on universalization of medical sciences teaching, the new model for a
degree in medicine, and use and integration of resources.

The Cuban Parliament will hold the tenth period of the 6th Legislature
on Friday, when it is expected to disclose economic predictions for the
closing of the current year, and projects for the coming one.

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Cuba Takes on Drugs, Corruption

Havana, Dec 26 (Prensa Latina) Cuban judicial authorities said
Wednesday that the Island is making special emphasis on the fight
against crimes related to drugs and corruption.

Attorney General Juan Escalona and the Supreme Court Chief Justice
Ruben Remigio Ferro gave reports of the legal actions in this regard to
the National Assembly's Constitutional and Judicial Affairs Committee.

Both leaders expressed their views and responded to concerns of members
of the committee, one of the ten in session as a previous step to the
last plenary session of this legislature.

Escalona noted that the Attorney General's Office will strengthen
procedures to prosecute crimes detected during inspections of
organizations and companies.

Meanwhile the courts are implementing measures to improve the quality
of the penal process, applying advanced computer technology to control
sentences and consolidating professional judicial quality.

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Cuban Deputies Urge New Med Training

Havana, Dec 26 (Prensa Latina) Cuban deputies championed perfecting
medical teaching to meet new challenges in the country or in their work
of solidarity abroad.

Members of the Health and Sports Commission of the National People's
Power Assembly agreed on Wednesday that better quality in medicine
teaching lies in making the new methods and techniques part of the
educational programs.

With this, health professionals will have the new knowledge and
resources at their disposal to make their preventative work more
effective.

Deputy Elia Rosa Lemus said the purpose is for a greater number of
diseases to be eradicated each day, and others to be diagnosed earlier.

Cuban health should respond to the 50 years of Revolution, because this
sector has become an example to the world for its high professional
level and for attending its population totally free, said Lemus.

The deputy highlighted that thousands of Cuban health professionals are
fulfilling missions in the most remote places in the world, and 23,000
youth from over 20 countries are studying medicine in the Island.

Hence, all Cuban doctors have to be teachers, and every health
institution, from hospitals to neighborhood doctor's offices should be
teaching centers.

Cuban Health Minister Jose Ramon Balaguer highlighted the need to
strengthen relations between teaching, clinical medicine, and research.

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Cuban Deputies Vote to Up Animal Fodder

Havana, Dec 26 (Prensa Latina) Cuba is working to consolidate its food
security with increased national production and better use of the land,
to remove it from the high prices of the international market.

The Cuban Assembly's Attention to Productive Activity Committee
assured that as long as Cuba depends on imported animal feed, animal
protein will continue to be more expensive.

During debates it was noted that, despite increases in homegrown pork
and poultry meat, eggs, milk and other products this year, costs
increased 30 percent because of the high prices abroad.

Committee Chairman Leonardo Martinez told Prensa Latina that animal
protein is the most expensive food and that problem will not be solved
land is more efficiently used.

He added that it is essential to diversify and not depend on only one
product, so it is important to reactivate old fodder plants and pasture
crops, foster the cultivation of soy, corn and sorghum, and use modern
technology to replace import operations.

Deputies also analyzed home construction and rehabilitation, as
construction objectives have not been met due to lack of materials.

The 2008 budget will destine more funds for repairing homes, since this
is the population's greatest need.

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