CUBA BUSINESS SECTION - Havana Journal
By WILL WEISSERT | Associated Press
Cuba has begun allowing foreign investors to lease government land for up to 99 years, a step toward a future that could be filled with golf courses ringed by luxury villas, beachfront timeshares and vacation homes for well-heeled tourists.
But while overseas developers are cheering, some caution that the communist island has been down this road before, embracing foreign ownership with an eye toward bolstering tourism revenues — only to scrap those reforms when the economy improved and profit margins no longer seemed as important as maintaining state control of commerce.
A decree that…
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The Economist
Here’s an interesting story about doing business in Cuba. It’s atypical that a businessman actually made money in Cuba. What is typical is that his business has been shut down by the Cuban government.
For anyone thinking about doing ANY business in Cuba… don’t bother. You will lose money and then be kicked out when you either become too successful or replaceable for a better or most likely a cheaper alternative.
Max Marambio a Chilean businessman, can claim an unusual consequence of his friendship with Fidel Castro. It made him rich. A guerrilla in the 1960s and…
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Dan Skinner | CubaDomainsForSale.com
For me, as one who has developed a love for the Cuban people and countryside since the 1950s, and who appreciates their plight, I have some personal concerns about the realistic future of Cuban business. At the root of all commercial growth is a clearly defined and merchantable system of title to land. In a new Cuba, this problem, without a perfected, easily defined, internationally accepted, long term and secure solution is at the core of the success/failure equation.
Successful resolution of this one constriction directly affects the speed with which all value in the…
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R. Bruce Josten
Executive Vice President
Government Affairs
1615 H Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20062-2000
202/463-5310
Dear Chairman Berman and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen:
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region, urges you to schedule a mark-up of H.R. 4645, the “Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act.” The bill would expand the scope of U.S. economic engagement with Cuba with the expectation that greater commercial and people-to-people contacts would promote a transition to democracy and…
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Nacho
AFP and other agencies are reporting that Cuba is to build golf courses with foreign investors and allow the sale of houses in those secluded compounds to foreigners.
Is this for real now? Remember the Carbonera Club? It was supposed to open in 2011.
Some hope Raul will offer more that just cosmetic reforms… but he has nothing more radical than this, I think.
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Press Release
The Cuba Study Group today published a whitepaper in collaboration with the Americas Society/Council of the Americas and the Latin America Initiative at the Brookings Institution entitled “Empowering the Cuban People Through Technology: Recommendations for Private and Public Sector Leaders.”
The document outlines comprehensive U.S. policy recommendations aimed at facilitating greater access to technology and telecommunication devices in Cuba.
Over 50 IT and telecom executives and other experts contributed to the drafting of these recommendations as part of…
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Rob Sequin | Havana Journal
Cuba’s centrally controlled and secret economy is throwing off signs that it cannot sustain its economy for much longer.
As we have seen, many countries around the world have suffered crippling debt crises so Cuba, a country that chooses not to participate in the World Monetary Fund or World Bank, has no access to credit and limited foreign investment and exports. Of course the good Communists here at the Havana Journal will blame capitalism for the debt crisis and probably say that since Cuba is a Communist country that they don’t have a debt…
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Rob Sequin | Havana Journal
We covered FIHAV 2009.
Here is the translated text from the invitation to the International Fair of Havana.
Dear Businessman,
The Organizing Committee of the International Fair of Havana has the pleasure to invite you to participate in its 27th edition that will take place from November the 2nd through the 7th of 2009 at EXPOCUBA.
FIHAV has established itself as the most interesting exposition meeting for companies and business men from all over the world that in a way or the other are commercially linked with Cuba.…
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Rob Sequin | Havana Journal
We have compiled a list of Cuba business and trade related organizations in Cuba and in the United States.
Any business with plans for doing business in Cuba should get to know people in these organizations.
There are many obstacles to success on the US side and of course in Cuba as well.
Most businesses waste LOTS of time and money in Cuba and most businesses lose money on their Cuba related venture.
Cuba…
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Julian Aguila | Texas Tribune
Texas is poised to become the nation’s leading trade partner with communist Cuba after the Port of Houston Authority gained permission for its container vessels to sail to the island nation.
Trade experts are confident that Texas will be now able to carve out for itself a larger slice of the United States’ total trade with Cuba, which was estimated at $521 million in 2009, down from $710 million in 2008. Last year, $85 million dollars in goods was sent to Cuba from Texas, a distant second to Louisiana’s $241 million. Parr…
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