8th Party Congress Resolution on the Updating of the Conceptualization of the Cuban economic and social model of socialist development

Commission No.1 of 8th Party Congress delegates was presided by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, with Political Bureau members Esteban Lazo Hernández, Comandante de la Revolución Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, Salvador Valdés Mesa, Mercedes López Acea, Ulises Guilarte de Nacimiento and Marino Murillo Jorge, as well as Secretariat members Jorge Cuevas Ramos and José Ramón Monteagudo Ruiz.

Present at the meeting of the commission were its 136 members, including 112 delegates, 17 guests, and seven participants, as well as representatives of the Young Communists League, mass organizations, the Revolutionary Armed Forces, and the Ministry of the Interior.

In the session focused on this subject, a total of 32 comments were made. Based on the content of the discussion and proposals, it was agreed to submit the following to the 8th Congress for its analysis and approval:

RESOLUTION:

The 8th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, held April 16-19, 2021, in Havana, has analyzed the draft Updating of the Conceptualization of the Cuban Economic and Social Model of Socialist Development.

Given its character as an active and perfectible guide, it is consistent with the foundations and terms of the new Constitution of the Republic, and evaluates results of the implementation of Guidelines and policies approved since the 6th Congress to date.

The updated Conceptualization reaffirms that Cuban society is in a historical period of construction of socialism, as well as the principles on which the ideal of a socialist society is based, forged during the revolutionary process to materialize our vision of the nation, sovereign, independent, socialist, democratic, prosperous and sustainable.

Among the fundamental principles are recognition of human beings as the principle objective and protagonist subject; the people’s socialist ownership of the fundamental means of production as the principal form of the socioeconomic system; the role of scientific and technological innovation in the economic and social development of the country; the socialist state of law and social justice as guarantor of equality of duties and rights, which ensures that no person is left unprotected.

It reaffirms the leading role of the Communist Party of Cuba, unique, loyal to the ideas of Martí, Fidel, Marx and Lenin, the organized vanguard of the nation and expression of the unity of Cubans around the leadership of the Revolution.

The updated Conceptualization likewise establishes the foundation for the principal transformations required for the consolidation and continuity of the Revolution on the basis of our strengths and potential.

Among the main transformations are:

-Consolidating the role of the people’s socialist ownership of the fundamental means of production; recognizing and diversifying different forms of property with management appropriately interrelated; the comprehensive improvement of the system of planned direction of economic and social development, with the state as rector, coordinator and regulator of all actors, including in particular the decentralization of authority to the local level, with emphasis on the municipality as the fundamental plane.

-Recognizing, regulating and achieving an adequate functioning of the market, to ensure that centralized administrative measures, interacting with macroeconomic and other policies, induce economic actors to make decisions in accordance with the interests of society as a whole.

As part of this, it is imperative to prevent the imposition of negative practices by producers or marketers, speculation and conditions contrary to the interests and principles of society, regardless of the form of ownership or management.

-Promoting science and the development of technology and innovation, to ensure that they play a major role in increasing efficiency, effectiveness and productivity in all spheres.

-Consolidating the role of universities and strengthen their relations with productive entities, services and the armed forces. To ensure that decision-making and the evaluation of results are based on knowledge, with a scientific foundation.

-Ensuring that work and diligence constitute cardinal moral values, and that the application of the principle of socialist distribution, according to the quality and quantity of work, makes possible that this be the fundamental means of satisfying needs.

-Raising the standard of living and quality of life is a permanent priority objective, with emphasis on food and energy security, education and health, among others.

-Control of the correlation between prices and income from employment, pensions and social assistance benefits; expand supply, protect and improve real income, as the process of economic and social development progresses.

The updating of the Model is a complex process given the challenges produced by the severe limitations imposed by the government of the United States’ economic, commercial and financial blockade, the aggressiveness of the enemies of the Revolution, the international systemic crisis, the effects of climate change and COVID-19.

The 8th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba agrees:

FIRST: To approve the draft Updating the Conceptualization of the Cuban economic and social model of socialist development, with the incorporated modifications.

SECOND: To instruct the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba that the updated Conceptualization of the Cuban economic and social model of socialist development be used as a theoretical, conceptual and action guide for the construction of socialism in Cuba, by all party bodies, from the highest levels of leadership to local organizations.

THIRD: To recommend to the National Assembly of People's Power the analysis of the document referred to in the first paragraph, to secure its support and subsequent supervision of its application during the updating of the Model of Economic and Social Development.

Given in Havana on the 18th day of the month of April 2021, Year 63 of the Revolution.

Taken from Granma