CUBA, July 11, 2008. Cuban President Raul Castro said that, with the joint and conscious effort of all the people, Cuba will produce the necessary food and will preserve the main achievements of the Revolution, while it will continue to advance without disregarding its defense one single minute. The Cuban President called on the people to modestly meet their daily duties at their work posts every single day, as he gave the closing speech of the First Session of the Cuban Parliament’s 7th Legislature, which was held at Havana´s Convention Center. He said that the draft bill on Social Security and the changes proposed in relation to the retirement age and the service years to be benefited by the new legislation are in tune with the reality of a country where the expectancy of life increases and the birthrate keeps at very low levels for some years now. Raul stressed that the country faces a demographic situation which is different from the one that prevailed in May 1963, when the Revolution approved a law that guaranteed social security for all workers and their families. Since the country’s reality is radically different from that year, it is necessary to extend the working age of the citizens, said Raul, who recalled that the budget approve by the parliament for the current year, the expenses in terms of social security and assistance represent 13,8 percent of the total budge. The aforementioned fact is joined by the problems post by a low birthrate prevailing for several decades now, said Raul Castro who noted that the combination of such factors begins to show in an unfavorable way in the population with a working age. Over 238, 000 youths arrived at their working age in 1980, while last year that figure was little over 166, 000 youths and the indicator is expected to fall down to 129, 000 by the year 2020. There is also a new study in progress about part-time jobs, which will allow the people to hold more than one labor contract and receive the corresponding salaries. The implementation of new indications will be a gradual process over the next seven years in order to not affect the workers who arrive at their expected retirement age according to current legislation. The Cuban President said that once the new considerations proposed by the deputies these days plus those that will stem from consultations with the workers be included, the draft bill will be drawn up and submitted to the next session of the Cuban parliament by the end of the year. It is a new step as many others that will be taken in establishing norms and mechanisms aimed at having the salary recover its role, Raul said and he added that the salary is an issue that keeps under study in order to increase it in a gradual manner according to priorities, which will depend on the economic situation of the country now inevitably linked to the crisis hitting today´s world that could even worsen. (CUBAMINREX - ACN)
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