HAVANA (AP) — Cuba is putting the brakes on its private business sector, at least for the time being.
The communist government says it is suspending the issuance of new permits for people to open restaurants, rent out rooms in their homes or work as private teachers. It is also halting permits for enterprises such as street vendors of agricultural and other products and for professions such as dressmaker and realty broker.
Tuesday’s announcement in the Communist Party newspaper Granma says enterprises already in operation can continue. It doesn’t say how long the suspension will be in place, but says the government isn’t planning to roll back the development of a private sector that began in 2010. There are nearly 570,000 people working in private enterprises in Cuba.
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