Cuba says economy grew 12.5 percent

[citizen snips]

HAVANA - Cuban finance officials acknowledged in an unusually critical year-end report Friday that the country's economy is still suffering the affects of the severe crisis of the 1990s but nevertheless grew 12.5 percent in 2006.

Cuban Economics Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez defended the method used to calculate the island's gross domestic product growth figure, which includes the free health, education and other social services the communist country provides its citizens.

"Cuba doesn't falsify its statistics, nor does it manipulate them with electoral ends," Rodriguez told a year-end session of the National Assembly, or parliament.

Cuba's methodology makes the country's economic growth figures difficult to compare with those of other countries, prompting the United Nation's Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean to leave the island's numbers out of its report last year.

more...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061223/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cuba_economy

[bbinacan]

1. Bullshit n/t

[Judi Lynn]

2. Who can't see there'd be a problem in the translation?

From the article:

Cuban Economics Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez defended the method used to calculate the island's gross domestic product growth figure, which includes the free health, education and other social services the communist country provides its citizens.
(snip)

How long does it take to recall there are MILLIONS of Americans without any medical insurance of any kind, who put off going to the doctor until absolutely necessary, don't even mention the dentist, etc., whose quality of life is severely reduced, and who die early through undiagnosed illness, etc. due to radical health problems which could have been dramatically altered with good health care?

Their life expectancy and infant morality rate are the best in Latin America, equalling the U.S. in general, and some areas here specifically.

There are elements the Cuban citizens have which have to be considered which are not available to citizens in other cultures. Home visits by doctors, even teachers. A completely different culture.
Free education, including college.

Their costs for every day survival are computed in a totally different way.

It would be good for someone stopping by to say they are lying, to indicate how it is they can make that claim. Right-wing crafted propaganda doesn't really provide much REAL information.

Looking foward to see if any of the previously multiple Cuba travellers show up this weekend to add some specific, witnessed information.

[robcon]

3. Gee, ya think the numbers are a a little 'wooly'?

Sounds like the GDP figures for East Germany before the fall.

[David__77]

4. Nonsense.

First, East Germany wasn't so bad off, which is why so many easterners are nostalgic for those days. Second, Cuba's economy is indeed expanding rapidly, albeit after a long period of serious shrinkage. It hasn't yet recovered to its level of 1989.

[Mika]

5. Most govm'nts numbers a little "wooly".

I'm shocked that you're surprised. {NOT}

[DavidDvorkin]

6. So the AP doesn't know the difference between "affect" and "effect"

Sorry standards, there.

[phusion]

8. that's pretty bad...

any editor worth his salt should have spotted that.

[DavidDvorkin]

9. I've seen them confuse "lie" and "lay" as well

So perhaps their editors don't know the difference!

[Judi Lynn]

7. Caribbean/Latin American Economies See Continued Growth

Caribbean/Latin American Economies See Continued Growth

Hardbeatnews, NEW YORK, N.Y., Fri. Dec. 22, 2006:
Latin America and the Caribbean countries can expect an economic growth rate of 5.3 percent for 2006, marking third consecutive year the region has recorded growth at over 4 percent.

That’s the word from the UN’s Economic Commission For Latin American & the Caribbean. The most significant jump for a Caribbean economy was Cuba, which topped 12.5 percent of growth, ECLAC said in its new report, issued for the region yesterday.

Trinidad and Tobago was next with 12 percent followed by 11 percent for Antigua and Barbuda and 10 percent for Venezuela and the Dominican Republic.

Meanwhile, overall, analysts said incomes rose by 7.2 percent because of increased remittances from abroad and increasing exports of oil and metals.
(snip/...)

http://www.hardbeatnews.com/editor/RTE/my_documents/my_files/details.asp?newsid=11557&title=Top%20Stories

[TheWatcher]

10. Hmmmm. They seem to be doing too well

We'd better Invade.

After all we have to fight prosperity over there so we don't have to experience it over here.