Cuban leader urges officials to heed public opinion on reforms

Cuban leader Raul Castro has urged senior officials to listen to public views about the government's economic reform measures, local media reported Tuesday.

At an expanded meeting of the Council of Ministers, Raul Castro stressed the urgency of heeding the views of the people, the official newspaper Granma reported.

The reforms designed to maintain the socialist system could not be postponed, he said, asking his supporters to help seek popular support for these measures.

In January, the Cuban government launched a program to slash 500,000 government jobs in five state sectors, in a bid to solve the country's chronic economic problems.

The program is part of the reforms aimed at "updating" the Caribbean island nation's economic model, which is at the center of a nationwide debate.

The reforms also involve the elimination of "unnecessary" subsidies, the application of a new tax system and an easing of the real estate market.

Source: Xinhua