-DATE-
19870516
-YEAR-
1987
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
INTERVIEW
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
7TH ANAP CONGRESS
-PLACE-
HAVANA'S PALACE OF CONVENTIONS
-SOURCE-
HAVANA TV SVC
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19870528
-TEXT-
CASTRO DISCUSSES RETIREMENT AT FARMERS CONGRESS

FL160258 Havana Television Service in Spanish 0000 GMT 16 May 87

[Dialogue between President Fidel Castro and delegate during 15 May session
of Seventh ANAP Congress held at Havana's Palace of Conventions --
recorded]

[Text] [Castro] How many members does the cooperative have?

[Delegate] Eighty-seven.

[Castro] Eighty-seven. Are they all active?

[Delegate] Yes, those are active.

[Castro] And 40 are retired.

[Delegate] Forty are retired.

[Castro] How do these retirees participate in productive work? What do you
do with them?

[Delegate] Retired comrades participate by picking vegetables; corn, beans,
and doing other activities.

[Castro] How many hours do they work?

[Delegate] The contract [normal is based on 8 hours. We have gained with
that. On an average most people work over 8 hours. The comrades also
contribute with a lot of volunteer work. They contribute I day of voluntary
work [word indistinct] a month to help to develop the cooperative.

[Castro] How many hours do the retirees work?

[Delegate] They work on contract, they work 6, 7, some work over 8 hours.
We have comrades that are over 70 years old.

[Castro] Let me ask you something. Why does someone who can work 8 hours
retire?

[Delegate] I did not understand you.

[Castro] Why does someone who can work 8 hours retire?

[Delegate] Because the contract provides for the person to collect. In
order for him to ...

[Castro, interrupting] Yes, but why did that man retire? What is the real
objective of retirement?

[Delegate] Because of his age. I can give as an example the case of a
comrade who is 72 years old.

[Castro] Yes.

[Delegate] [words indistinct]

[Castro] Can we ignore the phenomenon that has been created by the
retirement system? Can we really ignore it? Can we ignore -- we are talking
about the rectification process -- we have distorted or the objective of
retirement has been totally distorted, the law that was created to help the
peasants who are members of cooperatives? It has been massive. I ask myself
if retirement is actually an institution created to provide more money, for
people to make more money, or if the retirement system is a guarantee for
workers, to give them social security. If we are going to turn around
retirement -- I understand quite a few things related with retirement were
done badly [leaves sentence unfinished] There were peasants who just joined
the cooperatives and were immediately given their retirement with the
purpose of adding land almost with an eagerness to eat land because
sometimes they ended up with more land than could be exploited. Can we
ignore the fact that since the retirement system was established the state
has paid 32 million pesos over the amount collected? Can we ignore that?
Some 25,548,000 pesos were put into lets call it the retirement cashbox.
Some 25,548,000 pesos. Some 58,380,000 pesos have been spent. That, is
32,455,800 more pesos. This has happened in only 4 years the retirement
system has been in existence; it began in 1983. Thus, we need clear
concepts. Where is all this money going to come from? [words indistinct] I
am not that concerned with the idea that they work. They may work 2, 3, 4
hours. The problem lies in the fact that we have created a mechanism that
encourages retirement. That does not happen with laborers in a factory. The
retirement law does not encourage retirement. The longer the worker remains
on his job the higher will the retirement payment be. It encourages workers
to remain on the job.

Anxious for Agricultural Yield

FL161746 Havana Radio Reloj Network in Spanish 1205 GMT 16 May 87

[Next] During one of his remarks to the Seventh ANAP Congress Fidel aid the
formation of cadres is very important for the cooperative movement and in
the future those who direct cooperatives will have better technological
training.

In reference to this, he said there are better. results when there is good
leadership and we should promote ideas to advance the work of the
cooperatives.

When we talk about production, Fidel said, we should not just consider what
we produced for the population, but also what we can contribute to satisfy
the demands of the economy and fulfill export commitments. He added we
should have a planting program and reiterated a surplus of agricultural
products would guarantee distribution to the population.

Also during the Seventh ANAP Congress, Fidel analyzed the importance of the
development of water resources and gave as examples Vinales in Pinar del
Rio and the Valle de Caujeri in Guantanamo.

In reference to the Valle de Caujeri, Fidel said it is obvious when
investments lead to greater agricultural yield and he said production
doubled there thanks to the water resources program [voluntad hidraulica].
He asked how many state enterprises plant okra, parsley and other products
for consumption by the population. He said all these can be planted in
quantities much larger than was available at the peasants' free market.

Fidel stressed the importance of having a variety of vegetables and he
underscored the importance of educating the people in what they should
consume and in good nutritional habits. He said to consider these factors
in the policy of agricultural development.

The almost 800 delegates to the Seventh ANAP Congress will continue
debating the main report today. Fidel attended the first work session.

Orlando Lugo Fonte, president of the committee organizing the event, who is
also chairman of the discussions, said that among other topics, the
delegates to the congress will analyze the production costs of cooperatives
and the problems that prevent profitability.

This afternoon, nine foreign delegations invited to the Seventh ANAP
Congress will visit several agricultural-livestock cooperatives in Havana
Province.

The congress will meet in the Palace of Conventions until midday tomorrow,
Sunday, and the closing ceremony will be held at 1600 [2000 GMT] in the
Karl Marx Theater.

Satisfied With 'Spirit'

FL162223 Havana Television Service in Spanish 0000 GMT 16 May 87

[Remarks made by President Fidel Castro during Seventh ANAP Congress at
Havana's Palace of Conventions; date not given -- recorded]

[Text] Our duty is to attempt to make it as good as possible but we must be
aware that we will find problems, defects, difficulties in our work and we
have to struggle against each one of them. I am truly satisfied with the
spirit I have noticed. So far I have noticed the idea is very clear that we
are going through a rectification process to improve what we are doing. We
all feel good when we perceive that atmosphere the same way we all can
perceive an atmosphere of decadence, deformation, drifting, chaos. That is
why I took the opportunity when the Republica de Chile Dam was being
discussed to express some ideas not because I had the need to talk about
it. I was mainly thinking that by discussing all these points our dialogue
and remarks may be aimed at addressing these fundamental matters.
-END-