-DATE-
19891222
-YEAR-
1989
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
-AUTHOR-
-HEADLINE-
Fourth Castro, PCC Meeting Report
-PLACE-
CARIBBEAN / Cuba
-SOURCE-
Havana Cuba Vision Network
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS-LAT-90-006
-REPORT_DATE-
19900109
-HEADER-
BRS Assigned Document Number:    000000608
Report Type:         Daily Report             AFS Number:     FL0201154090
Report Number:       FBIS-LAT-90-006          Report Date:    09 Jan 90
Report Series:       Daily Report             Start Page:     8
Report Division:     CARIBBEAN                End Page:       16
Report Subdivision:  Cuba                     AG File Flag:   
Classification:      UNCLASSIFIED             Language:       Spanish
Document Date:       22 Dec 89
Report Volume:       Tuesday Vol VI No 006

Dissemination:  

City/Source of Document:   Havana Cuba Vision Network

Report Name:   Latin America

Headline:   Fourth Castro, PCC Meeting Report

Source Line:   FL0201154090 Havana Cuba Vision Network in Spanish at 0200 GMT
22 Dec 89

Subslug:   [Fourth in a series of special programs on meetings between
President Fidel Castro and Communist Party of Cuba, PCC, leaders at
Havana's Palace of the Revolution on 11, 12, and 13
December--recorded]

-TEXT-
FULL TEXT OF ARTICLE:
1.  [Fourth in a series of special programs on meetings between President Fidel
Castro and Communist Party of Cuba, PCC, leaders at Havana's Palace of the
Revolution on 11, 12, and 13 December--recorded]

2.  [Text] [Castro] Do you have anything to say on industrial investments?

3.  [Roberto Damian Alfonso Gonzalez, PCC first secretary of Granma Province]
We plan to finish the (Rio Fregau) industrial project by the end of this month
or early January. That is a civilian project.

4.  [Castro] How is the project progressing?

5.  [Alfonso Gonzalez] It is progressing....

6.  [Castro, interrupting] What are the results. How has it started out?

7.  [Alfonso Gonzalez] It is doing well. There are two shifts.  As of
yesterday, 211 pieces of equipment were shipped out of the province. They were
lacking parts, as you know, including cable and a part from a Cienfuegos
factory. But we have finished a few and there is a real possibility of
finishing 300.

8.  [Castro] What about the spare parts factory? Won't there be a greater
capacity for manufacturing parts....

9.  [Alfonso Gonzalez, interrupting] The factories....

10.  [Castro, interrupting] The parts were designated for ships.

11.  [Alfonso Gonzalez] That's correct. In the spare parts factory, everything
is practically all sitting in a row.

12.  [Castro] They are building the factory....

13.  [Alfonso Gonzalez, interrupting] It is being built alongside it.

14.  [Castro] That is right. How is the Manzanillo factory doing?

15.  [Alfonso Gonzalez] The teaching center?

16.  [Castro] How is the work going? What are the possibilities for its
expansion? How is the pipe factory for river (?drilling) progressing? What are
the possibilities for its expansion? What do you know about all this. What does
the party know about this? Are they on top of all this?

17.  [Alfonso Gonzalez] Yes. There is control. We have a weekly [corrects
himself] monthly meeting in which Comrade Lage [member of the PCC Central
Committee and of the Coordination and Support Staff of the Council of State]
and I discuss certain factors. We check these projects every month.

18.  What more can I say? The comrades have asked if you will approve them to
become [words indistinct] in Camaron and Manzanillo when you were there. They
would like to become a contingent. You said that their work is similar to the
work done in the biotechnology center in Havana. They had a plan of 120,000 and
they have finished 180,000. They want to become a contingent.

19.  The materials industry in Cacao, Guani, and Espanola-- which has never
produced 1.2 million [unit not specified]--have fulfilled their plans this
year. In December, they will have manufactured 1,020 million cubic meters of
materials.

20.  [Castro] Where are those materials all stored?

21.  [Alfonso Gonzalez] They are stored in the five eastern provinces. We
invested in a railroad system that cost 5 million pesos. Prior to that,
transportation only consisted of trucks. Now we are shipping by train.

22.  The water resources management program includes the three dams you are
familiar with, five canals, and the spillway. We are now involved in that work.
It does not include the three projects in (Carte Paso). We began the first of
three canals in (Carte Paso). We are finishing the (Gitana) and we are almost
done with the Cautillo project. A total of three dams, five canals, and the....

23.  [Castro, interrupting] When will the Cautillo project be finished?

24.  [Alfonso Gonzalez] It will be finished in February 1990.  It should be
able to supply water from the spillway and the canal.

25.  [Castro] What is the productivity of the contingents that are building
those 3 dams?

26.  [Alfonso Gonzalez] Cost per peso or construction?

27.  [Castro] Yes, what is the cost per peso?

28.  [Alfonso Gonzalez] It costs approximately 70 centavos.

29.  [Castro] In each project?

30.  [Alfonso Gonzalez] One costs 71 centavos, another costs 72 or 70 centavos.

31.  [Castro] What was the cost of (Cauto el Parque), El Corojo, before the
contingent was formed?

32.  [Alfonso Gonzalez] Its cost was 130 or 140 pesos.

33.  [Castro] No, forgive me, it was 270 pesos.

34.  [Alfonso Gonzalez] Yes, that is right, it was 270 pesos.  The last part
was 130 or 140 pesos.

35.  [Castro] It was 270 pesos. It's important. I also want to see the progress
we are making, the results of the efforts.  The Corojo dam has been under
construction for 21 years. It will finally be finished by the end of next year
because of the contingent that was created, because of the measures that have
been taken. The three dams are very important. We then have to bring the water
in from the Camazan River to complete the project. Work is being done now on
the canals, on the Cautillo and the....

36.  [Alfonso Gonzalez, interrupting] The other is the (Carte Paso).

37.  [Castro] The other is in the (Carte Paso).

38.  [Alfonso Gonzalez] There are three of them.

39.  [Castro] Next year, we have to work simultaneously on the other canals so
that as soon as the dams are finished, we will have the canals and we can begin
our irrigation system. [pounds table 10 times]

40.  [Jorge Valdes, PCC first secretary of Sancti Spiritus Province] Up to the
moment, in December, regarding the materials industry, which as you know has
received an investment of about 90 million pesos in our province, we have
finished the tile factory, the mosaic tile factory, and we are still working on
the (Concresa), (Tubo), and (Ciego Raso) factories. They are new, small
factories that will be installed right there in the concrete combine. We are
working on the red concrete factory, which had been assigned to the people's
government and which you later assigned to the Construction Ministry. We are
also working on the white ceramic factory, which had some problems in mid-year,
above all with the prefabricated material, but this has now been resolved. We
finished the light concrete factory, which, since you last visited, is now
operational. It has been producing for 2 months now. The [words indistinct]
factory is also being worked on and we are waiting for some supplies that have
not yet arrived. The line of white cement, as you know, was finished yesterday.
The workers fulfilled the commitment of [words indistinct]. The workers gave me
a communique in which, in addition to reporting that they had met their
production goal of 25,000 tons, they pledged to produce another 5,000 more tons
during the remainder of this month.

41.  In reference to the tourism plan [words indistinct] the causeway to which
we have assigned equipment. As of yesterday, we had built 2,045 meters of the
Ancon causeway [words indistinct]. We have worked on the small square. We have
begun to break ground on the Ancon II. We have received plans for the expansion
of the Southern Coast Hotel and this month we should receive the plans for the
Cuevas, the Cuevas Hotel, each of which has 30 rooms.

42.  We continue to work on the main plan of the Ancon territory with the
criteria that we told you about during your last visit to our province
regarding the possibility of constructing 10,000 more rooms. Another important
program that we have in the province is the development of water resource
management. Work continues on the Felicidad dam. We have maintained our
commitment of completing the dam in May 1990. We are working on the projects to
be built in the second stage by the (Bella Mota) brigade, which you are
familiar with. Work is also being done on the (Aridana) and (Crisol) projects. 
Research is being done on the Mayor dam. Temporary installations are being
built for the construction workers there.

43.  [Castro] Then we are almost, almost [repeats himself] able to fulfill the
plan for organizing all the brigades we proposed by 31 December, those that are
a priority.  Almost 50 have been created to build drainage systems for
sugarcane fields. [Words indistinct]. Some have been organized in Camaron in
Las Tunas. That is an old promise. I planned to make it one of the largest,
most important fronts. I gave a lot of thought to what to do because there are
many things to do. The people organized themselves well. They built the road.
However, it is not finished yet. Only part of it is done. It is possible that
what we wanted to do by 31 December....

44.  [Valdes, interrupting] Yes, but we will fulfill the plan by the beginning
of January.

45.  [Castro] We will have everything organized by 31 December but it will take
1 month longer to complete.  That is the worst that can happen. It will take
one more month to fulfill the plan. We have been organizing, organizing, and
organizing [repeats himself] this entire year. We do not know how much of the
workforce, how many contingents, and brigades [words indistinct].

46.  [Fidel Ramos Perera, PCC first secretary of Pinar del Rio Province] [Words
indistinct] 17 dams, 66 micro-dams, 425 [words indistinct], 545 water resource
management projects. [Words indistinct] There are currently 606.3 million which
is 73 percent. The province has the capacity for 1,953 million cubic meters of
water out of a potential of 3,352 million cubic meters. This is what is
regulated [words indistinct] to fulfill 50 percent of the capacity of the dams
in the province. We inaugurated two dams this year: the Patate and Guama. Next
year could be historic as far as water resources are concerned in the province.
If everything happens as planned, we should reach Rio Rancho, which is west of
the province, by December. By February, we should reach the Paso Viejo, Hondo,
and Nombre de Dios rivers if the brigade gets the equipment it needs. We would
have close to 100 million cubic meters of water that we could use next year.
That is in addition to the Guama spillway. It is possible that this may be a
year that is difficult to repeat.  Next year we may not be able to have
everything go as planned.

47.  Other investments have been made in the [words indistinct]. The
implementation program is clearly working here. It is a worthy program that you
provided us with.  We have been working on this and it seems that the delay has
not been bad. In accordance with the Soviet projects that were accepted by the
Cubans at first, although we have discovered that they are very [word
indistinct], there was a total investment of 50 million pesos in assemblage
costs. This was reduced to 31 million pesos and we have thus far spent 25
million and we expect it to go up a little. Some projects, depending on the
size are 25 to 70 percent completed. The first steps.... [rewords] Steps are
being taken....

48.  [Castro, interrupting] Why is that happening, that you started with a
budget of 50 million pesos first, then your budget dropped to 30 million and
finally to 25 million pesos? How do you explain that?

49.  [Ramos] Well, these reductions are due to the fact that some projects are
oversized....

50.  [Castro, interrupting] [Words indistinct] because you said, welcome to the
project site, but it has been delayed.

51.  [Ramos] Because 50,000 pesos out of 3 million....

52.  [Castro, interrupting] What was that?

53.  [Ramos] No, construction and assemblage costs were estimated at 50 million
pesos; then it dropped to 31 million pesos. Now it is estimated at 25 million.
It seems as though we can keep this cost figure unchanged. The builders
believe, however, that they can further reduce this figure.

54.  In practice, we have seen that we were able to complete 70 percent of the
El Polvorin construction project with 21 percent of the funds earmarked for it.
We completed construction of the spare parts factory; the aluminum plant....

55.  [Castro, interrupting] More than a spare parts factory, that is a factory
of automotive components.

56.  [Ramos] Yes, it is a factory of automotive components.  Conditions are
ready to start manufacturing components for transmission gears. This year, we
hoped to make 300 but we could only make 110. Next year, we expect to double
the production of components for the (Wilson) transmission gears. The factory
personnel prepared....

57.  [Castro, interrupting] Wouldn't fall short if you just double the above
figure, Ramos?

58.  [Ramos] Approximately 700 were sent, but the figures are still [words
indistinct].

59.  [Castro] [Words indistinct] that approximately 200 Cuban buses require
those transmission gears.

60.  [Ramos] According to the figures we were working with, approximately 700
are needed. I do not know the figures for current needs.

61.  [Castro] Well, yes.

62.  [Ramos] Regarding our general construction program, we are going to
increase....

63.  [Castro, interrupting] You have overlooked the electronic industry.  You
have not said anything....

64.  [Ramos, interrupting] No, here it is. No, because...  [changes thought]
electronic component. We have completed the civil engineering portion of the
silicon carbide project, which is an interesting project. We are working on
engineering projects, we have some contracts that are quite behind schedule.
From the Soviets, I understand you borrowed [corrects himself] we are
negotiating some $400 million. It will thus be possible to manufacture the
75-mm wafer.

65.  [Castro] That was for the air conditioner.

66.  [Ramos] The air conditioner.

67.  [Castro] For air conditioning.

68.  [Ramos] It will be completed this year. The carbide resistor project will
be completed this year. A brigade of the electronic industry carried out very
interesting work.  They virtually visited every region of the country and got
into those ships there in Bahia Honda, where they obtained a large supply of
materials such as slate, electrical wires, compressors....

69.  [Castro, interrupting] What ships are you talking about?

70.  [Ramos] The shipwreck area.

71.  [Castro] Ah.

72.  [First unidentified speaker] [Words indistinct].

73.  [Castro] Go on.

74.  [Ramos] We are working in a factory of basic components. They can
manufacture a percentage of the chips and parts of the components they need for
their production. We are already working in component factory number two, which
is much larger than the first one, and it will be practically twice as large.
We have invested 40 million pesos in its construction, which will require more
than 150 million pesos. We have promising prospects.

75.  Well, regarding construction materials, we have completed the earth
movement stage for the tile factory in San Cristobal, which will produce 24
million tiles, and everything has been done with the idea that it will be
completed next year.

76.  [Castro] It is supposed to be finished by December next year. To me, that
is a long time. Well, in the meantime, other plants designed to produce 15
million tiles or other quantities are being completed here. It will be very
useful if these and the San Cristobal plant are finished by that time. I
believe we have everything we need to build it.  Which brigade is building it?

77.  [Ramos] A brigade of the Construction Ministry. Our province currently
produces 5 million tiles, and we are now making investments in the city of
Pinar del Rio to increase our production to 15 million tiles, which should also
be [word indistinct] this year.

78.  [Castro] So, from a total of 5 million....

79.  [Ramos, interrupting] 39 million.

80.  [Castro, continues] ...we will increase it to nearly 40 million.

81.  [Ramos] Nearly 40 million.

82.  [Castro] Nearly 40 million tiles, which are most commonly used to make
roofs [words indistinct]. Aren't you working there in a project involving
stones and sand, because like Villa Clara, Pinar del Rio will have to supply
stone and sand to the western region.

83.  [Ramos] Thus far we have been sending practically 53 percent of our
overall production in the province to this region.

84.  [Castro] The subject of construction is very important.  How is it going
in Pinar del Rio? What is your evaluation of construction in Pinar del Rio;
that is....

85.  [Ramos, interrupting] As I see it, a comprehensive rectification effort is
being made in the construction area. There are examples showing that they are
doing things faster and better. They are saving construction materials; they
are using 418 kg of concrete per meter of construction, which is still high and
could be further reduced. They are using lumber at 54 [words indistinct]; they
should do better. The contingent is using it at the rate of 78 [not further
explained]. They are also reducing the use of steel rolls. Thus, substantial
savings have been made. This year, they needed 73,000 tons of cement. The
Construction Ministry allotted them 66,000 tons and they are completing
projects having used less than 54,000 tons.

86.  Nevertheless, the goal was met. Frankly, to me it seemed very difficult to
meet. The extraordinary thing is that it was done in 4 months. In other words,
this terminal was completed in approximately 17 or 18 weeks. Working at this
pace, the country will make progress. But if you take 3, 4, or 5 years in
building a terminal, there is no progress. Working at this rate, there is
progress. This gives the people, revolutionaries, militants, and communists
confidence in what socialism can do. [applause] This is being shown by the work
of the other contingents, such as the comrades who are working on the
refrigeration centers, on the pre-university schools in the south, on the
groundbreaking for the porcine centers, [passage indistinct], on the road to
the Mariel Port, on the railroads, or those who do the groundbreaking for the
markets, [passage indistinct]. [applause] The country is making progress.

87.  The importance of the Blas Roca contingent is not the speed at which they
work, but the example they have set for all construction workers. Thanks to the
efforts of this contingent, which was the first one, today there are over 60
contingents. Thanks to their effort and ideas, some industries have [word
indistinct]. In some cases, the ideas of the contingent have been fully
applied. In other cases it is more difficult, just some of the contingents'
ideas have been applied. Wherever those ideas have been applied, the results
are spectacular. [passage indistinct]

88.  You have just completed a labor feat. This Puente Nuevo bus terminal
[passage indistinct]. This project has another name. It is called a labor feat.
It does not mean we actually call it that, but we should always remember it as
one. We thank you comrades. [applause] We thank you for the motivation this
project has been for everyone. I think that the other projects will continue
making progress at this rate. There is something that our people will always
thank the Blas Roca contingent for, more than for its feats, or for the tens of
projects which are quickly and well built; what our people and revolution will
always be thankful for will be for its example.  [applause] Socialism or death!
Fatherland or death, we shall win. [applause]

89.  [Francisco Garcia Ferrer, PCC first secretary of Holguin Province] Well, I
was saying that a great effort has been made regarding investments in general.
We have promoted the leading investments in the province and the plan now
stands at [words indistinct]. Despite the well-known limitations we have in
Holguin Province regarding cement transportation, I believe we have had a good
response. We can mention the enlargement of the bathroom furniture factory, an
important project which was finished and which is already operating. It is now
already producing designs.

90.  [Castro] Including the bathroom tile factory.

91.  [Garcia Ferrer] We have completed the setting up of the bathroom tile
factory and we now have to put it into operation. As you know, this factory
will double our production of bathroom tiles. It will be capable of producing
1.3 million square meters of tiles. It has been completed and should be in
operation during the first quarter of 1990--that is, the oven and the roller.

92.  As you know, we now have two contingents in the province. The CAME No 1
fulfilled its production plan for this year, which was 17 million. It actually
completed 19 million. [figures as heard]

93.  [Castro] CAME No 1.

94.  [Garcia Ferrer] CAME No 1, which we discussed....

95.  [Castro, interrupting] How much production are you getting per peso
invested?

96.  [Garcia Ferrer] The production cost per peso stands at 72 centavos.
Earlier, it stood at 2.70 pesos by the third contingent....

97.  [Castro, interrupting] The third contingent had a 2.70 pesos production
cost.

98.  [Garcia Ferrer] After the contingent....

99.  [Castro, interrupting] And now it is 72 centavos. What other contingent do
you have?

100.  [Garcia Ferrer] Felton.

101.  [Castro] Felton. How is Felton working?

102.  [Garcia Ferrer] Felton is working well.

103.  [Castro] What is the production cost per peso?

104.  [Garcia Ferrer] The production cost now stands at 86 centavos.

105.  [Castro] What was the production cost earlier?

106.  [Garcia Ferrer] I believe it stood at 1.70 pesos.

107.  [Castro] 1.70.

108.  [Garcia Ferrer] Felton has also completed its production plan in setting
up a thermoelectric plant, the first line of which will be completed next year
and will go into operation in 1991.

109.  [Castro] [Words indistinct] we are going to try to build the first cement
plant there through our steelworking industry. The Ministry of the Steelworking
Industry is already working on this project at full speed. We are going to
build one that will produce 300,000 or 250,000 [measurement not specified],
because I believe we are already manufacturing a number of industrial items and
have nothing else to do. Who is going to turn to other sources to buy a cement
plant? How much would all that cost? In the meantime, we are going to increase
our production. Here in Havana we have increased it by approximately 400,000
through two or three plants. We must adopt every measure to save cement. We
were also hoping to increase production in the Karl Marx plant.  We will try to
have our steelworking industry make every effort to enlarge it. Yet, this will
be something for the future. What we are doing in Holguin is more important.

110.  [Garcia Ferrer] We are also working on the cylinder factory in Banes.

111.  [Castro] I was going to ask you about that. How is it going?

112.  [Garcia Ferrer] We are erecting the structure. We are working, Commander,
with the idea of putting the factory into operation by July, by the 2d half of
1990.

113.  [Castro] During a meeting of the steelworking industry, we were studying
all this and....

114.  [Garcia Ferrer, interrupting] We have assigned priority to this project.

115.  [Castro, continues] It has promising prospects because it will supply all
the cylinders for our agricultural equipment. We are also going to transfer to
there the plow disk factory of Guira. [passage indistinct] We are also going to
try to make rice combines there in your province.  Third, the merger of
enterprises related to the (Fregat) equipment will play an important role there
in Holguin.  The union will manufacture components for the (Fregat) equipment.
What is the name of that union?

116.  [Second unidentified speaker] Union of Agricultural Equipment.

117.  [Castro] What?

118.  [Second unidentified speaker] Union of Agricultural Equipment.

119.  [Castro] Union of Agricultural Equipment. Holguin Province will play a
decisive role in this [word indistinct]. We must also say here that half of the
number of residents Moa had 10 years ago are now erecting more buildings than
what were used to be built 10 years ago.  This is important. Work is underway
at the Moa nickel factory. The problem is that we need that nickel for the
stainless steel manufacturing factory we are building in Las Tunas. This plant
is designed to produce 150,000 tons of stainless steel and will require at
least 12,000 or 13,000 tons of nickel. To obtain this nickel it will be
important for the Che Guevara and the other factory to operate efficiently.
Paquito, what can you tell us about tourism?

120.  [Garcia Ferrer] Well, Commander, regarding tourism I can say that we are
about to complete the hotel which has thus far been known as the North Atlantic
Hotel.

121.  [Castro, interrupting] Very well.

122.  [Garcia Ferrer, continues] It will have 233 rooms. We planned and were
committed to completing it in December, but we had some problems regarding
supplies.

123.  [Castro, interrupting] Then, we are going to miss the high tourism
season.

124.  [Garcia Ferrer] But we can finish it in January. We still need the
equipment for the swimming pool which we were told will arrive on 15 December.
This is why we cannot finish the swimming pool. The air conditioning equipment
and the restaurant are two basic sectors that are still needed. Regarding
sanitary ware, we will be receiving part of the hardware supplies this week,
that is, what we expected to receive early in November will be just arriving in
December. Thus, we are postponing our expected completion date to January.

125.  [Castro] Is that all you are building now in Holguin Province?

126.  [Garcia Ferrer] Well, we are also enlarging (Don Lino), which consists of
33 rooms; and Los Cocos, which is a small motel of 40 rooms in Holguin. Every
component used in this construction is entirely Cuban. We also have the Gaviota
Hotel, which we discussed earlier, and which will have 110 rooms.

127.  [Castro] The contingent that is building [passage indistinct]

128.  [Alfredo Jordan Morales, PCC first secretary of Las Tunas Province] We
have practically completed 50 percent of the civil engineering portion,
Commander. We have worked very hard and we are getting ready to build the roof
and to complete the civil engineering portion.

129.  [Castro] How is the bottle factory?

130.  [Jordan] It is very good. It is very nice.

131.  [Castro] How is the metal frame factory?

132.  [Jordan] Well, the metal frame factory had a few problems in recent days
owing to the [word indistinct], but we have been meeting our plans in general,
we have met the demand.

133.  [Castro] How are....

134.  [Jordan] The rolling mills?

135.  [Castro] The what?

136.  [Jordan] The rolling mills.

137.  [Castro] The rolling mills.

138.  [Jordan] Well, as we committed ourselves with you, on 26 July we
completed [words indistinct] rolling mills.  This year we had to....

139.  [Castro, interrupting] Are they operating well, without problems?

140.  [Jordan] Yes, Commander, especially the rolling mill No 1, which has
already produced 22,000 tons of reinforced rods. Rolling mill No 2 has produced
some 3,000 tons because we had some problems stemming from transportation
of....

141.  [Castro] Billets.

142.  [Jordan] Billets. In recent days, we received 1,000 tons.  We hope to
reach approximately 30,000 tons.

143.  [Castro] Well, if we had to buy those two rolling mills, they would have
cost 40 million [currency not specified].  The steelworking industry, with the
cooperation of Santa Clara and others, has manufactured them and they cost us
$1.5 million each in components. That is the advantage of building factories.

144.  We were discussing whether we should build the container factory there or
in Matanzas. Next year we might have the most important concrete factory like
the one in Holguin, perhaps we might have that one (? of batteries) or others.
The question is that you could have an important factory. And what you are
going to do in Bayamo is very important. I do not know how many people in the
country know that virtually overnight you have built a gigantic factory of
irrigation equipment, which will produce irrigation equipment numbering 1,500.
The equipment will use Cuban-made engines. Tell me, Lage, what is the cost in
convertible currency of each irrigation equipment?

145.  [Marcos Lage, minister of the steelworking industry] Commander, each
equipment costs now around $1,000.  It used to cost $600, but it has gone up a
little, because prices go up.

146.  [Castro] $1,000 for each irrigation equipment.

147.  [Lage] $1,000 per each equipment.

148.  [Castro] Do you know the value on the international market of the 1,500
irrigation equipment you are going to make in Bayamo? The value of the
equipment you will be making in that little factory will be nearly $100
million, between $100 million and $120 million [figures as heard]. That factory
began just as a little factory and a fierce struggle had to be waged because
there was a lot of resistance. We virtually had to use force to build that
factory in Bayamo to give jobs to the people of Bayamo.  How many people know
this? How many people in the provinces and municipalities know about this?

149.  Like this, there are many things in the steelworking industry. We will be
using the first buses next year, buses for city service that will double the
per gallon performance of the Hungarian buses we are using now. I believe it is
stimulating for the people to know the achievements we are making in the
steelworking industry and in other sectors as well. Otherwise, everyone will be
just looking at his own problems or misfortunes.

150.  All this is very important at a time when the country may be heading for
serious difficulties. What are we doing to overcome these difficulties? What
are we doing without worrying if half of the world is sinking? I know that it
helps, that it helps very much, I have seen it. I know by experience that it is
very important for the party's rank and file to have information on what we are
doing. This is the idea I am defending. Go on.

151.  [Jorge Lezcano Perez, PCC first secretary in Havana City Province] A
program that has truly boomed is that of construction materials.

152.  [Castro] Explain that, about the program.

153.  [Lezcano] As you know, the country had fallen behind, particulary our
province [rephrases] we also suffered the consequences. The investment programs
envisages the constructions of 45 new lines plus 5 lines in Havana Province
which [words indistinct].

154.  [Castro] [words indistinct] blocks and other things?

155.  [Lezcano] Everything. For instance, in 1987 we produced 11 million cement
blocks. We will now produce 55 million. We used to produce 46 million bricks.
Our production will now rise to 96 million. Our production of floor tiles has
increased from 1.2 million square meters to 2.2 million square meters. Our
production of mosaic tiles has increased from .5 million square meters to 2.2
million square meters. We used to produce 1.1 million square meters of door
frames and windows; we will now be producing 1.8 million. In past, we did not
manufacture small tiles for archways; we are now manufacturing 5 million. We
did not produce floor beams either, and our production can now cover 1,000 km.
We used to produce 2,400 tons of cement coating paint and now we can produce
7,200 tons. Regarding [words indistinct] roof tiles, our production has
increased from 11.5 million 31.5 million. You may thus get an idea of how our
production capability of construction materials has increased.

156.  [Castro] We are also working nationwide and one line included at this
level is that of plastic tubes for all types of buildings (?having over) four
floors throughout the country. We studied what we ought to do, because this was
analyzed in our meetings. [words indistinct] tubes for all, tubes for
aquaducts; tubes for the sewage system; tubes for irrigation systems; tubes for
underground telephone lines; tubes for coaxial cables; these are tubes of
asbestos, of [word indistinct], tubes of concrete.

157.  We have seen all our factories and their new capabilities.  In our roof
tiles factories we are going to increase the production of roof tiles to nearly
15 million square meters; [words indistinct] asbestos cement for batteries, for
the hog production industry, for construction and for everything. Thus, the
construction material industry has made a colossal effort. More than $100
million has been spent, I am talking of $100 million in hard cash in all these
lines that are being assembled throughout the country, without counting the
lines that were still in boxes and which we are being assembled now, that is,
for tiles, cement mills and all that we are assembling, and some Soviet-made
equipment such as these for roof tiles.

158.  We are also working to increase our production of electrical wires for
homes by dozens of thousands of kilometers. We can increase it even more.

159.  [Lezcano] For reasons of policy, our hotel construction program does not
entail very big figures. We are, however, working now on not less than 10
projects. The Construction Ministry is working on the second Triton Tower; the
Blas Roca contingent is working on the five-star Cohiba Hotel; the Caribbean
Construction Enterprises Union are building the Plaza, the Sevilla, the
Nacional, the Copacabana, an apart-hotel in Santa Maria del Mar; and CUBANACAN
[not further identified] is working on the enlargement and remodeling of the
Comodoro, on the bungalows that are being built there and the Hemingway Marina.
All this gives a total of approximately 5,000 rooms.

160.  [Castro] I do not know how the Cohiba Hotel is going to function, but I
have an idea, because there are people here who cannot understand; there are
people for whom it is hard to understand that the country needs resources.  It
needs foreign currency so that we may have food, hospitals, houses, factories,
clothes, shoes, jobs; and they think we are doing a terrible thing when we
leave one of those hotels unfinished. This is why, for political reasons, we
avoid exclusive places both in the capital and elsewhere.

161.  [Lezcano] I want to tell you something: The Construction Ministry plans
to erect buildings in Havana City for a total of 160 million pesos this year.
By November, it had already completed projects worth more than 161 million
pesos, and it may go beyond 170 or 173 million pesos.

162.  [Castro] How much did it build last year?

163.  [Lezcano] Last year it reached 154 million pesos. Additionally, the
Construction Ministry workers were scheduled to finish only 45 projects, but
they will finish 54 projects. Another major group of builders is that of the
mini-brigades. At present, we have 38,000 mini-brigade members. The
mini-brigade construction totals 138 million pesos.  Thus far [passage
indistinct]. We already have 15 contingent groups. All our comrades here, all
the contingents [words indinstinct].

164.  [Castro] [3-minute passage indistinct] but by next year we plan to make
200 Cuban buses, and we are working with the idea of making 500 buses by 1991.
Our automotive industry has figured out the cost per bus and how we are going
to do it. I am taking advantage of Lezcano mentioning the buses, because he is
not elaborating on it.  This entails a lot of effort and analysis to resolve
the problems existing in the capital. One cannot live in the capital,
gentlemen, with the number of trips [words indistinct]. It is very important to
make it clear and knowing the effort we are making to create the conditions for
growing in a number of fundamental areas, not just to grow in any area, but to
grow in strategic areas.  We want the railway brigade to be reinstated into the
railway system next year. We will seek some formulas to find a solution,
because we are once and for all going to boost the railway system, we are going
to rebuild ....

165.  [Third unidentified speaker] I must tell you, Commander....

166.  [Castro, interrupting] You have one brigade, right?

167.  [Third unidentified speaker] We have two.

168.  [Castro] Two brigades.

169.  [Third unidentified speaker] Let me tell you, Commander, that the
situation of the railway system in our province is both the central railroad
[changes thought] the central railroad is one of ours, it does not have
problems, it is part of what we call the speedway.  Regarding the rail lines to
Nuevita, Esmeralda, and Santa Cruz; we have to replace an average of 750
sleepers per kilometer, that is, 750 sleepers out of the 1,600 in use per
kilometer must be replaced. This is urgent because everything may come to a
standstill. We also have to build bridges. I believe that the two brigades
should build the railway junction. For our part, we will try, with our own
brigade of the sixth ring, to connect with the fourth ring. But, these brigades
have to take reinforced equipment for the junction, because the junction is
quite old. So the brigades should take reinforcements in the form of trucks,
loaders, so that they can go as a contingent.

170.  [Castro, interrupting] Where would they go? To the central station?

171.  [Third unidentified speaker] They would go the railway junction. They
would go to the junction, because these lines need maintenance work. It will be
virtually a reconstruction effort, but we do not have to build embankments or
anything like that. Besides, we have the zeolite factory, which is supplying
zeolite to the [word indistinct] that are being built in the province. Finally,
Commander, you know that we have a mosaic tile factory that was built there by
the Interior Ministry. It consists of 16 presses that can produce 500,000
square meters of mosaic tiles. Our deficit in the construction industry rests
precisely with mosaic tiles. That factory was completed 6 months ago and we
only need the equipment. [passage indistinct]

172.  [Luis Alvarez de la Nuez, PCC first secretary of Matanzas Province]
Regarding investments, we would like to start talking about tourism which I
believe [words indistinct]. Then, we have other projects underway, as you know,
such as the second stage of the airport--the first stage has been
completed--the highway [passage indistinct].

173.  [Castro] The Varadero project alone, how much cement will it take?

174.  [Alvarez] Varadero will take approximately 80,000 tons.

175.  [Castro] Is it going to take half of the cement used by Matanzas
Province?

176.  [Alvarez] No. Matanzas will use 250,000 tons next year.

177.  [Castro] What about investments in petroleum?

178.  [Alvarez] Commander, as you know, we completed the second causeway, we
have already completed the first islet; we will finish the second islet in
December, and the third one, in February. It is already 2,624 meters long.  The
(Mas Aguiar)....

179.  [Castro, interrupting] The (Mas Aguiar) causeway.

180.  [Alvarez] That is the one in the Bay of Cardenas. The well was already
drilled for the (Mas Aguiar). Then, Commander, other topics are related to the
construction material industry.

181.  We now have three projects: The mosaic factory was started mid-1989 and
we expect to finish by the end of this year or in January next year. This
factory will produce 170,000 square meters of mosaic.

182.  [Esteban Lazo Hernandez, PCC first secretary of Santiago de Cuba
Province] You may remember that the 35th anniversary of the assault on the
Moncada Barracks was celebrated in Santiago. At that time, the commander in
chief talked about the more than 1,000 projects that were dedicated there that
year. That year our overall investment totaled 164 million pesos. This year our
investments will total almost 200 million pesos.

183.  Another program we are promoting is the construction material industry.
This is a big program. This year we completed a mosaic factory and a
Spanish-type block factory in Santiago de Cuba. A stone grinder facility in
Mucaral will produce 150,000 cubic meters. Thus, our province will be able to
produce more than 1 million cubic meters of stone. We are also making
investments in cement factories, especially in regard to filtration techniques.

184.  Another important investment is the airport. We expect to complete by
April the pavement of the 2 kilometer-segment, to be able to close the old one,
which will then be rebuilt. By September we expect to have both the old and the
new parts completed.

185.  [Castro] That will be an international airport.

186.  [Lazo] That will be an international airport with a 4,000 meter runway.
We are also implementing a tourist development program. At present, we have
nearly 3,000 builders working on the Santiago Hotel, which will be a five-star
hotel with 300 rooms. The 14th floor is already under construction.

187.  [Castro] Are you talking about the hotel where the congress will be held?

188.  [Alvarez] Yes. In addition to this hotel, we are enlarging the Bucanero
Hotel, which will have 200 rooms and which we expect to finish during the first
quarter of 1990. We are also enlarging the (Manares del Sol) Hotel, which will
then have 140 rooms. The first stage will be completed in December. We are
planning 120 rooms for the (Casona Dos) and we expect to begin in December. 
Next year, we expect to complete the Sevilla Hotel, which will have 200 rooms.
We plan to enlarge the Leningrad Hotel, and the (Casona Dos) [words
indistinct].

189.  [Announcer] Finally, commenting on these subjects, our Commander in Chief
Fidel Castro said:

190.  [Castro] Our country has been struggling under these conditions. As you
can see, we have been making a great effort to secure resources. To save cement
meant to create resources. To increase the construction of concrete from 28
cubic meter per cubic meter of lumber to 40, 50, 70, 80, 90, 100 cubic meters
means to save lumber. We have been doing this. We have been saving, saving, and
saving by taking advantage of what was being thrown away, of what was being
squandered. Thus, we have been looking, looking, and looking for these
resources to see not only how the economy keeps its pace but it also develops,
because our problem does not rest with just surviving 1, 2, or 3 years but with
building our future, with creating prospects, with developing the country.

191.  From a minimum of reserves, which is the only thing the country has, we
have been drawing a little for this, a little for that; every time we had a
super critical situation. We did that not only to survive, because just to
survive is not worthwhile. I believe that even in a special period, if I am
asked what we should do, I would ask how can we develop in a special period?
Perhaps what we are doing today with a bulldozer we may have to do it with our
bare hands. Today we need machinery and fuels because what we should never do
is resign ourselves to sacrificing our development. You can see the effort we
have made, that we have recovered our water management resources. Even though
you have outlined them here, the people do not know what projects we have been
undertaking despite such a tight situation.

192.  Now, another front we are developing and where we have rather promising
prospects for our country is the biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry.
We are seeking to become a great power in the production of medicines, as well
as, a power in the area of biotechnology, in the manufacturing of medical
equipment. We could have also made some more progress in electronics, in one of
its fields, because we started it more than 20 years ago. We are also going to
develop in the electronic field. Yet, it is in the area of biotechnology where
we have our best prospects. [passage indistinct] in which we are working and we
are working at full speed in all this.  It would theoretically be impossible to
work on a plan when one does not have the funds to guarantee the items you will
have to buy during a year. This is impossible. If someone looks for an
economist after doing this, he will just have to shoot himself, that is, the
problem is unsolvable. The difference for revolutionaries is that they do not
shoot themselves. Instead, they start thinking, thinking, and struggling until
a solution is found to the problem. You can see how we are working, whether we
are working at full speed, whether we are desperate [words indistinct].

-END-