Latin American Economy & Business - November 2016 (ISSN 1741-7430)

The total number of Cuban self-employed workers, known as ‘cuentapropistas’, rose to 522,855 in September, up by 4.8% on the number at the end of last year. Although from time to time the government led by President Raúl Castro seems to have nurtured ideological doubts about the advisability of fostering a growing private sector, small businesses look set for further growth.