• Submitted by: Luis Manuel Mazorra
• Business and Economy
• 03 / 18 / 2012

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Oil exploration in areas of the Gulf of Mexico is a new hope to boost the Cuban economy, and in order to facilitate transactions in this sector will force the next day a new resolution customs.

The Gazette said Tuesday that the new regulations governing the conditions, requirements and procedures for clearance and customs control of imports and exports of goods related to the exploration and exploitation of oil.

However, the provisions do not represent a major change in trade rules of the island.

"You must have (from) specific rules for establishing the control and customs treatment entry, storage, transit and departure of the national territory of goods, passengers and their luggage and means of international transport (...)" highlighted the Official Gazette.

The regulations come when the island is among a series of reforms that seek to revive the Soviet-style economic model in the hope that oil can help you out of financial difficulties and achieve energy independence socialist ally Venezuela.

Havana receives about 114,000 barrels of crude from Venezuela at preferential prices as part of a bilateral cooperation agreement signed in October 2000 between President Hugo Chavez and former Cuban president Fidel Castro.

Under the new legislation, the rules in force so far "do not meet the requirements of agility and readiness" for the exploration, at a time when the Spanish oil company Repsol-YPF began drilling the first well in deep water in the country.

One article states that the international means of transport to conduct successive operations from a local port to the platform or drill ship will meet the payment of customs, derived from the office of the boats for the first entry and last exit from these .

In addition, to control the exploitation of oil, was appointed to the office of Mariel, a port that is modernized by Brazilian companies, as the only by which "all operations can be processed import and export of goods to such activities."