Cuba will start the New Year with two new provinces: Artemisa and Mayabeque and a slight decrease in its population (11 240 841 citizens).
Both issues become challenges for our nation when, as part of the updating of the economic model applies a set of measures aimed at reorganizing the employment policy, which long-term impact should enable the country to ensure the required workforce given the gradual aging of its working population.

As President Raul Castro stated before the Cuban Parliament in August 20 “the new provinces of Artemisa and Mayabeque will be born on January 1, 2011, without repeating the errors that have accompanied the work of the local bodies of People’s Power, with the concept of savings and the rational use of all resources, particularly in terms of appropriate numbers of personnel and a clear delimitation of their faculties in interrelation with agencies of central state administration, national enterprises and political and mass organizations”.

The new political-administrative division, passed on that date by the People's National Assembly, aims to improve the attention to the population through a more functional and rational management of administration and government, hence the decision to gradually extend that same principle to the rest of the country.

Undoubtedly, this will greatly reduce the red tape and make a better use of the resources and facilities so far available, at a time when the leadership of the Revolution demands at all levels a greater efficiency and productivity, organization, order, discipline and the requirement to approach the great challenges of Cuba.

Therefore, from now on the island will increase to 15 the number of provinces. In the Western region are Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, Mayabeque, Havana, where the capital is, Matanzas and the Special Municipality Isle of Youth, in the Center region are Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus, Ciego de Avila and Camagüey, and in the East are Las Tunas, Granma, Holguin, Santiago de Cuba and Guantanamo.

Amidst this scene, recently the Cuba’s National Statistics Office (ONE) announced that at the end of 2010 there will be 11 240 841 citizens, which is reduced by 1, 787 inhabitants at the Cuban archipelago, a process that began in 2006 and with the exception of last year, demographers expect it will continue into the next decade.

According to the this source, the reasons for the slight decrease are the fertility decline,  a trend that will continue also during the coming 10 years, the gradual increase of the general mortality rate due to the aging of population , and foreign emigration, even when it has remained stable over the past 15 years.

The ONE statistics show that more than two million people are adults of third age (over 60), and a 75 percent of those, over 65 years.

In the next five to ten years more than a million of citizens will reach that age, which will influence significantly on the reduction of the economically active population according to the experts. 

The leadership of the Revolution is aware of these great challenges which the nation will face over the coming years and also provides and implements the strategic measures to mitigate its impact, including achieving a more functional and rational organization of management and  government as well as reorganizing the labor and wage policy.

These and other steps are aimed to contribute to national economic growth and quality of life for Cubans, in order to give the future generations a first world country, but with a high sense of justice, humanity, love and respect for the work.

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