A little more than five months after the 9th Congress of the National Association of Economists and Accountants of Cuba (ANEC, in Spanish), the urgencies of the national economy require perhaps more than ever the work of professionals in these sciences.
Dr. José Carlos del Toro Ríos, the new president of ANEC, is someone who prefers doing over talking, but he agreed to update us on the progress of implementing the Congress agreements—the best gift that could be offered in celebration of Economist and Accountant Day this November 26.
“There has been greater engagement with the organization, especially from the central bodies of the economy, seeking proposals to improve, implement measures, and review guiding documents,” Del Toro noted when asked about the longstanding dissatisfaction among economic science specialists regarding their real participation in decision-making.
Q – The President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel, himself gave instructions for the follow-up and dissemination of what was discussed at the Congress. How is that purpose being realized?
In response to the orientation of the First Secretary of the Party, a work system was activated in each territory to discuss the Congress agreements with members and to concretize the support of grassroots sections for the organization’s tasks. The approved modifications to guiding documents are also being reviewed for discussion at the grassroots level.
These agreements have already been shared with different Party and government structures, including the Economic Affairs Commission of the National Assembly of People’s Power, reaffirming ANEC’s mandate to accompany the government in implementing economic measures.
Among the actions, a working group was activated on the preparation of bookkeepers from both technical and ethical perspectives—one of the topics that sparked debate at the Congress, since the scope of this activity today exceeds what is established in current legislation.
The organization of a Scientific Society of Digital Economy is also underway, in coordination with the Union of Cuban Computer Scientists, and work is being done on a proposal to the country’s leadership for a Knowledge Economy policy, together with the University of Havana and other research centers.
Strengthening accounting areas and the role of the accountant, in coordination with the Ministry of Finance and Prices, is another matter being improved through the drafting of a new legal regulation, as well as a proposal for accountant certification—an international practice that should confer greater recognition and professional rigor to this specialty.
Economic training for non-state management forms is another priority, for which the work of ANEC’s Center for Postgraduate Studies and Improvement is being consolidated.
Q – What other urgent needs and strategic directions have been identified after the Congress, as a result of the country’s current economic situation?
The Congress identified a group of proposals that were delivered to the Party and government leadership, and exchanges are currently underway to evaluate their scope. We are also strengthening the participation of our members in the technical advisory councils of the central economic bodies, and they are beginning to join their counterparts in local People’s Power bodies.
We must also join the current process of discussing the Government Program to correct distortions and relaunch the economy, where we must ensure that at the grassroots level actions are identified to be carried out in each workplace with the support of our members.
Likewise, ANEC members have joined consultations on the draft Labor Code and the future Law on Science and Technology, as well as solidarity support for the recovery of eastern provinces after Hurricane Melissa.
Q – You were already very close to ANEC’s work before becoming President. What would you like to achieve in the short and medium term?
We must ensure the consolidation of work in the grassroots sections and intermediate leadership of the Association. That is where the success of our organization lies.
We need to revive scientific activity, mobilize the work of the 18 scientific societies grouped by ANEC to provide decision-makers with well-founded proposals, and reactivate exchanges among specialists and researchers as the economic situation allows, adapted to each territory.
We also intend to align ANEC’s incentive system with the country’s system of decorations and honorary titles, in coordination with the CTC, to recognize the efforts made by members in all areas of knowledge; and to advance in informatization, the use of artificial intelligence, and the positioning of our websites, portals, and publications.
A milestone will be the celebration in May 2026 of the 15th International Meeting of Economists on Globalization and Development Problems, an event we will dedicate to the centenary of the birth of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro, who was its founder.
