The First Secretary of the Party Central Committee and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, held a meeting with business leaders who took part in the Training Exercise on the 176 Economic and Social Transformations carried out at the Higher School of State and Government Cadres.

The First Secretary of the Party Central Committee and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, stated that the socialist state enterprise has «the historic opportunity» to demonstrate that it can be agile, efficient and competitive without renouncing its socialist nature, during a meeting with more than fifty directors who took part in the Training Exercise on the 176 Economic and Social Transformations, carried out at the Higher School of State and Government Cadres.

At the exchange, moderated by Roberto Ricardo Marrero, president of the National Institute of State Business Assets (INAEE), an account was given of the first stage of implementation of the transformations and their progress was evaluated in around a dozen business groups.

Díaz-Canel reported that, at the close of October, 171 transformations had their complete legal bases and 215 norms had been approved; only five procedures remain, the most controversial ones.

The president stressed that the driving force of the transformations is the workers and called on directors to take on the change with preparation, social responsibility, worker participation and ideological firmness, without falling into «market temptations» or complacency.

He warned that business autonomy «is not a blank cheque» and that transformation into mercantile companies does not amount to privatisation, since social property is maintained as an inalienable principle.

He also urged the state enterprise to lead the energy transition, the circular economy, science and innovation, digital transformation and artificial intelligence, key aspects for competitiveness.

Regarding the role of directors, he said they are not «passive executors of legal norms» but «leaders of the change process» in each entity, and demanded of them a sense of belonging, a change of mentality and the daily participation of workers in decision-making.