The China Import wholesale market, which was shut down just days after its grand opening in Havana, failed to comply with regulations for self-employment, according to the capital city's government. Situated on Manglar between Oquendo and Nuevo Pilar in the Cerro district, close to the popular Cuatro Caminos market, the market's closure at the end of August sparked significant buzz on social media.
In a statement released this Friday by Tribuna de La Habana, the city government explained that the decision to conduct an inspection of the commercial establishment stemmed from public opinions and complaints, as well as other information circulated on social media.
The establishment "was operated by a self-employed individual from the province of Santiago de Cuba, leasing an old warehouse from the Suchel Company of the Light Industry sector," the authorities stated.
"Among the most severe violations detected were the sales of goods in dollars, products without visible prices, lack of enabled electronic payment gateways, illegal hiring of labor, and the involvement of foreign citizens as workers, which violated their conditions of stay in the national territory," the local government entity noted.
The inspection, initiated by the Ministry of Domestic Trade in collaboration with the Provincial Commerce Directorate of Havana, identified "significant inconsistencies between the amount of taxes paid and the volume of operations conducted."
These "inconsistencies" were especially glaring in the case of imported goods, which, "along with the absence of accounting records and the use of personal bank accounts for business funds management, constitute indications of tax evasion," the statement added.
The accumulation of detected irregularities led inspectors to recommend investigating the administrative authorities involved to determine the responsibilities of those allegedly implicated and to adopt the necessary measures.
According to the official statement, the inspection revealed "deficiencies in the control function of those who failed to detect existing irregularities during the approval and execution stages of the commercial activity."
"Based on these irregularities, it was decided to suspend the commercial activity and broaden the scope of control, including the oversight of tax compliance," the local government's statement emphasized, highlighting the need for "improvements made to the regulatory framework for non-state management forms and their relations with the state sector (…) and to strengthen control mechanisms and demands for administrative and business responsibilities."
FAQs on the Closure of the Chinese Wholesale Market in Havana
To provide a better understanding of the recent closure of the China Import wholesale market in Havana, here are some commonly asked questions and their answers.
Why was the China Import market in Havana closed?
The market was closed due to multiple violations of self-employment regulations, including sales in dollars, lack of visible prices, absence of electronic payment options, illegal hiring practices, and the involvement of foreign workers.
Who operated the China Import market?
The market was operated by a self-employed individual from Santiago de Cuba who had leased an old warehouse from the Suchel Company.
What were the main irregularities found during the inspection?
The inspection uncovered sales in dollars, products without visible prices, non-enabled electronic payment gateways, illegal hiring of labor, foreign workers violating their conditions of stay, and significant inconsistencies in tax payments and transaction volumes.