During a Council of Ministers meeting held June 21, President Raúl Castro again emphasized the need to seriously analyze the cause of difficulties continuing to damage the Cuban economy, which is showing growth, but not at the rate needed.

“We have a giant task before us,” he said, “but we cannot allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by problems, or intimidated… We must be optimistic because this has always been the spirit of the Revolution.”

The first item on the meeting’s agenda was a report presented by Adel Yzquierdo Rodríguez, minister of Economy and Planning, on the performance of the economy during the first half of 2014, as well as estimated projections for the rest of the year.

He explained, “The Cuban economy is growing as compared to 2013, although not at the levels projected in the Plan, which implies a greater deceleration than expected,” reporting that the gross domestic product grew by an estimated .6% during the first half of the year.

Also discussed were a final report on the 2013 budget; higher education; and progress in the pharmaceutical industry, among other issues.