[:es]Cuban Budget Prioritized Social Spending in 2017[:]

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Havana, Jul 22 .-Cuba devoted great resources to health, social assistance and education in 2017, the Minister of Finance and Prices, Lina Pedraza, stated here when presenting the liquidation of the State Budget to Parliament.

 

In the first ordinary session of the 9th Legislature of the National Assembly, the official said that these sectors received 51 percent of the expenses of the social sphere.

According to Pedraza, to public health and social assistance were dedicated more than $10.7 million pesos to cover, among other activities, 251 million medical and dental consultations, and ensure infant mortality of four per thousand births alive, the lowest rate in the history of the island.

Regarding education, he said that $8,178 million pesos were dedicated, which allowed the continuity of studies of 1.740 million students, in more than 10,000 schools.

The head of Finance and Prices highlighted in the Havana´s Convention Center that 50 institutions of higher education operated last year, including universities, institutes, schools and branch schools, hosting 225,000 students. (Prensa Latina)

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