Is Cuba putting the brakes on private business?

On Tuesday, Cuba’s government said it would suspend the issuance of permits for a range of occupations and ventures, including restaurants and renting out rooms in private homes.

The suspension included the growing field of private teachers, as well as street vendors of agricultural products, dressmakers and the relatively recent profession of real-estate broker.

The announcement did not say when the issuing of permits would resume and said that enterprises already in operation could continue.

Cuban President Raul Castro expanded an opening of the economy to private-sector employment in 200 categories of business in 2010. It later also legalized nonagricultural cooperatives.

The government has said nearly 570,000 people are employed in the enterprises, which include hundreds of restaurants and guest houses.

The latest moves have created fears that Cuba is putting the brakes on plans to reform its centrally planned economy, though officials said the country is not going back on its economic opening.

Here is more, via the excellent Mark Thorson.  Here are related stories, and here is my earlier bearish Bloomberg column on Cuba.

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