Cuba to see 2 pct growth in GDP in 2022

Cuba's GDP is projected to expand 2 percent in 2022, lower than the 4 percent initially forecast, Minister of Economy and Planning Alejandro Gil said Monday.

"We have received some 816 million U.S. dollars more this year than in 2021 due to the export of nickel, Cuban cigars, rum, honey and sea products," Gil told legislators at the Havana Convention Center.

Investment in the fields of agriculture, renewable energies, and the national electric grid continues to be a paramount priority for the government, he said.

The Caribbean nation is set to receive some 1.7 million tourists by year's end, Gil said, adding that the long-running U.S. economic sanctions against the island have dealt a major blow to its economy.

According to official estimates, Cuba's GDP will expand 3 percent in 2023.