The director for the Office of Mexico and Central America of the German Confederation of Cooperatives (DGFRV), Helmut Pabst, said today that Cuba is firmly set on developing that form of production organization.

I have visited non-agricultural cooperatives of the over 400 of thius type that operate in this country, and observed there exists a strong commitment among its members to drive them forward in the communities and society and I think there is space for many more, he declares in an interview with Prensa Latina.
Pabst believes an important aspect for a cooperative develops successfully, is that in it there should be idoneity, transparency, respect and honesty among its partners, in order to prevent risks.
In Germany there are eight thousand cooperatives and its enterprises of support in the sector, central and federations reach a high figure of institutions, he informed.
To the German Confederation of Cooperatives are linked four federations of units of that type, associated with activities such assavings and credit, agricultura, consumption and the sector of manufacturing and services.
In the world, cooperatives perform a very important role, but it is necessary its rules and conditions be respected so they are successful and lasting, he affirmed.
Transparency, respect, honesty and will to cooperate are essential, he added.
Pabst considered very important for associates not to distribute all the profits and surpluses, as they also have to generate financial reserves for future investments and unexpected events.
Our Confederation -he explained- collaborates with Cuba through the National Association of Economists and other institutions in support to the cooperative sector.
In his opinion, cooperatives were able to geta round the global crisis of 2007/08 because they are enterprises of diversification and not of capital concentration, which allowed to face successfully the blow of that debacle.
The expert attended the 2nd International Congress on Economic Management and Development that ended last weekend at the Convention Center.
Since the decade of the 60s there are in Cuba agricultural cooperatives, but in the last five years, the government decided to extend them to other sectors, among them construction and services.