Havana - An article published in Granma newspaper today says that cargo transportation is fundamental for the development of Cuba''s economy.

The report adds that the situation of cargo transportation in Cuba during the so-called Special Period (1990s) created a tense situation in the sector.

That led largely to damage in the infrastructure of storehouses, railroad equipment, ships, trucks and workshops; therefore, the transportation capacity of these means was considerably reduced.

The article, which is based on statistics from Cuba's Ministry of Transportation (MINTRANS), insists that such situation have been transformed since 2005 through the reordering of the entire transportation mechanism from the ports to the destinations.

That strategy aims to make the best use of resources and recover that service, which in such conditions was paralyzing or slowing down many economic activities.

Since then, several measures have been taken in the sector, including the creation of specialized companies attached to MITRANS and the structuring of cargo plans, even at municipal level.

Those tasks allowed organizing the traffic of goods to save more fuel and make better use of the technology.

The article adds that the volume of cargo transported in the country in 2016 totaled 78 million tons, accounting for 93.2 percent of the plan and 100.9 percent of the volume reported in 2015.

Of that total, more than 31 million tons, or 92.4 percent of the plan, were carried by the MITRANS system.

Although statistics show a favorable trend, cargo transportation last year, from wholesale origins to destinations, faced several difficulties that, in some cases, have existed for more than five years.

In the country's 2016 Cargo Plan, transportation by road and cabotage increased in contrast to railroad transportation, which was the most affected sector, as 15 million tons; that is, 91.3 percent of the plan, were carried.

MITRANS Cargo Transportation Director Pablo Cuellar noted that this situation was mainly caused by low technical availability of locomotives and an insufficient fleet of railroad equipment.

The official noted that the rotation of railroad means for general cargo has increased over the past few years.

The expert noted the need for a fleet of 38-45 locomotives to work fairly well, but there are only 25-30 to meet the transportation planned in the 2016 Cargo Plan.

Cuellar pointed out that another factor that prevented fulfilling the 2016 Cargo Plan was the reduction in energy consumption in the first trimester of that year, so several clients failed to produce the agreed upon volumes to be transported.

On the other hand, cargo transportation by road totaled 9.4 million tons, accounting for 101.2 percent of the plan, a result that made up for the volume of cargo that could not be carried by railroad.