Havana - During the last five-year period, local production of Cuban construction materials grew between eight and 11 percent a year, according to ministerial sources, Granma newspaper reported today.

The Director of Local Production of Materials of the Ministry of Construction (MICONS), Tomas Vazquez, also said that the 168 municipalities of the country have productive capacities in support of the policy for the increase and improvement of the housing fund.

Vazquez informed that during 2017, around 316,000 cubic meters of sand and gravel, 13 million bricks, 40 million concrete blocks, 1,200 square meters of mosaics and tiles, and 37,000 concrete tanks, among others, were manufactured in the mini-industries.

For its part, MICONS specialist Jose Antonio Rosa said that so far this year the levels of local production remain stable.

The official said, however, that it is necessary to ensure that the quality of these products, which are of proven strength, but sometimes have aesthetic problems, increases.

Rosa added that, after the most recent evaluation of the activity, the main deficiency detected is the insufficient management of raw materials by the presidents of the municipal assemblies of the Popular Power.

The program of local production of construction materials is one of the main suppliers for the construction of houses by own effort in Cuba and is a source of supply for repairs, maintenance of facilities and investments, the newspaper Granma added.