CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA December 26, 1997 rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taken from Radio Havana Cuba's news service for Friday, December 26, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- FORMER FRENCH PRIME MINISTER WINDS UP VISIT TO CUBA 2.- SECOND INCOME TAX CAMPAIGN SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN JANUARY 3.- CASA DE LAS AMERICAS CALLS FOR NEXT YEAR'S LITERARY PRIZE 4.- U.S. SINGER BARBARA DANE OFFERS CONCERT IN HAVANA 5.- CUBAN TOURISM WORKERS DONATE ONE MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE ISLAND'S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM FORMER FRENCH PRIME MINISTER WINDS UP VISIT TO CUBA Havana, December 26(RHC)-- The President of the European Parliament's Development and Cooperation Commission, Michel Rocard, wound up a five-day official visit to Cuba at the invitation of the Cuban Parliament. During his stay on the island, the outstanding European parliamentarian, who is also the former prime minister of France, talked with Cuban President Fidel Castro -- a dialogue which Rocard termed as "very positive." After touring the island, the French visitor said that "the efforts the Cuban people are currently making will help them overcome the economic difficulties the island is facing." Rocard noted that the island's society and economy are recovering despite the U.S. Helms-Burton Law, aimed at further tightening its blockade of Cuba and which has been energetically condemned by the European Parliament. SECOND INCOME TAX CAMPAIGN SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN JANUARY Havana, December 26(RHC)-- A second income tax campaign is scheduled to begin in Cuba on January 1st. According to the National Tax Administration Office, more than 85 percent of the island's taxpayers file their taxes voluntarily -- based on the figure achieved last year. More than 172,000 Cubans are registered to pay income taxes, including more than 161,000 self-employed workers. Some 4.5 percent of the island's budget for education, health, pensions and social security is collected from income taxes. CASA DE LAS AMERICAS CALLS FOR NEXT YEAR'S LITERARY PRIZE Havana, December 26(RHC)-- More than 400 writers from 25 countries -- primarily Argentina, Chile and Cuba -- are contending for the 1998 Casa de las Americas Literary Prize scheduled for the Cuban capital from January 5th through the 15th. The prize is sponsored annually by the Havana-based Casa de las Americas cultural institution. According to the Organizing Committee, entries will be analyzed by 25 jury members including Spanish and Chilean essayists Jose Carlos Mainer and Miguel Rojas Mix, Mexican actor and director Luis de Travra and U.S. playwright and priest Jack Warner. The literary genres included for this year's prize are poetry, theater, and artistic-literary and historic-social essay. Another category included in the prize is English or Creole Caribbean Literature. The prize consists of 3000 dollars and the publication of the awarded work. This year, Casa de las Americas will grant an extraordinary prize in the category of essay. The special prize will deal with the impact of 1898 on the Americas and the Iberoamerican world -- marking the centennial anniversary of Spain`s loss of its colonies in the Americas. An International Colloquium on the historic and cultural consequences of that important event will run parallel to the prestigious literary prize. Jury members will travel to the central city of Matanzas, 125 kilometers east of Havana, to hold meetings and discussions before announcing the winners on January 15th. The Havana-based Casa de las Americas cultural institution was founded in 1959 by Hayde Santamaria, a participant in the attack on the Moncada barracks in 1953 -- the action that sparked the Cuban Revolution. The cultural institution is currently directed by Cuban poet and essayist Roberto Fernandez Retamar. U.S. SINGER BARBARA DANE OFFERS CONCERT IN HAVANA Havana, December 26(RHC)-- Outstanding U.S. singer Barbara Dane offered a concert at the Casa de las Americas Friday. The singer, who is known for her protest songs, performed with her son Pablo Menendez, who has lived in Cuba for many years and is the director of the musical group "Mezcla." CUBAN TOURISM WORKERS DONATE ONE MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE ISLAND'S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM Havana, December 26(RHC)-- Cuban hotel and tourism union members have donated one million dollars to the island's health care system in 1997, according to the national plenary meeting of that union. Tourism is the island's main economic area with gross revenues worth 1.6 billion dollars and one million 200 thousand visitors. The Cuban tour industry grew by 17 percent this year. [c] 1997. Radio Habana Cuba All rights reserved Articles cannot be reproduced, reprinted or published in any system without the consent of RHC. This prohibition includes the distribution of this material via Usenet News, "bulletin board" services, e-mail lists, print media, radio and television. For the complete RADIO HAVANA CUBA NEWSCAST and other features, please write for our daily broadcast schedule. We welcome your comments and suggestions. For further information, contact us at: Postal Address: Radio Havana Cuba P.O.Box 6240 Havana, Cuba Telephone: (53) (7) 814243 Fax: (53) (7) 812927 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org WWW: http://www.radiohc.org