FACTBOX: Reforms by Raul Castro in Cuba
(Reuters) - In the six weeks since he succeeded his ailing brother Fidel Castro, new Cuban President Raul Castro has introduced a series of reforms to raise food output and end what he called "excessive prohibitions" in communist Cuba.
The following are some of the reforms undertaken so far:
* Decentralized agriculture to allow private farmers more leeway to decide how to use their land, what crops to plant and what supplies to buy. Farmers granted leases to unused land.
* Lifted ban on Cubans buying consumer goods such as computers, DVD players, microwave ovens and other electronic appliances previously prohibited due to energy crisis.
* Cubans can now stay at hotels at beach resorts previously reserved for foreigners only, ending a "tourism apartheid" that was a source of resentment.
* As of April 14, Cubans will be allowed to freely buy and use cellular telephones, a service that only government officials and foreign companies had access to until now.
* Reduced bureaucracy for filling medical prescriptions and began revamping family doctor program in response to public complaints it was understaffed.
