Wednesday, November 23, 2005; Posted: 1:36 p.m. EST (18:36 GMT)

HAVANA, Cuba (Reuters) -- Cuba raised heavily subsidized electricity rates by as much as 333 percent Wednesday to save power and deal with chronic energy shortages.

A decree signed by President Fidel Castro increased the cost of electricity for small consumers from 20 to 30 cents of a Cuban peso ($0.01) per kilowatt-hour (kwh).

Cubans who consume more than 300 kwh a month will see their rate rise from 30 cents to 1.30 pesos ($0.06) next month.

"The lack of concern about electrical consumption is evident in our country due to the very low rates," the decree published in the ruling Communist Party newspaper Granma said.

Power outages are frequent in Cuba ...

Electrician Pablo Balkazar, left, repairs an electric line on a street of Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2005. The Cuban Government announced an economic package with measures that will increase electrical tariffs, to rationalize with the current ones that are heavily subsidized. It also announced a major restructuring of government salaries and pensions, saying that after raising the minimum wage earlier this year it wanted to reward workers for high productivity and advanced university degrees. (AP Photo/Jorge Rey)

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/1...tion=cnn_latest

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