Cuban President Raul Castro has introduced a seriesof reforms since he succeeded hisailing brother, Fidel, earlier this year. The reforms are primarily economic,but also include lifting restrictions on the sale of computers, cell phones andother items. As VOA's Bill Rodgers reports,Cuba experts say the measures are significant but do not indicate any looseningof Communist Party control of the island. 

Raul Castro flashes the victory sign during a session of Cuba's National Assembly in Havana, (File)

Since formally becoming president in February, RaulCastro has introduced a series of economic reforms.

Some are aimed at increasing food production. Farmerswill be able to rent unused land from government collectives to grow crops andsell them at market prices.

Other reforms seek to stimulate economic production.Like dropping equal pay and salary cap rules that have been in place for nearly50 years.

Cuba expert Philip Peters of the Lexington Institutenear Washington says the reforms are significant.

"They don't affect fundamental rights issuesyet, and they haven't really fixed the fundamental problems in the Cubaneconomy yet, but these are changes and I think most Cubans are sitting up andtaking notice and saying these things are good and they hope that things gomuch further." Peters said.

In April, the government allowed ordinary Cubans tobuy DVD players, computers, microwaves and other household items once restrictedto companies and foreigners.

Even though these goods cost far morethan most Cubans can afford, flower vendor Lazaro Martinez welcomed the move."It's progress. Humanity is movingahead, so we should too," Martinez said.

The measures - including allowing Cubans to own cellphones - have eased some restrictions on daily life.

But most experts agree they are not a sign thatCuba's leadership intends to relinquish political control.

Juan Carlos Hidalgo heads the Latin American Projectat the libertarian CATO Institute inWashington.

Juan Carlos Hidalgo

"We can see a discussion on how toimprove productivity here, how to allow farmers get higher yields, stuff likethat," he said. "But we'll never see a discussion of whether an independentparty can run in a local election or to allow independent groups to protestfreely in the streets of Havana."

But easing the shortages and inefficiencies of dailylife may be enough to satisfy Cubans for now. Experts say Raul Castro is unlike his older brother Fidel, who ruledCuba with an iron hand for almost five decades. But he and the leadership areintent on preserving socialism, says Peters. "I think they saw a few yearsago and they said it out loud: 'we're coming to the end'. And they see there are some threats to thelongevity of this socialist project that they've put in place in Cuba and oneof them is the economy," he said.

But after so many decades of state control of theeconomy, experts say Raul Castro mayneed to make deeper changes than the reforms introduced so far.