The public finances appeared to improve in November after current receipts were 7.1% higher than the same month a year ago.

That would be an increase of more than threefold over current receipts and make tourism Cuba's leading industry.

Central government current receipts in October were 9.1% lower than in the same month a year ago, while current spending was 10.2% higher.

Notes: The operating balance is a measure of the sector's ability to cover its current expenditures out of current receipts.

The recoveries are the current receipts from a service, which are usually in the form of user charges, fees, interest receipts and dividends.

Instead, current receipts are used to pay current benefits (the system known as "pay-as-you-go"), as is typical of some insurance and defined-benefit plans.

Thus current receipts which are otherwise taxable remain in the tax base, even if they are saved, and withdrawals from earlier savings are not currently taxed since they were assessed in a prior year.

Within three days after Mrs Chick's first allusion to her, this excellent old lady had the satisfaction of anticipating a handsome addition to her current receipts, from the pocket of Mr Dombey; and of receiving Florence and her little brother Paul, as inmates of the Castle.