Havana , Cuba ( CNN ) -- Cuban President Raul Castro replaced two high-level government ministers Monday -- citing errors and incompetence -- in the latest round of replacements at top-level government posts . Sugar Minister Luis Manuel Avila Gonzalez was fired after requesting his release because of admitted shortcomings in his own performance , according to an official statement published Tuesday in the country 's state-run newspaper . Orlando Celso Garcia Ramirez will replace him , it said . Transportation Minister Jorge Luis Sierra Cruz was fired due to `` errors in the performance of duties , '' state media reported . He also lost his post as a vice president on a top governing body called the Council of Ministers , it said . Transport Director Maside Cesar Ignacio Arocha replaced Sierra at the Transport Ministry , while Gen. Antonio Enrique Lusson Batlle -- a long-time commander in the Cuban army -- assumed Sierra 's post on the Council of Ministers . President Raul Castro , once the world 's longest serving defense minister , assumed the presidency in 2006 when his older brother , Fidel Castro , stepped down because of illness -- at first temporarily , and then permanently in 2008 . Since then , many analysts have speculated that the younger Castro has worked to consolidate power , replacing top government posts with army brass . `` The Cabinet is now substantially different to what it was in 2006 , and substantially different to what it was in 2008 , '' when Fidel Castro officially ceded power , said Julia Sweig , senior fellow at Council on Foreign Relations and recent author of `` Cuba : What Everyone Needs to Know . '' `` Of course this is Castro solidifying control , '' she said , `` but it 's also an attempt to impose a culture of governance and efficiency '' in leadership positions that `` under Fidel were very uneven . '' Sweig and others contend that recent changes in leadership may be part of broader economic measures intended to streamline Cuba 's bloated state sector , which Raul Castro recently said has supported an excess of up to a million workers . Avila 's release from Cuba 's Sugar Ministry also has raised questions about its broader future . Once a world leader in sugar exportation , Cuba has faced a steady decline since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the accompanying subsidies that once boosted sugar production on the island nation . Widespread speculation suggests the country may eventually close its Sugar Ministry or even open it up to foreign investment in an effort to boost Cuba 's cash-strapped economy . `` If that pans out , they may be bringing in someone [ at the Sugar Ministry ] who is more suited to that task , '' said Cuba analyst Phil Peters from the Lexington Institute in Washington . `` It may be aimed at foreign investment , '' he said , adding that `` Brazil and others could really help turn that sector into an energy producer . '' Later Tuesday morning , Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero announced plans to open up real estate to foreign investment on tourism-related projects , laying out plans for new hotels across the country . The move comes only weeks after Cuba instituted a pilot program of turning over hundreds of state-run barber shops and beauty salons to employees . Since taking office , Castro has allowed such small liberalization measures and tackled corruption , fostering the creation of a comptroller general 's office intended to better manage state revenues . Monday 's replacements come on the heels of the removal of Rogelio Acevedo , long-time head of the country 's airlines and airport . While no official explanation was given for Acevedo 's release , it prompted widespread speculation of corruption . In an uncharacteristically critical article published on a state-sanctioned website last month , Cuban columnist Esteban Morales called corruption a greater threat to the island nation than internal dissent , specifically noting Acevedo 's dismissal . `` Corruption is the real counterrevolution , '' Morales wrote , cautioning against groups entrenched in the country 's Communist system .
Transportation Minister fired for `` errors in the performance of duties '' Sugar Minister Luis Manuel Avila Gonzalez requested release , admitted shortcomings . Country 's airlines and airports chief was replaced in March .