ARTICLE - PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP

STRENGTHENING THE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP FOR DEVELOPMENT
(Defend Haiti) -

PORT-AU-PRINCE – An important meeting was held Monday afternoon at the National Palace between members of the public and private sectors of the country, during which men, women entrepreneurs and leaders of public institutions discussed the need to establish a true partnership between the private and public sectors.

Two experts of a Jamaican company, invited for the occasion, opened the meeting with a presentation in English, with slides, and technical concepts showing the need for establishing a strong partnership between the public and the private market. This, to shape the country's development, particularly in the areas of road infrastructure, health, energy and others, reported Haiti Press Network.

According to the details of Karl Jean-Louis, executive secretary of the Advisory Council of the Presidency for Investment and Economic Development, this is followed by a forum on investments held on 29 and 30 November on the same subject.

"The objective in the context of this approach is to promote the model of public-private partnership proposed by the specialists of the Jamaican firm," he said.

Mireille Merovech Pierre, a member event organizer, said the public-private partnership is an active and positive cooperation in order to serve the public.

We are to believe according to Mrs. Stone, that the public-private partnership is a mechanism used around the world to attract private investment in public projects.

"Without budget constraints in Haiti, we have just experienced a serious lack in terms of infrastructure at all levels. So this type of model mechanism can be applied effectively in our country, "she argued.

During the discussion, speakers encouraged dialogue between the public and private, in order to achieve a partnership more effective and fruitful for the people. A real argument was also made to improve public services in the country.

They also highlighted the need to develop legal and regulatory frameworks in the Haitian government, to facilitate this partnership.

While lamenting the absence of notable senior government at the meeting, they invited the new management team to structure themselves in order to facilitate the development of tourism in the country, an opportunity essential to the growth of the local economy.

"The public-private partnership is crucial in the process of national reconstruction," hammered Merovech Mireille Pierre, noting a passing interest in the private sector to create a kind of lobby to the government.

State officials present at the meeting said that they were ready to go along with the private sector in order to lead to significant results in the interest of the entire nation.

Those noted among the businessmen present were, the former first prime minister appointed by President Martelly, Gerard Daniel Rouzier, representing the energy company E-Power, Reynold Bonnefil, president of the company Haytrac-Power and Frantz Large, representative of business men of Jacmel.

Speaking out, these investors have all pointed to the importance of the private sector to support public power. They argued for a good consistency between the players in these two sectors in order to bring the country out of the economic slump which it has faced for decades.