ARTICLE - BUSINESS - PRIVATE SECTOR

LAURENT LAMOTHE, SPEAKS ABOUT BUSINESS WITH THE HAITIN PRIVATE SECTOR
(Haiti Libre) -

Last Wednesday, at the "Ritz Kinam 2," Hotel, as part of an evening organized by the Haitian-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry; (CFHCI), Laurent Lamothe, the Minister of Foreign Affairs outlined the foreign policy of Haiti to the private business sector.

In his speech, Minister Lamtohe explained to the private sector "...the success of this government will be a victory not only for our people, who live in conditions of extreme poverty, but also a great victory for the Haitian private sector. Indeed, this is a unique moment, a historic opportunity, to have a government that is both close to the people and the private sector. Working together to fulfill our responsibilities of investment, we, the Government are creating a framework conducive to investment, and creating jobs by investing in this country that needs it so much.

So we must together face this challenge, and develop a strong solidarity for stimulating investment and domestic production. We will implement a rigorous and pragmatic management to allow Haitian companies to create jobs and work.

Business diplomacy and investment is at work to promote sustainable development through the Haitian economy, which is today one of the most open in the Western Hemisphere with a liberal trade regime and an investment code now open to massive investment. Through business diplomacy and development, plans to reduce trade deficits, which have worsened with the steady increase in imports, by accelerating the pace of export growth through new international investments, are what we are looking for, and also partnerships with the Haitian private sector [...]"

Gregory Brandt, President of CFHCI declared "...the moment is for innovation that underlies a dynamic foolproof business diplomacy. In addition to supporting diplomacy and to relay it, we, the Franco-Haitian Chamber, would like that we work elbow to elbow in the defense of national interests [...] Today, the supreme interest of the Haitian Nation is to enter into modernity, by way of growth, wealth creation, and employment, to reduce the extreme poverty experienced by the majority of its sons and daughters [...] Our regulatory state must strengthen, and make every effort to create a climate favorable to foreign direct investment, and to attract them to Haiti.

We must also keep in mind that our regional partners today, may also be our competitors of tomorrow. This is why the national interest must be at the heart of our diplomacy. Think global and act global. Today, the national interest commands us to have a business diplomacy, which is based on research of direct foreign investment. It is necessary to direct, focus and anchor in the form of public-private partnerships

Our resources are scarce and the windows of opportunities are becoming closer; it is therefore urgent. The current situation imposes it on us. We have a GDP of $750 dollars, [...] an economic growth that does not support our population, [...] an internal immigration two-folds higher than the average, an external migration four times greater than the region [...] It's not a secret that our country now imports 65% of its consumption needs..."