Wednesday, March 7, 2012

ARTICLE - EU - $100 MILLION - DETAILS

100 MILLION EUROS FROM THE EU, ALL DETAILS
(Haiti Libre) -

President Michel Martelly, accompanied, among others, by Prime Minister-designate, Mr Laurent Lamothe, participated, this Tuesday, March 6, at the signing ceremony of a Strategic Document for the country, and of two financing agreements between the Haitian government and the European Union. These documents were signed at the National Palace by the National Authorisorg, Mr. Price Paddy, and European Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs, in the presence of several Haitian officials and representatives of the European Commission in Haiti.

The Head of State welcomed the signing of these documents within the framework of the consolidation of cooperation relations between Haiti and the European Union, which provides the granting of 100 million supplementary euros in support to the reconstruction of country.

The Country Strategy Paper (CSP), plans the granting of 100 million supplementary euros in support to the Republic of Haiti in reconstruction for the period 2012 and 2013, and sets the priorities of the cooperation between the European Union and the Republic of Haiti until 2013. This support concerns in particular the sectors of infrastructure, governance, strengthening of state institutions and decentralization.

The Binational Cooperation Program: This program with a budget of over € 43 million, will be implemented in the course of the year 2012 under a multi-component approach including infrastructure, environment/local development, support for "bi-national Joint Commission", trade/private sector, and is built around two projects :

The program of support to the infrastructure in the Northern Corridor (Dajabon - Ouanaminthe), amounting to € 23.2 million, with the objectives of facilitating trade and local commerce within a framework more organized and regulated, and under conditions humanly more worthy, to promote local development and job creation around the border, strengthen the capacity of local authorities in managing the binational market.

The following activities underpin the achievement of these objectives :

- Establishment of a "binational market", through the completion of the Dajabon market, building a market in Ouanaminthe and the integration into a real binational complex

- Accompanying measures of institutions, traders and farmers, for the management and operation of the binational market

- Improvement of customs infrastructure in the border area

- Rehabilitation of the road network on both sides of the border

- Studies of environmental and urban planning for the two municipalities of Dajabon and Ouanaminthe.

The support program for binational cooperation in the fields of trade, environment and local development of the border, amounting to € 18.7 million, with the objective of promoting the development of economic and bi-national trade cooperation focused on the exploitation of mutual benefits and the strengthening of solidarity, to support cross-border initiatives in the areas of local development and sustainable management of territories and resources, to strengthen the capacity of public institutions in the formalization of relations and exchanges in all areas of strategic and collective interest to ensure a favorable environment for development of both countries.

3 components underlie these objectives :

A support to the trade and private sector with a budget of 7.2 M € focused on :

- Capacity building for the mastery of trade policy and regulations, and support to investment promotion

- The support to the initiatives of private sectors of both sides of the border (3.2 M €) with a development objective of "joint ventures", Haitiano-Dominicano.

- The strengthening of customs administrations on both sides of the border and the harmonization/interconnection of systems and regulations in this area.

A support to the cross-border cooperation and local development initiatives through the establishment of a "facility" to fund local projects in favor of sustainable development in the border area.

A support to the Joint Bilateral Commission Haitiano-Dominican, in terms of capacity building and operating equipment. A bi-national observatory will also be established, designed as an analytical tool at the service of the Joint Commission

The Support Programme to the trade and private sector in Haiti, with a budget of 4.5 million euros [more than 5.4 million with contributions from partners]. The program focuses on three main areas:

- Capacity building of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, so that it becomes the key player in the development of the country's business strategy, of monitoring of ongoing trade negotiations and of public/private dialogue.

- The establishment of a quality infrastructure with the institution of the Haitian Bureau of Standards (BHN), which will endeavor to the implementation of future Haitian legislation.

- A direct support to SMEs/SMIs and to the Haitian Chamber of Commerce, as part of a "sector" approach (textile, tourism, agro-industries etc..)

National Road RN: In the field of infrastructure, efforts before the earthquake and strengthened since will allow in 2014 for a 4 hour drive from the capital Port-au-Prince to the econd largest city, Cap Haitien through the rehabilitation of National Highway 3 [RN3]; against eight hours before the intervention of the European Union [...] The realization of this new stretch of 44 kilometers between Hinche and St. Raphael will strengthen economic growth throughout the region. Currently, the first two parts of the road (between Port-au-Prince and Mirebalais and between Mirebalais and Hinche) are completed. The third and final part will be initiated in 2012 and will be completed in late 2014 [...] In total, the EU has invested over 200 million euros to the complete rehabilitation of National Route 3.

The Peace Court of Hinche: beyond infrastructure, the EU has invested over 60 million euros in the construction of basic infrastructure along the axis of National Road No. 3, as part of the 9th European Development Fund (EDF).

Thus, in several towns in the Centre, North and North East, road works, rehabilitation of water supply stations, and peace courts were performed in several cities; including Quartier Morin, Limonade, Terrier rouge, Caracol et Trou du Nord, Mirebalais et Hinche.

The EFACAP of Hinche, the inauguration of the fundamental school of application, and the educational support center (EFACAP) is part of the support program to strengthen the quality of education (PARQE) funded by the European Union since 2002 for 40 million euros in support of the Government of Haiti in the field of the improvement of quality of education.

The program PARQE has already to its credit the construction of 17 ECACAP and the networking as well as the rehabilitation of over 440 schools in 4 departments : North, South, Central and Grand Anse. This large-scale investment now allows to ensuring a framework for education for about 120.000 students [...]

Projects of Non-State Actors (NSA) and Local Authorities (LA), launched in January 2012 and funded for €4,000.000, the NSA-LA projects (non-state actors and local authorities) aimed primarily at :

- Promote the effective involvement of NSA and LA in the definition of development policies

- Accompany the NSA as agents complementary to the state at the level of the provision of basic service

- Increase interaction between the various sectors of state actors

- Encourage dialogue between state and nonstate actors

The projects launched are organized around two main components :

Institutional strengthening

1. Project "Support to the local initiatives and support of educational actors in the chaîne des Cahos" implemented by the Organisation pou Koré Pwojè Kommunauté (OKPK) as part of the strengthening of grassroots organizations in the provinces

2. Project "Capacity Building and Investment Promotion in three municipalities of the Central Department "implemented by the Municipality of Saut d'eau, as part of the capacity building of provincial town halls

3. Project "Development of space of local democracy and capacity building of local councilors for a better governance of the town of Kenscoff," implemented by the municipality of Kenscoff, as part of the capacity building of provincial town halls

4. Project "BIBLIOTAPTAP creation of mobile libraries to build local capacity and promote access to rights" implemented by the organization Libraries Without Borders as part of the promotion of rights and culture in the metropolitan area and province

Territorial planning

1. Project "Sustainable Partnership for local development through the promotion of community tourism in Saut d'Eau" implemented by the organization Concern, as part of a support to tourism development, urban renewal and capacity building of grassroots organizations in the provinces

2. Project "Jesyon fatra Kafou Fey" implemented by GRET, as part of the solid waste management in the metropolitan area

4. Project "Capacity building of the town of Jacmel in the field of cleanliness" implemented by the city of Jacmel, as part of the solid waste management in the provinces

5. Project "Project to support the revitalization of the cocoa industry in the Grand Anse" implemented by the city of Abricots, as part of the capacity building of municipalities and local development in the provinces.

The Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said he was satisfied with the welcome received during his second visit to Haiti, inidated that the EU has been and remains a long-term partner for Haiti and contribute greatly to the strengthening of the democracy in the country.

The President of the Republic remains convinced that Haiti must maintain its cooperative relations with all friendly countries. He took the opportunity to invite all sectors of national life in a constructive dialogue to enable the country to take the path of development.

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