ARTICLE - MARTELLY HANDS ON WITH PROJECTS

MARTELLY, HANDS ON WITH REGIONAL BANK PROJECTS
(Defend Haiti) - By Samuel Maxime

PORT-AU-PRINCE - After two announcements this week by representatives of the Inter-American Development Bank in Haiti, regarding housing and investments in the private sector, President Michel Martelly, apart from his predecessors met with the IDB agents to assure state priorities are met.

Radio Kiskeya reported that the President met with IDB President, Luis Alberto Moreno, Saturday at the Karibe Hotel. It was an opportunity for president to guide the actions of the IDB in Haiti to see promises made to the Haitian people during the campaign are met.

According to the Head of Communications for the Office of the Presidency, Hérold Israel, Martelly and Moreno were accompanied by their respective technical teams, the two men were, for three hours, reviewing the various projects funded by the regional development bank.

Israel confirmed to RK that the Head of State reminded the IDB President that universal free schooling, job creation and the recovery of agriculture accounted for the major priorities of his mandate. The president also insisted on the need for the IDB, as other donors, to account for the basic needs of the population in the conceptualization of projects. No document was produced at the end of these discussions.

On Saturday, IDB Specialist Felipe Gomez-Acebo announced the IDB's intention to create a Social Investment Fund and support the Business Development Service to work with banks and micro-finance institutions to streamline access to credit and strengthen the Haitian private sector.

Prior, on Thursday, IDB Representative Edouardo Almeida announced a new initiative to build 2,000 homes and create 250,000 jobs in metropolitan Port-au-Prince and the North.

As a multilateral partner of Haiti, the IDB is involved in various areas such as agriculture, health, education, roads and electricity.