Japan - Haiti Observer Blog

The adorable Naomi Osaka discusses her victory over Serena Williams in Grand Slam final.

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There is a chance that Haiti might be in the business of manufacturing Television in the future. According to information obtained by HaitiObserver.Com, a Japanese company is currently interested in building a Television manufacturing plant in Haiti.

We have learned that a meeting was held recently between the Director General of the National Council of Telecommunications (CONATEL) and FUNAI Electric CO which is a major Japanese multinational firm. This Japanese company has delivered electronic brands such as Emerson, Magnavox and Phillips and others.

This is yet another hopeful sigh for Haiti as the country is fighting its way out of poverty.

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Haiti President Michel Martelly recently paid an official visit to Japan, where he signed deals aimed at boosting the two countries' ties. With First Lady Sofia Martelly, Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Casimir and some Cabinet members, Martelly was welcomed by Japanese Charge d'Affaires in Port-au-Prince Kenji Kuratomi. Martelly also met several Japanese officials and parliamentarians, who lauded him for his efforts in bringing the two countries' ties to the next level.

During the visit, the two sides inked a deal meant to improve the agricultural sector in Haiti. Under the agreement, Japan will give Haiti $6.5 million to fund a food aid project aimed at increasing the production of agricultural produce in the country. The grant, which was signed after a meeting between Martelly and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, is expected to improve and ensure food security in Haiti.

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Recently the news media published an article reporting that Japan had sent Haiti rice containing radioactive particulate matter. The article claimed the rice stored was located close to the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant. The Japanese Embassy strongly denied the report, and presented its version of the facts.

The embassy responded by saying the storage space used for housing the rice wasn't located close by the Fukushima evacuation areas, but at Ishikari and Otaru storage facilities on Hokkaido, a northern island at a distance of 404 miles from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Not only was the rice stored well outside the areas of contamination, but that Japan had imported the rice from the U.S. in 2009 and 2010, well before the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan on March 11, 2011. In addition, Japan exported the rice to Haiti two weeks before the earthquake, allowing the government of Haiti (GOH) plenty of time to test and certify the rice's safety for consumption. The delivery happened ahead of schedule due to the GOH's demand for it so they could issue it to the poor and hungry.

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Haiti has suffered enormously since 2010's devastating earthquake reduced Port-au-Prince to rubble, inflicting major damage to the rest of the country also. Relief aid poured in from major nations, billions of dollars. Tent cities were quickly erected and non-government organizations like Doctors Without Borders tended to the maimed and sick. The U.S. donated $1.8 billion to lift Haiti out its perpetual state of poverty.

But Haiti, especially flattened Port-au-Prince, has not begun essential re-building efforts, for example, permanent housing and an electric grid. Two factors have impeded Port-au-Prince's restoration: the Government of Haiti's (GOH) nearly annihilated administration (16,000 functionaries lost their lives), and its tenuous collaboration with the U.S. to jump-start re-building projects. As a result, little progress has made.

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Haiti will forever live to remember the worst earthquake that hit its capital about two years ago. Despite the fact that the damage caused was immense, international community and the long supportive US to Haiti gave substantial hopes to Haiti's government and entire Haiti at large through reconstruction pledges. According to US top government officials who were actively involved in the life saving operation after the catastrophe, they were later to venture into rebuilding Haiti and give it a strong base for reconstruction.

There were great hopes in the success of the initiative but the catastrophe chose to hit at the cornerstone of Haiti, Port au Prince, bringing all plans to a standstill. The earthquake that flattened Haiti's capital at first seemed manageable but a destruction of major Ministry apartments hindered any progress in the restructuring process. The US in particular had pledged to provide $1.8 billion for the reconstruction but lack of stable government to set up transparent strategies on the projects to be funded ruined it all.

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