Job - Haiti Observer Blog

Investment and modernization are the two main keywords for economic development in Haiti. However, improving foreign direct investment and creating permanent employment in Haiti is not as simple as it sounds. The real unemployment rate at Haiti was never properly assessed. Among the unemployed, there are many adults who do not have any formal identification documents. There is no exact statistical data on the total size of Haitian labor force.

Many still consider investment in Haiti is a risky proposition. Political climate is not favorable, enacting new law in the country is almost impossible, transparency is rare, cost of transportation and energy is too high, goods remain static in the customs unnecessarily, ports are not work-efficient, and there are many more displeasing reasons.

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The government of Haiti (GOH) will be conducting its Fifth General Census of Population and Housing in 2014. It is expected to create 15,000-20,000 jobs. Chairman of the National Census Committee, Wilson Laleau, said data gleaned from the two-year count will provide GOH information about people's economic status, and what health and education services are available to them. The 2014 census is projected to cost about $26 million dollars. GOH will absorb most of the cost, with financial support from Brazil and France.

Some of the principle goals of the census include:

Collection of statistics on:
• Population growth.
• Pregnancies, marriages, deaths, and migration behaviors.
• Environmental features and types of housing.

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On December 10, 2013, hundreds of Haitian workers in assembly industries demonstrated in Port-au-Prince to demand 500 gourdes as minimum wage. As it is often the case in Haiti, protest often means violence and as you know, the world is watching, potential investors are watching and as the Martelly-Lamothe is working hard to open the door for business in Haiti, we are once again engaging in self-destructive behaviors.

Mezanmi, fok nou sispan detri tet pa nou oui! Si nou vle payi sa mache, se pa pa violans non ke li prale mache. Si nou vle ke Ayisyem pa ale an Dominikani pou ale fè Rasist Dominikin imilye nou plis, se pa nan kraze brize non!

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Do you think that the only way to be good to people is to give, give and give? That is not necessarily true in all cases. Sometimes you can both give and receive at the same time and still be good to people.

Would you believe that someone had managed to give some, receive some and somehow ended up doing a lot more good than otherwise?

This is actually the case of Thread, a recycling company that purchases tons of plastic recycling materials to spin into fabrics that are in turn sold to manufacturers hoping to create environmentally friendly products and at the same time empowering the people of Haiti.

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Minister of Industry and Commerce, Wilson Laleau, met with President of the National Council of Free Zones (CNZF), Rode Préval on Monday to join forces with the Société Immobilière de Développement SA (SIDSA). The agreement is for the initiation of a new industrial free zone in Tabarre. Préval states that this will directly create as many as 3,500 new jobs and up to 15,000 indirect ones.

The projected Tabarre free zone will take up an estimated 3 carreaux of land and will house two buildings of over 10,000 square meters each. These modernly constructed industrial buildings were made with promoting Haiti in mind. The facilities are described as 'attractive and should entice overseas investors. They are slated to have circulation areas that allow ease in transport of the 56 40ft containers they are slated to boast.

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Haiti is today standing at the crossroads. One path leads to complete humiliation and dependence on foreign countries and the other is of economic independence and sustainable growth. Several factors will together determine the fate of Haiti in the long run. Let us take a quick look at the aspects that can lead to development of Haitian economy.

• Haiti requires entrepreneurial revolution and for that the first step will be to build roads, improve electrical grids and develop other national infrastructure. Simultaneously, Haitians should be trained to maintain these new developments. Once the infrastructure is developed, the path for private investment opens up. This basic framework development is possible only with foreign aid. Haitian government on the other hand has to work closely with foreign investors and accept strict foreign vigilance at initial stages and prove that it is capable of managing FDI with minimum impact of corruption. The strict vigilance will gradually decrease and the government will have more flexibility to manage FDI that suits Haiti's needs.

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Caracol, a village in Haiti, is located in the Nord-Est Deparment which is a municipality in the Trou-du-Nord Arrondissement. At 19°41′0″N and 72°1′0″W it is located at a slight elevation and has around 6236 inhabitants. It is the least visited destination in Haiti.
Caracol is in the northern coast of Haiti and it was a fishing village stricken by poverty. It is also known to be poorest of all villages in the country.

Climate

The region is mountainous and rough and it borders with the Dominican Republic for around 360 kms. Caracol enjoys a semi arid and tropical climate. Trade winds are easily cut off by the mountains in the region. French is the official language spoken in Caracol.

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Marriott and Digicel have brokered a partnership agreement to build Marriott's first luxury hotel in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The ground-breaking ceremonies took place on Wednesday December 19, 2012.

Anticipating an influx of business travelers flying into Port-au-Prince, Arne Sorenson, President and CEO of Marriott International, feels certain the partnership between Marriott and Digicel can contribute significantly to Haiti's recovery efforts. He asserts job creation of more than 1,000-plus positions in the hospitality industry will actualize the potential talent existing among the population of Port-au-Prince and adjacent areas. He added together Digicel and Marriott can put the country back on its feet and in time re-establish Port-au-Prince as a premier travel destination.

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Men and women hold certain jobs in Haiti. This is because there are jobs wherein women are not allowed in and there are jobs that are solely for them. For instance, men dominate the labor and business market. They are allowed to work as laborers, mechanics, construction workers, and chauffeurs. Even if women are starting to achieve higher class professions, it is still men who often get jobs in schools, politics and medicine. Most school directors, pastors, and spiritual and herbal healers are also men. They are also responsible for livestock and garden care at households.

Women, on the other hand, are more associated with domestic tasks, including cooking and washing clothes. They also kind of dominate the health care sector, where almost all nurses are female. Women are also relied on when it comes to marketing and entrepreneurship. They are active in the fish, green produce and tobacco business industries.

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Opening ceremonies for Caracol Industrial Park (CIP) occurred on October 22, 2012. Michel Martelly, President of Haiti, hosted some of the biggest backers of northern Haiti's first industrial park, projected to eventually produce nearly 200,000 jobs. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, along with her husband, President Bill Clinton, presided over a crowd of investors and celebrities.

Haiti, the U.S., and the Inter-American Development Bank have donated a combined total of $464 million over the next six years. Other foundation and business donors are contributing to the development of Haiti's infrastructure.

Secretary Rodham-Clinton spoke before a lunch reception crowd. She told them that contributing to the sustained economic health of Haiti goes beyond sending relief aid to the earthquake-damaged island. On-going private investment in the infrastructure and economic initiatives to provide Haitians a better quality of life are key to raising Haiti out of its failed-state status. She said that although CIP was already in the planning stages before the 2010 earthquake shattered the country's infrastructure and economy, already feeble, the Obama administration has placed Haiti high on its priority list. The U.S. has followed through with a $124 million investment in CIP.

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