Reconstruction - Haiti Observer Blog

Should Michel Martelly say: Yap Rablabal, map travail? If you look at the latest data coming from the International Monetary Fund, you would say that he is right.

based on the latest information from the International Monetary Fund, Haiti's gross domestic product grew in the 2013 fiscal year by almost 4 percent. This is preliminary information that will be verified after the entire year is over. This is better than expected as the International Monetary Fund projected the growth at 3.4 percent as late as last June of this year.

Si se konsa, anbin bagay yo pa pi mal!

Read more →  

Parliament is the heart and bloodline of the Haitian government. The country's current legislature was formed in the early 2000s and is composed of two houses: the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. Meetings via a National Assembly or a joint session are highly essential for both houses to deliberate on different important matters of the State, which is why a proper venue for such meetings is highly essential.

The Palais Législatif, or the current legislative building which caters to the whole parliament, was severely damaged by the 2010 earthquake, forcing members of the parliament to temporarily hold their meetings in a classroom. The legislature has since had to keep up with an old, damaged building to house itself.

Read more →  

Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) released a report that of $1.15 billion donated to Haiti post the earthquake, only one percent was received by Haitian firms, $1.15 million. The bulk of pledges was delivered to American-based corporations.

CEPR says it's impossible to find out where all the monies went. The problem is not who the main beneficiaries are, but where they are administering funds. For example, how much is spent on capital expenditures, administrative costs, transportation, and living allowances? And what amount has gone to Haiti's infrastructure?

United States Inter-Agency Development (USAID) organization, global disburser of monies, has refused comment on improprieties CEPR's report has hinted at. It has not offered any explanation why Haitian firms have received such a small share of funding, while Chemonics International Inc. (CII) has disproportionately been given $680 million in the last year. CII is the biggest beneficiary of USAID monies globally. Its $196-million share over the last three years outstrips combined totals of the second, third, and fourth beneficiaries on the disbursement list.

Read more →  

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.

Read more →  

According to Dominican Investigative Journalist Nuria Piera, President Michel Martelly received at least $$2.5 million in the form of Kickbacks by a Dominican construction firm owned by Dominican Senator Felix Bautista.

The winning Companies:
According to the report, one the companies owned by Bautista, HADOM Construction was awarded a $2.5 million contract to do reconstruction work in Haiti. HADOM received 75,466,638.08 HTG ($1.8 Million U.S.) on November 8, 2010 and another 5,000,000 HTG ($120,000 U.S.) on May 11, 2011. The contracts were signed by former Prime Minister and current Presidential Adviser, Jean-Max Bellerive

Aw!

The winning Haitian Politicians:
According to the Investigative Journalist Nuria Piera, companies owned by Senator Batista transferred $2,587,100.00 to Haitian President Michel Martelly and $250,000.00 to presidential candidate Mirlande Manigat.

Read more →  

" I am open for discussion as to the future of the earthquake reconstruction commission ", said recently the new Haitian prime Minister designed Daniel-Gerard Rouzier. This is definitely a shift from his previous statement.

Did he really think he could do that?

To put things in perspective, in a previous interview with the press, the Prime Minister designated, Daniel-Gerard Rouzier, expressed his desire to replace the current earthquake reconstruction commission that is co-shared by the former United States President Bill Clinton and former Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive.

Would you agree with me that the decision to get ride of the commission was Rouzier's first "Boubou" on the job that he does not even have yet?

Read more →  

The United Nations plans to reduce vulnerability of some buildings in Haiti against future earthquake threats. This will include Haitian schools, hospitals, and some selected buildings.

"Evite miyò pase mande padon."

This plan recently approved by the Interim Haiti Reconstruction Commission, came out as a result of a discussion between Haiti minister of Interior, Paul Antoine Bien-Aime, UNDP Senior Country Director Jessica Faieta, and UNDP seismologist Eric Calais.

C'est le grand Plan.....
Sa Pa Kaka Cok.........

According to authorityies, the goal is to reduce impacts in earthquake-prone areas. They improve to improve resiliency of the buildings in the poor areas in Haiti.

Read more →