World Bank - Haiti Observer Blog

Allegations the government of Haiti (GOH) has been misappropriating PetroCaribe funds has been hotly refuted by Pedro Antonio Canino Gonzales, Venezuela's Ambassador to Haiti. The charges come from the World Bank Envoy to Haiti, Mary Barton-Dock. She alleges the GOH has not made sufficient disclosures as to where and what projects the PetroCaribe funds go to.

The Venezuelan government established the Petro Caribe cabal to give member countries discounted rates and flexible repayment schedules, when buying oil from Venezuela. This arrangement permits users of PetroCaribe to amass funds for social improvement projects to create employment opportunities and steady economic growth.

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The Washington D.C., traditionally United States citizen led, World Bank has found yet another problem with Haiti's oil relationship with Venezuela. A special envoy from the bank with well over 100 international members has expressed concern with the lack of transparency regarding how the government uses the public funds being saved via the conditions of the PetroCaribe deal.

That the bank was concerned was revealed by Mary Barton-Dock, the local branch director of the World Bank at a recent press luncheon in Port-au-Prince. She claims that, after accruing state savings from the deal which allows Haiti to buy fuel from Venezuela at a rate of only 40% up front, with the remaining being payable over a period of a quarter century, the government is then not being held answerable as to how this money is spent. This allows them to use the public funds, valuing some $300 million per annum, as they see fit. Not only would she call for transparency, but also the better management of the investment budget from the project and a system of arbitration.

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With data gathered from the Central Intelligence Agency, the World Economic Forum and the World Bank, an online Latin American business publication, Latinvex, has published the latest, and perhaps most comprehensive, ranking for the Latin American Transport Infrastructure.

19 countries in the hemisphere, including the two which share the island of Hispaniola, have been evaluated for their efficiency in 17 fields, to assess the ease of movement and ease of conducting business in all areas of transportation.

These 17 factors contribute to the overall quality of the transportation system in each country and include; air, railway and traditional road transportation, required documents for the importation and exportation of containers, cost and time, the simplicity with which affordable shipments can be arranged, an effective experience with border clearance and customs, port quality, high-caliber practices for tracing and tracking consignments, excellent logistics services, reliable schedules for delivery to consignees and a high percentage of paved roads, airport and runways alike.

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Last week, Mary Barton-Dock, the Special Envoy of the World Bank publicly criticized the government of Haiti for the way they has been managing the fund from PetroCaribe. She wants more transparency over the management of the fund.

Mezanmi, Mary Barton-Dock antre nan ron san yo pa invite li

According to HaitiLibre.com. On Sunday, the Ambassador of Venezuela in Haiti, Pedro Antonio Canino showed his fury for the statement. He finds them inappropriate. According to Canino, the World Bank had no business to interfere in the Petrocaribe program. He actually demanded an explanation from Mary Barton-Dock, saying that this is something between Haiti and Venezuela.

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Mezanmi, opozisyon an gin jett nan min yo. The special envoy to Haiti for the World Bank said he is concerned on how the Haitian government is using the money generated by Venezuelan petroleum. According to him, that is a lack of transparency.

Blan-an di: "Nou pa ka kite sourit Ap veye format"

Sanble ke World Bank pete yon abse!

Mary Barton-Dock who is the director of the World Bank's office in Haiti, said that lack of transparency was the biggest obstacle to Haiti's economic development.

Ginyin yon proveb ki di, lafimin pa jam soty san dife

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A May 21st press release by the IDA (International Development Association) reveals that Haiti is about to benefit from $90 million in grants. The much needed funding will be used mainly for health services, with $70 million designated towards improving the accessibility of health care to new mothers and children. The remaining $20 million will be used to stimulate the economy by making favorable changes to the business arena aimed at ramping up the interest of private investors.

All in the aim of stimulating Haiti's still-struggling economy and bringing a better standard of living to its citizens, the grant is set to benefit nearly two million people directly from one of its two segments, health services. Via the Integrated Social Services Project, $90 million, an additional subsidized $20 million to be given by the Multi-donor Trust Fund for Health Results Innovation, will improve the health of expectant and new mothers in the West, Northwest and Northeast departments. The gains to be counted from the boost to the economy to improve foreign investment cannot yet be quantified.

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To help Haiti rebuild its infrastructure, the World Bank (WB) is working with the government of Haiti (GOH) to draft a proposal to modernize its mining law. Haiti's mining industry is a well-kept secret. Foreign mining companies have been quietly doing exploratory drilling in northern ranges close to the Dominican Republic border, having invested $30-plus million dollars. What they have uncovered is a mother lode of copper, silver, and gold ore, estimated at $20 billion.

For Haiti to benefit from this potential windfall, royalty rates need to be raised from two percent per ounce to at least nine to 12 percent. It's going to be a tough sell for WB and GOH to persuade Parliament for two reasons. First, Parliament cannot hold sessions unless all 30 senators are present. Some senators are absent because they are campaigning for re-election, although elections have yet to be announced. Second, the opposition party, holding a majority of seats, is against cooperating with the current administration.

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The job market is expected to be booming in Haiti in a relatively short period of time. If you are able and willing to work, you will be able to find job in Haiti.

The "Haitian Joudalist" learned that South Korea, The United States and the World Bank just signed an agreement to created at least 10,000 jobs in Haiti in the garment manufacturing industry. The Korean clothing producing company, Sae-A will create a brand new industrial park in Haiti just for this operation.

We are looking at Haiti in the near future to become one of the leading exporters of clothing products for the world. The Haitian government is in the planning phase of constructing this new industrial park. It is expected to be located in the North, close to the capital. New port and roads will be built to facilitate transportation.

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