Nouvelles d'Haiti & Diaspora du 23-29 juin 2014. Focus: le jeune Manigat...

Good things are happening in Haiti

Bob Cox bcox@jrpress.com | Posted: Friday, February 14, 2014 1:11 pm

Late Wednesday evening I returned from Haiti. I traveled to the country with a short term mission team from New Hope Chapel in Wingate. The trip marked the fourth straight year the church has sent a team to Christian Mission South Haiti in Les Cayes to help missionary Alix Lusma. I have now been to Haiti 24 times dating back to 1984. My first trips were during the reign of the infamous President Baby Doc who was the self appointed President for Life. Using henchmen and hired guns, Baby Doc, was ruthless and corrupt until he was finally ran out of power by the Reagan Administration and sent to asylum in France in 1986 through 2011.

Haiti is the most impoverished country in the northern hemisphere. The United Nations actually labels Haiti as a fourth world country due to an unemployment rate that hovers around 87 percent and a poor educational system. The infant death rate, which has improved in recent years, is the highest in our part of the world. The effects of the 2010 earthquake, which rocked the capital of Port Au Prince and killed an estimated 300,000 people, can still be seen throughout the city and surrounding area. The epicenter of the quake, Léogâne, had nearly 85 percent of the homes destroyed. Now the good news. Despite all the negatives that surround Haiti, I felt something inside of me that I had never felt before in my previous 24 departure flights. I left Haiti feeling good about the future of the country.

It is hard to put a finger on exactly why I felt so positive, but I believe it has a lot to do with the outlook of many young adult Haitians. There is a feeling that this up and coming generation of Haitians, is not just interested in escaping their country, but rather want to help their homeland regain its once nickname “the Jewel of the Caribbean.”

I credit his new thought on social media and technology. Maybe, it is even akin to what we have seen in the middle east where young people are starting to be more in touch with the world and demanding more from their government. It has a scent of an Arab Spring. It has put positive energy into a country desperate for good news and a new image.

It is not hard to find young people, who have been educated, back in Haiti working to promote their country. Whether it is chatting with a young man at the newly re-modeled international airport in Port Au Prince or conversing with a young haitian entreprener on Facebook, there is a new feel surrounding Haiti.

I think some corporations are starting to feel better about investing in Haiti. Just last week Haiti president Michel Martelly received praise from President Obama on the good things the former Haitian music entertainer has accomplished. Best Western has recently opened a 4-Star hotel that rivals any nice hotel found anywhere. Martelly’s emphasis on improving transportation is starting to pay off. Buildings are being re-built to replace those lost in the earthquake. Electricity throughout the country is improving. The cellular phone business has expanded to the extent that even the most remote locations now have access to a phone for the first time ever.

Don’t get me wrong. There are still plenty of problems in Haiti. But, this time it just felt better.

After years of corrupt governments and one natural disaster after another, I hope this new era of optimism continues in my home away from home. I hope the new generation of leaders continue to believe in their country. I have hope for Haiti.

Des prédictions sombres pour Haiti émanant du Director of National Intelligence (U.S)

Dans la section AMÉRIQUE LATINE ET LES CARAÏBES, voici les prédictions de DNI sur Haiti.

Le Directeur du renseignement national (Director of National Intelligence ou DNI) est un officiel du gouvernement des États-Unis sous l'autorité et le contrôle directs du Président des États-Unis. Sa fonction a été créée par la Loi sur la réforme du renseignement et la prévention du terrorisme de 2004 pour :

faire fonction de conseil principal pour le président des États-Unis, est conseiller pour la sécurité nationale (National Security Council) et pour la sécurité de la patrie (Homeland Security Council), et pour tout ce qui concerne le renseignement en rapport avec la sécurité nationale. Il fait fonction de coordinateur de l'Intelligence Community, un ensemble des 17 principales agences de renseignements des États-Unis. Il supervise et dirige la mise en œuvre du programme national du renseignement (National Intelligence Program).

HAITI

 

La stabilité en Haïti restera fragile en raison de l'extrême pauvreté et la faiblesse des institutions de gouvernance .

Il faudra de nombreuses années pour que l'on constate de manière significative la reconstruction du pays et le développement à long terme d'Haïti . Haïti demeure vulnérable à des revers dans ses objectifs de reconstruction et de développement en raison de l'éventuelité de catastrophes naturelles. L'insécurité alimentaire , bien qu' elle s'améliore , a aussi le potentiel d'être un facteur de déstabilisation . Des périodes d'impasse politique ont conduit à la méfiance entre le président Michel Martelly - en fonction depuis mai 2011 - et les opposants au Parlement . Martelly est généralement toujours populaire , mais des protestations politiquement organisées , potentiellement violentes , pourraientt se produire avant les élections prévues pour 2014 .

  Au cours de la prochaine décennie , Haïti restera très dépendante de l'aide de la communauté internationale en matière de sécurité , en particulier lors des élections . La fatigue des donateurs parmi les contributeurs à la Mission de stabilisation en Haïti ( MINUSTAH) , probablement conduira à des réductions de troupes comme le prouve le mandat voté en 2013 [par le Conseil de Sécurité] , lequel appelle à la consolidation et la réduction des effectifs .

Bien que la Police nationale haïtienne ait démontré des progrès dans ses plans pour augmenter la taille de la force de 10.000 en 2011 à 15.000 en 2016 , une plus grande force aura probablement encore besoin de l'appui de la MINUSTAH afin d'assurer sa propre sécurité.

Haiti accordera des extensions fiscales échelonnées sur 20 ans à des entreprises touristiques voulant investir en Haiti (article en espagnol)

Haití aplica exenciones fiscales durante 20 años a empresas turísticas que inviertan en el país

Fuente: InfoTur Dominicano

Stéphanie Villedrouin, ministra de Turismo de Haití, explicó en el marco de la Feria Internacional de Turismo (Fitur), que se celebra en Madrid, que para fomentar las inversiones extranjeras el gobierno de su pais otorga a las compañías del sector hotelero que decidan asentarse en la isla, eximirlas de pagar impuestos durante veinte años a aquellas.

Villedrouin, destacó la relevancia que el Gobierno le está otorgando a este sector, como uno de los motores que ayude a levantar la economía de la isla.

Haití aspira a convertirse en el nuevo destino turístico por excelencia de la región, en parte, gracias a ese carácter novedoso y virginal que podría ofrecer un país que tradicionalmente no ha estado entre los principales destinos de recreo y ocio del Caribe.

Ya hay grupos hoteleros que han realizado inversiones recientemente y hay otros que han puesto su mirada para invertir y asentar sus negocios en Haití y el Gobierno ha tomado nota de ello y ha impulsado una serie de medidas económicas con las que atraer las inversiones foráneas.

En el caso del turismo, además de eximir de impuestos durante 20 años a las compañías hoteleras que operen en el país, las empresas de bebidas alcohólicas que sean distribuidas en las zonas turísticas también contarán con ventajas fiscales.

El Gobierno espera que con estas medidas la industria pueda crear unos 60 mil puestos de trabajo, y así intentar paliar el alto índice de paro que afecta aproximadamente al 70 por cierto de la población.

Fuente: InfoTur Dominicano

Nouvelles: Quelques dépêches de HCN et le journal international télévisé de TV5 http://www.haiticonnexionnetwork.com/#!news-and-events/c1pz

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Haitian PM Laurent Lamothe pursues investors at Davos

DAVOS, Switzerland -- Four years ago this month a devastating earthquake in Haiti thrust the poverty-stricken nation to the center of discussions at the World Economic Forum.

Now, as the 44th annual meeting begins to wind down, the prime minister of the Caribbean country of 10 million has been walking the halls here one last time to ensure Haiti is not forgotten.

"Any interest in Haiti is a big interest for us," Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe told USA TODAY on Friday in the Swiss ski resort. "There is a lot of solidarity with the Haitian people still because of the input and support we got following the earthquake, but we are a country that has for far too long been forgotten in the investment world."

More than 300,000 people in Haiti died on Jan. 12, 2010, when the earthquake struck, leveling large parts of the capital Port-au-Prince, and bringing devastation on a scale rarely witnessed. But Lamothe said that despite persistent, and somewhat unhelpful perceptions, Haiti has moved on.

"We have gone past the emergency phase into the nation-building phase," he said. "What we want to do now is to go from the philanthropy phase to an investment one."

FULL COVERAGE: Davos 2014

The prime minister said that for the past four years the country has been working day and night to increase Haiti's potential as a hub for business, to create jobs, reduce inequality, and to show the world what Haiti -- for so long associated with trouble and poverty -- has to offer.

"I'm here in Davos to make the case to the most important people in the financial world," he said.

He has already convinced Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS, the Calif.-based company that gives away one pair of shoes for every pair it sells. The firm will soon begin manufacturing its cool-and-casual shoes in Haiti.

Mycoskie, who travels under the moniker Chief Shoe Giver, told USA TODAY in Davos that Haiti presented a unique opportunity because it is so close to the USA. "We'll be the only footwear manufacturer there so we are really excited about it. We hope that TOMS can help show the world that Haiti is open for business."(

Mycoskie said his firm would not be receiving any aid or other investments from third parties as part of the expansion. "We're going to take it slow. It's not like we are going to change the landscape in Haiti overnight."

Still, becoming a desirable destination for investment is not something that can be accomplished in four days in Switzerland.

Prime Minister Lamothe said that during the WEF this week investors such as George Soros had expressed interest in the country. For 2013, foreign direct investment increased 25% to $220 million, with close to half of that coming from a deal made by beer brewer Heineken to buy a local bottler.

However, the World Bank ranked Haiti 177 out of 184 in its latest yearly report based on the ease of doing business. And while Haiti did achieve 4% economic growth in 2013, the second fastest in the region, it is still the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

"Our strategy is very simple. In order to fight poverty we need to create wealth," Lamothe said. "But we understand that we have a massive amount of work to do."

Source: USA TODAY