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Haiti

Quick Facts

Population:	8,121,622
Land area:	27,750 square Km
Capital:	Port au Prince
Language(s):	French, Creole
Local Currency:	Gourde (HTG)
Exchange:	US$1.00 = HTG 43.84
UNDP Human Development Rank:	154 of 177
Life Expectancy:	51.6
Adult Literacy rate:	51.9
Official Government website:	http://www.haiti.org/www.palaisnationalinfo.org

Government

President - Rene PREVAL
Prime Minister - Jacques-Edouard ALEXIS
Min. of Agriculture and Rural Development - Francois SERVERIN
Min. of Commerce, Industry, & Tourism - Jacques-Fritz KENOL
Min. of Culture - Daniel ELIE
Min. of the Economy & Finance - Daniel DORSAINVIL
Min. of Education & Culture - Gabriel BIEN-AIME
Min. of Environment - Jean Marie GERMAIN
Min. of Foreign Affairs and Cults - Jean CLERISME
Min. of Haitians Living Abroad - Jean GENEUS
Min. of Interior and Collective Territories- Paul BIEN-AIME
Min. of Justice & Public Security - Rene MAGLOIRE
Min. of Planning, Environment, & External Cooperation - Jean-Max BELLERIVE
Min. of Public Health and Population- Robert AUGUSTE
Min. of Public Works, Transportation, & Communications - Frantz VERELLA
Min. of Social Affairs - Gerald GERMAIN
Min. of Tourism - Patrick DELATOUR
Min. of Women's Affairs - Marie-Lawrence LASSEGUE
Min. of Youth, Sports and Civil Action - Fritz BELIZAIRE
Min. of State to the Prime Minister, Liason to the Parliament -Joseph JASMIN
Sec. of State for Culture - Cecile Coulanges BANATTE
Sec. of State for Finance - Andre LeMercier GEORGES
Sec. of State for Public Security - David BAZILE
Sec. of State for Youth, Sports, & Civic Service - Paul BERNIE
Governor, Central Bank - Raymond MAGLOIRE
Permanent Representative to the UN, New York - Leo MERORES

Public Holidays: Independence Day (01 January); Founding Fathers Day (02 January); Agriculture and Labour Day (01 May); Flag and University Day (18 May); Commemoration of the Battle of Vertieres Day (18 November); Christmas Day (25 December), Boxing Day (26 December)

Economic Development

Economic Performance of 2006

Sources: Haiti Country Profile 2006, Haiti's Economic Challenge

After being ranked as the poorest and most corrupt country in the world, few positive remarks could be stated about Haiti. Nevertheless, the country posted a marginal real growth of 1.8%, where sectors such as, services (52%) and agriculture (28%) contribute the most to GDP respectively. Though services might have been the most sustainable or consistent benefactor to the value of GDP since the 90’s, the agricultural sector provides employment for over 66% of Haiti’s labour force. Industry and manufacturing provides a small, yet meaningful 10% employment to the labour force, where commodities such as, beverages, refined sugar, and detergent lead output in this sector.

POVERTY

Given its long history of political upheaval, where immense concentration of incomes cause 80% of the population to live below the poverty line, Haiti has a cumbersome development task which lies ahead. Furthermore, the index of economic freed puts Haiti’s economy as 52.2% free. Since starting a business in Haiti takes four times longer than the world average, business freedom and freedom from corruption proved to be the major weaknesses (in terms of economic freedom). Presently, services are the main sector for permanent positions, yet most labourers in Haiti assume temporary employment. The majority of these transient jobs come from subsistence farming and agriculture (two-thirds of population), and if 63% of the land is too steep by agronomic standards for agricultural production, it surely indicates that there must be prevalence of under-employment due to uncertainty of agricultural output.

To make matters worst, loans from commercial banks are virtually unattainable, since most banks lack stability (in 2000 ‘cooperatives’ planned by President Aristide for banking crumbled, and Haitians lost more than US$200 million in savings). Apparently, hope for skilled professionals in the future is also slim, since Haiti is extremely low in terms of education standards, as only 53% of the population is literate. Though school attendance may have rose from 20% in 1994 to 64% in 2000, the country still lacks from qualified professionals and educational supplies.

Economic Survey of the Caribbean 2005-2006

This survey examines the macroeconomic performance of selected countries of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) for 2005 and their outlook for 2006.

Throughout the region, countries adopted a conservative monetary stance in order to defend the parity of their currency. Rising interest rates on international capital markets,increasing fiscal deficits in some cases and the effects of rising oil prices on the current account and on inflation prompted the authorities to adopt this policy. The current account position deteriorated for all economies (-9% and –17% of GDP in 2004 and 2005) with the exception of Belize, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago. The latter was also the only country to record a surplus in its external accounts. The behaviour of the current account responded to the significant increase in the energy bill, higher food prices and the rise in the demand for construction materials.

Haiti: Options and Opportunities for Inclusive Growth

Country Economic Memorandum
June 1, 2006

The Haitian population has demonstrated resilience and creativity in the face of severe challenges. Marred by political instability, economic mismanagement and exogenous shocks, Haiti has suffered negative economic growth in three decades of the last forty years. Even when economic growth has taken place, it has not been sustained. Haiti’s pattern of socio-economic development has also been characterized by marked inequalities in access to productive assets and public services, the result of exclusionary policies and ineffective public institutions. The resulting widespread poverty has meant that less of the gains from growth, when this has materialized, have been shared by the poor. In turn, the inability of poor Haitians to exploit growth-promoting opportunities for investment in physical and human capital has created a vicious circle of weak economic growth and persistent poverty and inequality.
source:World Bank

Social Development

the State of Latin American and Caribbean Children 2008 report: Child Survival

The report outlines broad priorities that are required to accelerate progress on child and maternal health in general, and to reduce inequality in health-care provision and health outcomes in particular. Although the region is well on track to meet Millennium Development Goal 4, which seeks to reduce
the under-five mortality rate by two thirds between 1990 and 2006, and other health-related MDGs, it is clear that many communities and groups – differentiated by income, ethnicity, gender and geographic location in particular – are at risk of remaining excluded from essential quality primary healthcare services.

According to the 2008 report, the Caribbean island nation of Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere, and more than half of the population lives on less than one dollar per day. A history of violence and political instability has weakened health systems, hampering delivery of basic services and humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable. A considerable proportion of the population, primarily in rural areas lacks access to basic health-care.

Close to Home: The Development Impact of Remittances in Latin America. October 2006.
The World Bank is devoting significant attention to the topic of remittances and is stepping up efforts to better understand how migration and remittances can contribute to poverty reduction.
Close to Home: The Development Impact of Remittances in Latin America, a report in the Regional Studies Series of the Office of the Chief Economist for Latin America, is a further effort in this direction and should be viewed as an integral part of the Bank’s program on migration and remittances.

The report analyzes the characteristics of households that are remittance recipients and how these characteristics affect the poverty-reducing impact of observed remittances flows. It also devotes significant attention to the macroeconomic impact of these flows, and explores policies and interventions aimed at enhancing the development impact of remittances in the region. On the whole, the main messages that emerge from Close to Home are quite positive. Even though the estimated impact is moderate in most cases and country heterogeneity is very significant, higher remittances inflows tend to be associated with lower poverty levels and with improvements in human capital indicators (education and health) of the recipient countries. Remittances also seem to contribute to higher growth and investment rates and lower output volatility. Against this background, remittances are to be welcomed and actions that lower the cost of remitting and therefore attract additional flows should be encouraged.

Haiti Social Resilience and State Fragility in Haiti

A Country Social Analysis. April 27, 2006
Haiti is a resilient society whose rural communities in particular have developed coping mechanisms in response to a long history of underdevelopment and political instability. The country’s religious, cultural, and artistic life is highly diverse and vibrant. Like other fragile states, however, Haiti is also beset by widespread poverty and inequality, economic decline and unemployment, poor governance, and violence. This Country Social Analysis examines Haiti’s conflict-poverty trap from the perspective of the triangle of factors that have been identified as its main components:

(a) demographic and socioeconomic factors at the individual and household levels; (b) the state’s institutional capacity to provide public goods and manage social risks; and (c) the agendas and strategies of political actors. The report’s three main sections explore the nature of these components, and a closing section considers the linkages among them.
Source: World Bank

International Narcotics Control Strategy Report for 2006

Illicit Drugs Shipped Through Caribbean Nations to U.S., Europe

The report cites Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Jamaica as major transit points. As a result of their geographic location, many nations of the Caribbean are utilized as transit countries to shift cocaine, marijuana and other illicit drugs from South America to the United States, Europe and elsewhere, according to the U.S. State Department's International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) for 2006.
Source:U.S. Department of State

Migration in the Caribbean: Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Beyond.

This report describes human and minority rights abuses experienced by both documented and undocumented migrant workers within the Caribbean: trafficking, forced labour, unequal remuneration for migrant and nonmigrant workers and male and female workers doing the same job, discrimination in employment and lack of employment rights or benefits, lack of freedom of association and protection of the right to organize, lack of access to education and health services, and physical abuse, in particular towards women. Children of migrant workers and child migrants also face violations of their rights as they may be forced to work early, prevented from registering for school, and often prevented from or obstructed in claiming citizenship of the receiving country where entitled to do so. Of particular concern are over-hasty deportation processes, preventing the deportee from appealing or collecting belongings and pay for work completed.
Source: Minority Rights Group International

2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices (Western Hemisphere)

All men and women desire and deserve to live in dignity and liberty. As President Bush said: "The advance of freedom is the great story of our time." Promoting human rights and democracy is a worldwide phenomenon and there is a growing global discussion of democracy and the universal values protected by democratic governance.

By defending and advancing human rights and democratic principles, we keep faith with our country’s most cherished values and lay the foundation for lasting peace. Fulfilling the promise of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and building vibrant democracies worldwide will take generations, but it is work of the utmost urgency that cannot be delayed.
Source:US Dept. of State

Education

Environment

A Global Report REDUCING DISASTER RISK: A CHALLENGE FOR DEVELOPMENT 2004
The Report addresses four key questions: - How are disaster risks and human vulnerability to natural hazards distributed globally between countries ? - What are the development factors and underlying processes that configure development? - H ow can appropriate development policy and practice contribute to the reduction of disaster risks? - How can disaster risk assessment be enhanced in order to inform development policy and practice?

The Disaster Risk Index (DRI),which is presented as the centrepiece of this Report, is a first step in addressing these questions.The DRI provides the first global assessment of disaster risk factors through a c o u n t ry - b y - c o u n t ry comparison of human vulnerability and exposure to three critical natural hazards :earthquake, tropical cycl ones and flooding, and the identification of development factors that contribute to risk. Volcanic eruption is important internationally, but lacks sufficient data for analysis at this time (see Technical Annex).

Similarly, the development of a drought DRI revealed a series of unresolved methodological and conceptual challenges, which imply that its results do not yet have the required degree of confidence. Nevertheless, the e x p l o ra t i on of these ch a llenges in itself prov i d e s important insights into drought risk and vulnerability and is presented in the Report as a work in progress. Reliance on internationally available data and the use of human deaths as a proxy for disaster losses meant that certain types of disasters were excluded from the model. An example of this is fire, which can cause widespread damage with few deaths.
Source:UNDP

Solid Waste Management

Health

HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean: Issues and Options

Caribbean Countries Face Ominous Threat of AIDS: Haiti has highest incidence outside of Africa.
Source: The World Bank

Legislation

Statistics

Selected statistics indicators for HAITI
UN Statistics Division for HAITI
Caribbean Social Statistics Database
Caribbean Trade Statistical Database

More Information

Haiti Forging Closer Ties With CARICOM Colleagues

By Candia Dames, 4th July 2007
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Haiti is pushing for continued support from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) as well as the wider international community as it continues to strengthen its democratic institutions, according to Louis Harold Joseph, Haitian ambassador to The Bahamas Source: The Bahama Journal

Haiti Stands Ready for Recovery, Renewal, U.N.'s Annan Says

Haiti stands ready for peaceful development after staging successful elections in 2006 and after the subsequent formation of a new democratic government, says U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Source:News Blaze

Haiti: World Bank Approves $16 Million Grant to Improve Roads and Basic Infrastructure in Rural Areas

Washington, April 11, 2006 – The World Bank’s Board of Directors today approved a $16 million grant to promote income-generating opportunities for small farmers, who represent the majority of the rural productive population. The new project also aims to lower costs involved in moving goods from producer to consumer, especially for small farmers.
Source: World Bank

Key Documents

Up one level

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE AGRI-FOOD DISTRIBUTION SERVICES INDUSTRY IN CARICOM
Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2007-2008
2005 Latin America and the Caribbean Selected Economic and Social Data
Haiti: Selected Issues and Statistical Appendix. IMF Country Report No. 07/292. August 2007
Toward a Caribbean Vision 2020: A Regional Perspective on Development Challenges, Opportunities and Strategies for
Haiti - Country Economic Memorandum: Options and Opportunities for Inclusive Growth
Towards a Single Economy and a Single Development Vision
CARIBBEAN CONNECT: A HIGH LEVEL SYMPOSIUM ON THE CARICOM SINGLE MARKET 28 - 30 June, 2006, Sherbourne Conference Centre, Two Mile Hill, St. Michael, BarbadosND ECONOMY.
Haiti Social Resilience and State Fragility in Haiti: A Country Social Analysis
Trade Integration in the Americas
Hemispheric Trade and Tariff Database

Bibliography