Caribbean Export OUTLOOK 3rd Edition

Pulse of the Caribbean 24

each of the country’s departments. In addition to the proposals set out above, the government has launched the ‘Caravan of Change’, an initiative whereby equipment will travel around the country for five years to build and refurbish houses, and improve irrigation, drainage and sanitation. Attempts are also being made to reinvigorate the Centre National des Équipements (CNE), the government body tasked with the construction and maintenance of infrastructure. Further, there are plans to reform the energy sector, including using more renewable energy, and to create a new regulatory authority. Additionally, and perhaps more symbolically, the government hopes the presidential palace which was destroyed in the January 2010 earthquake can be rebuilt. In other developments, the Lafito Industrial Free Zone, 20 kilometres north of Port-au-Prince, welcomed its first tenants. The Taiwanese sportswear manufacturer Reliable Source has investedUS$50million, and by the end ofMarch 2018 it was expected that 8,000 workers will be employed there. Investment fromChina has also been seen, withChina opening its first factory in an industrial free zone complex in Ouanaminthe, producing caps for the international market. The plant will have 1,500 workers when it reaches full capacity. Promoting foreign investment opportunities was

a strong focus of the government, and in September 2017 a three-day forumwas held on competiveness and investment in the country. Tourism also saw a boost with new airline routes to Miami and Orlando, and in October the National Airport Authority (NAA) announced plans to revamp the airports of Haiti’s main cities. Foreign governments and regional organisations are also offering support. For example, relations with the Dominican Republic have started to improve. They were badly damaged after a decision of the constitutional court of Dominican Republic in 2014, which affected the legal status of Haitians residing in DR. The two governments are currently working more closely to address the uncertainty caused by the ruling, as well as extending cooperation in the areas of trade and cross-border security. It should be noted that the work carried out jointly by the EuropeanUnion, the National Authorising Offices of Haiti and DR, respectively BONFED and DIGECOOM, and Caribbean Export under the 10th EDF Haiti DR Bi-National Programme has been crucial in promoting greater cooperation, understanding and competitiveness in both countries. Moreover, Caribbean Export and the European Union have greatly contributed to the insertion of Haiti in CARICOM by promoting cooperation and trade missions,