Caribbean Export OUTLOOK 3rd Edition

25

Pulse of the Caribbean

among others, with The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica under the 10th and 11th EDF Regional Programmes. Under the 11 th EDF, the European Union has contributed 420 million Euros to support the country in the fields of state reform and modernization of public administration, urban development, training, and the fight against food insecurity through the improvement of agricultural production, the protection of catchment areas, and the marketing and processing of agricultural products. Also, the French government provided US$9 million to support improvements in school standards. The Inter- American Development Bank (IDB) agreed to fund US$15 million to build 2,000 houses in the Great South. The US Global AIDS Coordinator approved US$100 million to address HIV/AIDS in Haiti for 2017/18, while the American Red Cross granted US$5 million to the Haitian Red Cross for the building of a new National Centre for Blood Transfusion (CNTS). It is therefore apparent that some positive action has been taken since President Moïse came to power. However, Haiti still faces its own set of challenges. The Haitian Association of Economists predicted a growth rate of only 1.5%, while the World Bank forecasted 1.7%. Growth, particularly in the agricultural sector, was badly affected by Hurricane

Matthew that caused significant damage in October 2016, estimated to be equivalent to 21% of Haiti’s GDP. However, the government indicated that growth would be much stronger at 3.9%. A second issue was the decision in November by the US Department of Homeland Security to end a programme that gave almost 60,000 Haitian immigrants protection against deportation. The temporary protected status (TPS) designation was introduced after the 2010 earthquake. Although the protected status will not end until 2019, the impact on remittances will undoubtedly be felt. Indeed, in a report from the World Bank in October, Haiti’s reliance on remittances was starkly highlighted. It noted that Haiti had received US$2.5 billion in transfers from its diaspora in 2017; accounting for 31.2% of the country’s GDP. It is clear that since Jovenel Moïse was elected as President there have been improvements at the country level. Further, the overall goals of the government to support key economic sectors, increase investment and reform the energy sector are very important for Haiti’s recovery and future development. However Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant has since resigned and on August 5 th , 2018, President Jovenel Moise announced that Jean-Henry Ceant, a former presidential candidate would be the nation's new Prime Minister.

Citadelle Laferrière, an exceptional monument on the northern coast of Haiti / Photo courtesy of Escipion Oliviera