P 211221Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0383
INFO HAITI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 000818 
 
 
STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR 
S/CRS 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR 
INR/IAA 
WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON ENRG EAID EAGR EINV ETRD BEXP HA
SUBJECT: HAITI ECONOMIC WEEKLY UPDATE FOR SEPTEMBER 7 TO SEPTEMBER 
11, 2009 
 
¶1. (U) Summary.  This is a weekly report on a variety of topics of 
interest which do not merit full reporting cables.  End summary. 
 
Budget 
------ 
 
¶2. (U) The lower house of the Haitian parliament voted in the FY10 
budget with numerous changes on September 9 (septel). 
 
¶3. (U) The European Union signed a budgetary support agreement with 
the GoH for EUR 27 million (USD 39.5 million) covering 2009 to 2011. 
 EUR 2 million (USD 2.9 million) are earmarked for the Ministry of 
Finance and budget management.  Initial payments will be made this 
September. 
 
Energy 
------ 
 
¶4. (U) The Brazilian government has given USD 3 million to the GoH 
for start-up costs on construction of a new hydroelectric plant in 
Mirebalais.  The project will eventually flood 450 hectares of 
arable land.  President Preval met with farmers/residents from the 
Central Plain who do not want the dam project to go forward. 
 
¶5. (U) The World Bank approved a USD 5 million grant to implement 
the Electricity Loss Reduction Project in Haiti.  This is a two-year 
project providing technical assistance to Electricite D'Haiti (EDH) 
and advising the Ministry of Public Works on oversight of the energy 
sector. 
 
¶6. (U) The Parliament ratified a tripartite energy security 
agreement between Haiti, Cuba, and Venezuela.  The trilateral 
treaty, which continues the Petrocaribe agreement with Venezuela, 
includes upgrades to the international airport in Cap Haitian and a 
20,000 barrel per day oil refinery near Gonaives. 
 
International Investment Community 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) A Brazilian textile delegation is scheduled to visit Haiti 
from September 27 to October 3.  The delegation includes 
representatives from the Brazilian Association of Textile and 
Clothing (ABIT) and the Brazilian Association of Man-Made Fibers 
(ABRAFAS).  They will meet with GoH officials, international 
institutions, and textile factory owners.  Participants plan to 
visit textile assembly plants in Port-au-Prince and the free-trade 
zone of Ouanaminthe. 
 
¶8. (U) The 10th Annual Caribbean Business Forum is planned for 
October 21 to 24 in Haiti.  The forum will provide Caribbean 
investors and entrepreneurs an opportunity to create business 
partnerships with the Haitian private sector.  Funding for the event 
is being provided by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the 
GoH, and USD 100,000 from the Taiwanese government. 
 
¶9. (U) The Organization of American States (OAS), in conjunction 
with the Mexican government, is organizing a working meeting to be 
held in Mexico next November for coordination of international 
cooperation of Haitian socio-economic development. 
 
¶10. (U) Former President Bill Clinton, the UN Special Envoy to 
Haiti, will be hosting an international business meeting in 
Port-au-Prince on October 1 and 2, to encourage more U.S. private 
sector investment in Haiti, particularly in the apparel assembly 
sector.  Dozens of U.S. businesspersons and investors are scheduled 
to participate. 
 
¶11. (U) The World Bank 2010 Doing Business Report ranked Haiti as 
one of the worst countries for doing business in the Latin 
American-Caribbean region.  Haiti, however, did improve three ranks 
from last year (from 154 to 151 out of 183 countries surveyed). 
Improvements were made in securing property rights and employing 
workers.  Haiti also expanded access to credit by modifying 
collateral standards and accelerated trade with an online document 
handling system and 24-hour port operations. 
 
Urban Renewal 
------------- 
 
¶12. (U) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is initiating a renovation 
project of the Bicentenaire area (downtown Port-au-Prince).  USD 
500,000 is being provided by the Taiwanese government and other 
entities, such as the Haitian Central Bank. 
 
¶13. (U) The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) initiated a 
USD 50,000 sanitation project in the city of Les Cayes. 
 
 
Customs 
------- 
 
¶14. (U) A new customs office was opened in Thomassique in the 
Central Plateau to strengthen border controls and fight smuggling 
activities in the region. 

=======================CABLE ENDS============================