February 7, 2003
Business
Opportunities in Haiti
·
On April 8, 2002,
President Aristide and President Mejia inaugurated the site of an industrial
free zone to be constructed on the Haitian side of their shared Haitian/Dominican
border. This free zone promises
to bring 1,500 new jobs to the area in the project’s first phase and 8,000
new jobs by the project’s completion.
·
Less than two weeks
later, Haiti’s parliament ratified a $40 million hotel project with a U.S.-based
group of investors planning to build a Hilton Hotel in Haiti. This landmark hotel, “Hilton Haiti”, will
be the only hotel in Haiti operated by an international hotel group.
·
Upon his return from
an official State visit to the Republic of China Taiwan last July, President
Aristide received business delegations from Taiwan ready to survey investment
possibilities in Haiti. One
group signed a preliminary commitment to open an apparel factory in Haiti,
an investment valued at $6 million.
·
The Government of
Haiti supports a bill currently before the U.S. Congress that would extend
trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, to Haiti.
History of Minimum Wage Increases
After President
Aristide was inaugurated in 1991 he addressed the growing movement for a
raise in the minimum wage. At the same time that President Aristide
was campaigning for increased wages, he was ousted through a coup d'etat. In 1994, after democracy was restored to
Haiti, President Aristide once again responded to the cries of Haiti's workers
for an increase in the minimum wage. President
Aristide was committed to raising the minimum wage to 72 gourdes but after
lengthy dialogue with the labor unions, domestic and foreign employers doing
business in Haiti, the international community, interest groups, and the
public and private sector, the bill that finally went before Parliament
raised the wage to 36 gourdes a day, which represented US$2.40 at that time.
Movement
to Increase the Minimum Wage
Recently, with
the international rise in gas prices, the devaluation of the gourde, and
the Haitian government's inability to continue to subsidize the gas prices
for the nation, transportation costs have risen drastically in Haiti. The
high cost of buses and public transport make going to work barely worthwhile
and a new debate has arisen for an increase in the 36 gourdes minimum wage.
In January, in response to the increased gas prices, the Haitian government,
recommended that the minimum wage be raised to 72 gourdes (US$2.05). A
dialogue has begun between the various sectors (labor unions, domestic and
foreign employers doing business in Haiti, the international community,
interest groups, and the public and private sector) to come to an agreement
on a proposed new minimum wage. On February 7, 2003 President Aristide
announced consent on an increase to 70 gourdes.
