Funded by the European Union to the tune of €7.2 million (± 9.3 million) over the next three years, the program binational of trade support, will strengthen the capacity of relevant public institutions on both sides of the border, in the areas of trade, of the promotion of investment and customs, and support the initiatives of the private sector.

This program comes dedicate the privileged partnership between the EU and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, at the service of economic and social development of Haiti and will be implemented by the Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA), regional organization dedicated to the promotion of trade, exports and investment.

This program of trade support will be officially launched on Tuesday morning, September 18, by the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Wilson Laleau, the Haitian Minister of Commerce, Antonio Vargas Hernandez National Authorising Officer (Dominican Republic) and Joao De Santana, Chief of Operations of the Delegation of the European Union, will intervene through speeches during the ceremony.

This program is a major pillar, which is part of the binational cooperation signed in March 2012 between the European Union and the Government of Haiti, for a total of 18.7 million euros (± 24 million) .

The challenge is considerable : the Dominican Republic is officially became the second largest trading partner of country (more than a billion dollars in 2011, according to the latest estimates), but more importantly, it is the country with which Haiti has, the heavier trade deficit. In this context, this Binational Program of trade support responds primarily to the need to harmonize and rebalance the economic relations, so that they are beneficial to the sustainable development of both nations. It will allow to support the efforts and commitments in this sense of Haitian institutions, a struggle in which the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is at the forefront.

HL/ HaitiLibre