Haitian-Bahamian Relations

1. Haitian-Bahamian Relations Gregory Mevs visit Ambassador at Large for Trade and Investment Bahamas, June 25th 2012

2. Haiti, a land of opportunities 27,750Km2 Main towns : Port -au-Prince:3 888 250 Cap Haitien : 931 226 Gonaives : 1 559 314 Les Cayes : 665 028

3. Haiti, a land of opportunities • Population : 10 millions (50% in urban zones) • Working Population : 60% • GDP : 7, 33 billions (2010)* • GDP per Capita : 733 $ US • HDI : 0,546 (2010*) • Life expectancy : 62 years (2010*) • Languages: Creole, French; managers and businessmen speak English or Spanish • Minimum wage : 200 Gdes or 5 US • Labor force: 4,38 millions • Main exports: Apparels, light manufactures, plant oils, mangoes, cocoa • Main imports: Food, manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipments, fuels and lubricants • Foreign direct investment: 37.95 millions $ USD (2009)

4. Main Partners and Affiliations • Framework agreements drawn up according to the most-favoured-nation principle have been signed with Argentina, China, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Germany, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, and Liberia. • Free trade and special Agreement : CARICOM, CBI, EPA, Hope II, Help Act • International Convention :World Bank, WTO, NU, OAS, IDB, IMF, ICSID, MIGA,OMPI • Major partners for exports : United States, Dominican Republic, Canada, Mexico • Major partners for imports: United States, China, Brazil, Colombia

5. Market and Free Trade Agreement • CARIFORUM/ European Union: Economic Partnership Agreement • CARICOM • USA: Caribbean Basin Initiative • Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE)/ Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP)

6. Current Situation Haiti is grateful to the World Community and specially to the Bahamas for the huge support that it has afforded it after the earthquake. The Humanitarian aid has healed the needy , the homeless and the wounded. However, this nation of 10,000,000 people claims for dignity , jobs and sustainable projects. Many of its citizens from its northwest and northern regions have emigrated in the Bahamas for lack of opportunities . As Haiti rebuilds the immigration situation will change . The Bahamas has vested interest in Haiti’s economic reconstruction as a way to expand its economy and create jobs

7. Needs • Projects that integrates jobs, infrastructure , housing, alternative energy using Haiti's unique access to world markets is welcomed. • Projects that deals with the economic corridor of the north close to the Bahamas both in geographic and cultural proximity can benefit to both nations. • Haiti is looking to develop its islands ( Ile de la Tortue, Ile a Vache, Ile de la Gonaveie..) as touristic and offshore hubs, Bahamian firms have a unique knowhow that can be transferred. • Concessions can be signed with the Haitian State in that domain

8. Opportunities for Bahamian firms • Haiti's government and political class with the help of the international community is building back better its airports, ports, electricity systems, water systems on a ecological sound and decentralized approach. • Haiti welcomes private investments in all areas including in infrastructure projects by granting concessions to private firms or through PPP. • Haiti gives tax holydays and incentives to investors that are some of the most generous in the hemisphere • Bahamian firms can expand their economic activity into a 10,000,000 person market

9. Supportive Instruments Haiti is also is a member of ACP and EBA granted by the EU witch affords it the best customs tariffs to Europe. In addition it has best nation treatment by customs of the US, Canada and Caribbean countries. Furthermore, through WTO being a least developed country affords it most favorable customs treatment in all OTC member countries. The US government enacted a legislation for textiles giving Haiti the best tariff and quota treatment in the world. HELP law Haiti is both a member of Miga ( political risk Insurance treaty with World bank and ICSTID arbitration court between state and companies} Haiti is a member of Caricom and the Caribbean Development Bank

10. Maritime Assets Haiti is on the windward passage the direct extension of the Panama Canal. 34 per cent of all Maritime trade goes through it. The widening of the Canal of Panama will push this volume to 48 per cent of world maritime traffic. The world's most important trade lane offers great potential as a maritime hub witch will make one of the most competitive commerce and shipping platform. The Bahamas has the most important trans-shipment hub in Freeport a joint maritime strategy should be articulated by both countries

11. Natural Resources Very interesting precious metals  mining potentials are being negotiated witch in a few years Haiti one the most important exporter of precious metals in the Central America/ Caribbean region.

12. Housing The housing sector 600,000 homes needs to be built. The government has many projects for public housing and is creating the legislation and fiscal incentives to promote private projects or PPP. It is rebuilding the administrative centers of the capital. The Bahamas has a skilled , experience and well capitalised construction industry

13. Tourism Haiti next to Jamaica, Cuba and the Dominican Republic has beautiful beaches has also Proximity to the US (1:40 minutes by plane  from Miami, Florida) but also receives more than 600,000 cruise ship passengers. It offers a unique culture and historical sites that exists nowhere in the Caribbean. Tourism sector in the Bahamas is strong , the enterprises that are in that industry can support Haiti’s emergence as a destination Joint destination products can be developed as touristic products offered are complementary not in competition Haiti is upgrading its Cap Haitian airport as an international airport and improving the Port de Paix Airport allowing for more flights from the Bahamas

14. Agriculture The Agricultural and fishery sector is eager to find Bahamian partners to feed the 10,000,000 people of Haiti and the 30,000,000 people of the Caribbean. Proximity to the US and privileges  trade access to all markets including the EU can greatly benefit from Finnish investments and know-how on greenhouses  and  organic agriculture. The Bahamas imports 5 billion dollars of food and does not have a lot of land for Agriculture Haiti can become again the main food provider to the Bahamas The areas from where Haitian immigrants come from such as the Northwest and North of Haiti can be prioritized thus stabilizing the immigration factor

15. Environment Haiti's biggest challenge is its environment. The forest coverage has gone from 30 per cent to 1.5 per cent in 50 years. The country is launching an LPG based domestic energy program to lessen the needs of wood as domestic or industrial energy.

16. Energy Haiti is looking to develop its energy sector as much as possible seeks to develop green energies such as hydroelectric , wind and solar.

17. Earmarking The government will earmark over 1 billion dollars as part of its own resources for PPP. Its investment code is one the most generous in the world in terms of tax holidays. It is a country being rebuilt looking for trade and investments to create lasting jobs. It is working toward being the most competitive nation in the Caribbean.

18. Knowledge Transfer The collective and unique  know-how of Bahamian firms, civil society and academia is welcomed. We will do as a nation to support Bahamian initiative and partnership. We seek to become a privileged partner of Bahamas.

19. Challenges and opportunities : the path forward: • Change the dynamics of the bi-national relationships so trade and investment can flow • Allow for policies to build common projects to enhance logistics and access to market • Turn the fact that a substantial part of Bahamian population has Haitian roots as a way to create a bridge to promote trade , exchanges and knowhow transfer for the benefit of both economy • Let us build one Caribbean. It starts with us today.

20. 8 Reasons to choose Haiti 1. CLOSE • Haiti is close ( 651 miles - 72 hours by boat and 90 minutes by plane) to United States (300 million potential consumers and USD47, 400 GDP per Capita) and privileged access to US market (Help Agreement) 2. COMPETITIVE • Haiti has the lowest labor costs compare to Dominican Republic, China, Pakistan or India . A workforce equivalent to 4,3 millions and relatively young and skilled workers compared to other countries in the region, where overall population is only close to 100,000 inhabitants.   50% lower than Nicaragua, • 38 % than Colombia, • 31% than Guatemala and, • 30% compared to Dominican Republic

21. 8 Reasons to choose Haiti 3. ATTRACTIVE • No tradition of expropriation and guarantee of property rights • Two fast-growing sectors: Tourism and garment. Tourism: The gap between supply and demand increased even more after the earthquake. Around 1.400 rooms are needed but the current supply is around 450 (800 – 900 before the earthquake).   High growth margins versus saturation in our Caribbean neighbors: • Air arrivals multiplied by 3 since 2005 • Cruise passengers sum up to 500,000-600,000 per year • Garment: Haiti is the fastest growing garment exporter to the U.S. and the 5th largest supplier to the U.S. of knit T-shirts, singlets, and tank tops (HTS 6109), measured by the total value of imports in 2006-2010. Exports increased 16.2% in the period Jan-March 2009 while China’s grew only 0.3%.

22. 8 Reasons to choose Haiti 4. OPEN • Preferential Access to the US market for light-manufacturing. Apparel exports to US multiplied by 2 in the last 15 years. 5. FLEXIBLE • Flexible and efficient regulation on employing Workers. Ranked 28th in Doing Business (Word Bank Group) in the category Hiring Workers vs 26 average OECD (Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development) rank. 6. INVESTOR FRIENDLY • Zero tax rate up to 15 years with an additional five years of a digressive rate.

23. 8 Reasons to choose Haiti 7. COMMITTED • Haiti has ratified in 2009, the International Convention for Settlement of Investment Disputes to increase foreign investor’s protection when contracting with the government Zero tax rate up to 15 years with an additional five years of a digressive rate 8. VIRGIN • Haiti is full of potential waiting to be exploited. A coastline 190 km long, half of which is covered by beaches; several islands and islets the size of Martinique; as well as numerous historical and natural sites would be ripe for mass tourism. A virgin country full of potential waiting to be exploited in different areas

24. Sectors eligible for incentives • Exclusively oriented toward export and re-export; • made in Agriculture; • made in handicrafts; • made in tourism and related services; • made in the Free Trade Zones; • made in other special sectors and regimes like construction.

25. Investment Protection • Equal treatment of Haitian and Foreign investor • Guaranty of property right and no tradition of expropriation. • Protection of trademarks, patents and labels as well as other forms of industrial protection • Free repatriation of dividends and other revenues • Ratification of international convention for investment guarantee and protection: ICSID convention and MIGA convention • Establishment of a National Chamber of Arbitration and Conciliation • Signature of bilateral investment protection treaties with France , United States, Germany , United kingdom. • Implementation of Public Private Partnership (PPP) and Investments in Industrial Zones to welcome new businesses and investments

26. Thank you ! For further information please contact: Gregory MEVS Ambassador at Large Trade and Investment gregory.mevs@diplomatie.htgregorymevs@hotmail.com Margarette LEMAIRE Conselor Economic Trade and Cultural Affairs margarette.lemaire@diplomatie.ht