PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI — A pivotal two-day workshop addressing Haiti’s systemic challenges in financing local authorities commenced this week at the Montana Hotel, spearheaded by Interior Minister Paul Antoine Bien-Aimé. The collaborative initiative between the Ministry of the Interior and Territorial Communities (MICT) and the National Federation of Haitian Mayors (FENAMH) convened national and international stakeholders to tackle one of Haiti’s most pressing governance issues.
The high-level gathering witnessed participation from Minister of National Education, UNDP Resident Representative Xavier Michon, directors of multiple governmental agencies, and representatives from municipal associations across Haiti. This diverse attendance underscored the national significance of resolving funding disparities that hinder local development.
Central to the discussions was the critical financial paralysis facing municipal governments, which lack both administrative autonomy and sufficient resources to provide essential public services. The workshop served as both diagnostic assessment and advocacy platform, aiming to establish effective mechanisms for equitable fund distribution that would enable meaningful decentralization.
Minister Bien-Aimé delivered a forceful address demanding the repatriation of the Local Government Management Fund (FONDCT) to municipal control. Revealing that 90% of municipalities and all communal sections depend on these allocations, the Minister condemned the current concentration of public resources as fundamentally unjust and unsustainable. His declaration that ‘It’s time for the Ministry of the Interior and local authorities to manage the funds of local authorities again!’ signaled a potential paradigm shift in Haiti’s governance structure.
FENAMH President Mayor Anténor Denoil echoed these sentiments, framing effective decentralization as essential for local development and constitutional compliance. The Minister of National Education further contextualized the crisis, explaining how chronic underfunding perpetuates regional disparities and deepens social inequalities.
UNDP Representative Xavier Michon endorsed the initiative as a crucial step toward establishing practical financing mechanisms. The MICT reinforced that local financing represents the cornerstone for proportionate decentralization and sustainable community development throughout Haiti.