Carib Scope

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  • Ambassadeur Panka en PSD bespreken grotere rol diaspora bij ontwikkeling Suriname

    Ambassadeur Panka en PSD bespreken grotere rol diaspora bij ontwikkeling Suriname

    The Surinamese Embassy based in the Netherlands and the Platform Surinamese Diaspora Foundation (PSD), one of the oldest umbrella organizations for Surinamese communities living abroad, have agreed to ramp up collaborative engagement with the global Surinamese diaspora to drive national development back home. The landmark meeting, held in The Hague, centered on advancing the structured diaspora dialogue initiative, with discussions covering priority areas including cross-border knowledge sharing, targeted foreign investment, inclusive economic growth, and the unique role overseas Surinamese can play in shaping their country’s future.

    Founded in 2013 by three established Suriname-Netherlands community organizations — the Knowledge Circle Netherlands-Suriname Foundation, the Suriname Consultation Body, and the Association of Surinamese Dutch — PSD has expanded steadily over the past decade. More than 20 additional diaspora groups have joined its network, including representatives of Suriname’s Indigenous and Maroon communities as well as a range of civil society organizations. Today, the broader ecosystem of Surinamese diaspora organizations connected to PSD has grown to over 40 groups, all aligned around a shared mission: to leverage the multicultural network’s collective resources to advance Suriname’s development and strengthen the cultural, social and economic bonds between the homeland and its global diaspora.

    The bilateral talks took place in advance of Suriname’s annual Heritage Month, held throughout August, which celebrates the South American nation’s rich cultural, historical and natural heritage. Both the Surinamese Embassy and PSD will organize and promote dedicated events throughout the month to highlight this legacy.

    Suriname’s Ambassador to the Netherlands Ricardo Panka, who led the embassy’s delegation alongside members of the ambassadorial council and secretariat staff, reaffirmed the embassy’s commitment to maintaining an open, active dialogue with diaspora groups. Beyond core discussions of knowledge exchange and investment, the meeting also explored new economic opportunities emerging from Suriname’s growing oil and gas sector, including spin-off benefits for tourism, hospitality, and education sectors. Additional topics touched on during the talks included public commemoration of Suriname’s history of slavery, access to microcredit for local entrepreneurs, and addressing gaps in old-age pension benefits for diaspora members.

    Following the discussions, Panka described the meeting as constructive and candid, emphasizing that strong collaboration between the Surinamese government and its diaspora is a cornerstone of long-term national progress. Representing PSD at the meeting were chair Robby Makka, secretary Roy Ashruf, treasurer Ram Rambharatsing, board member Diana Vlet, and advisor Iwan Starke. Looking ahead, PSD announced plans to strengthen its governing board and advisory council in the coming months, and reiterated that the organization remains open to new partnerships with other Surinamese diaspora organizations to expand its impact.

  • CARICOM Chair: Emancipation must continue through economic empowerment and opportunity

    CARICOM Chair: Emancipation must continue through economic empowerment and opportunity

    As Caribbean nations prepare to mark Emancipation Day 2026, pausing to honor the generations of enslaved ancestors who fought and sacrificed for freedom, the Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Prime Minister of St. Lucia has delivered a powerful call to action, arguing that the region’s centuries-long fight for full emancipation remains unfinished until widespread economic empowerment is achieved for all Caribbean people.

    Across the bloc, countries celebrated the annual commemoration over a long holiday weekend, and in a keynote address from Basseterre, St. Kitts, Pierre emphasized that true freedom extends far beyond the hard-won political independence many Caribbean nations secured in the 20th century. For emancipation to be meaningful, he argued, Caribbean communities must gain equitable access to wealth creation pathways, asset ownership, and inclusive economic opportunity. “They deserve opportunity. They deserve ownership. They deserve prosperity,” Pierre stated. “We must build economies where Caribbean people are creating wealth, not merely consuming it. Where our young people see opportunity at home. Where our entrepreneurs can succeed. Where our farmers, fishers and manufacturers are valued. Where hard work is rewarded with dignity. That is the Caribbean we must build.”

    A central pillar of Pierre’s vision centers on prioritizing youth in all regional development strategies. He stressed that the next generation must be equipped with the cutting-edge skills needed to lead innovation and drive sustainable growth across the bloc. “Every child deserves the chance to dream. Every young person deserves the chance to achieve,” Pierre said. He called on regional education systems to refocus curricula to prepare young people “to innovate, to lead, to build businesses, to master technology, to transform our societies,” while encouraging young Caribbean people to leverage their unique talents and perspectives to strengthen both their home nations and the broader CARICOM community.

    Beyond youth development, Pierre identified two critical infrastructure priorities as foundational to genuine regional independence: food security and energy security. Addressing food security first, he warned that no Caribbean nation can claim true sovereign security if it remains unable to feed its own population. Against a backdrop of persistent global economic uncertainty, skyrocketing commodity costs, and shifting international trade frameworks, Pierre urged regional governments to accelerate investments in local agricultural, fishing, and food production sectors. “Every acre cultivated, every farmer supported, every fisher encouraged, every Caribbean product placed on our supermarket shelves brings us one step closer to genuine independence,” he noted. Currently, the Caribbean collectively carries a massive food import bill, leaving most small island developing states in the region dangerously exposed to external shocks, from global supply chain disruptions to sudden shifts in global trade policy.

    Turning to energy security, Pierre framed the transition to affordable, reliable, cleaner energy as both an economic and environmental imperative for the region. “Our future depends upon affordable, reliable and cleaner sources of energy,” he said. “Not only because it protects our environment, but because it strengthens our economy, creates jobs and lowers the cost of living for our people.” For Pierre, both food and energy sovereignty are not just routine development goals—they are core components of the “unfinished journey of emancipation” that began with the abolition of chattel slavery.

    Pierre also addressed the Caribbean’s longstanding collective campaign for reparatory justice for the transatlantic slave trade and centuries of chattel slavery, clarifying that the regional call for reparations is rooted in demands for truth and historical accountability, not blame or retaliation. “The pursuit of reparations for slavery is not about blame, not about revenge. It is about the truth and justice for the human suffering of slavery,” Pierre explained. He reflected on the resilience of the millions of enslaved African people who retained their dignity, hope, and resistance across generations of systemic dehumanization. “Today, we remember the women, men and children whose bodies were enslaved, but whose spirits could never be conquered,” he said. “Because they endured, because they resisted, because they believed, we stand here today as a free people.”

    Pierre emphasized that Emancipation Day is far more than a historical commemoration: it is a persistent reminder of the struggles past generations overcame, and the uncompleted responsibilities that rest on current Caribbean leadership and communities. “Freedom was never handed to our ancestors. Freedom was demanded. Freedom was fought for. Freedom was paid for with sacrifice, with courage and with an unbreakable faith,” he said. He added that while the abolition of slavery marked a pivotal turning point in the region’s history, it did not erase systemic inequality or deliver full, inclusive freedom overnight.

    Reflecting on the Caribbean’s complex and often traumatic history—including Indigenous dispossession, African chattel slavery, indentured labor systems, and centuries of colonial rule—Pierre highlighted the extraordinary resilience and achievements of Caribbean people that emerged from that trauma. “Out of pain our people created beauty. Out of struggle our people created strength. Out of oppression our people created hope,” he said. “We built nations. We built communities. We built democracies.” He pointed to the region’s globally celebrated contributions to music, literature, art, and culture, reminding Caribbean citizens that they have every right to be proud of their shared identity and collective progress. “We are Caribbean people. We are a proud people. We are a resilient people. And we have every reason to believe in our future.”

    In closing, Pierre urged all Caribbean residents to frame freedom as both an inherited privilege and an intergenerational responsibility. “Every generation inherits more than freedom; it inherits a responsibility,” he said. “Our responsibility is to honour the sacrifices of those who came before us by building a society that is more just, more united and more prosperous than the one they entrusted to us.” He closed with a call to build a unified CARICOM where emancipation is not only marked by annual celebrations, but reflected in the equal access to opportunity and prosperity that shapes the daily lives of all Caribbean people.

  • Rodney Deekman grote winnaar van Suripop 2026 met ‘Konsensi’

    Rodney Deekman grote winnaar van Suripop 2026 met ‘Konsensi’

    Suriname’s most prestigious annual songwriting competition, Suripop 2026, concluded on Saturday evening with a historic victory for homegrown composer Rodney Deekman, who took home three of the event’s top awards in a night of groundbreaking changes to the competition format.

    Deekman’s original composition *Konsensi*, which he performed himself, was named the best song of the entire festival by the event’s panel of nine independent industry judges. He also walked away with two additional major honors: Best Performance and Best Video, cementing his status as the undisputed standout of this year’s competition.

    The podium was rounded out by composer Sjachnaz Pengel, who secured second place with his entry *No Syi Mi Trafasi*, while Damian Jihntoe took third position with *Lib’ en So*.

    A defining and unprecedented shift marked the 20026 edition of Suripop: for the first time in the competition’s decades-long history, participating composers were given the opportunity to perform their own compositions directly, rather than assigning the performance to a separate vocalist. Only two competitors, Deekman and Rafiël ‘Raff Chanko’, chose to take advantage of this new rule—and for Deekman, the decision paid off dramatically, paving the way for his multi-award sweep.

    The nine-member expert jury, led by chair Patrick Brunings and completed by members Earnie Eenig, Irfaan Gajadhar, Nita Ramcharan, Jurmic Partodongso, Thirza Perk, Peter Waterberg, Fanisha Salamat, and Melvin Groenveld, evaluated all 12 finalist entries based on four strict core criteria: pop appeal, catchy chorus or verse, narrative engagement, and harmonic composition. Each juror scored entries individually with no group deliberation to alter final results, awarding up to 10 points per criterion for a maximum total score of 40 points per entry from each judge. Separate individual scoring was also conducted to determine winners of specialty awards including Best Performance.

    With his 2026 victory, Deekman now joins the prestigious roster of acclaimed composers who have claimed the top title at Suripop, an event that has served as Suriname’s premier platform for emerging and established songwriting talent for decades. The emotional evening ended with Deekman as the celebrated star of the night, marking a historic milestone for both the competition and his career.

  • Zapping Haiti of August 2nd, 2026

    Zapping Haiti of August 2nd, 2026

    On August 2, 2026, a series of interconnected updates emerged from Haiti and neighboring countries with significant Haitian diaspora communities, spanning law enforcement, consular support, sports, judiciary administration, education reform, and municipal public order initiatives.

  • Trump Administration Makes Visa Bond Programme Permanent; Two Caribbean Nations Included

    Trump Administration Makes Visa Bond Programme Permanent; Two Caribbean Nations Included

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Building on a year-long trial that program leaders frame as a proven success, the second Trump administration announced Friday it will convert its temporary Visa Bond Pilot Program into a permanent immigration policy, with the new permanent rule taking effect Monday, August 3, 2026.

    First launched earlier this year as a temporary measure targeting temporary visitor overstays, the framework gives U.S. consular officials the authority to require select B-1/B-2 visitor visa applicants – which cover travel for business and leisure purposes – to put down a refundable financial deposit before their visa is approved. Under the permanent rules, the bond amount ranges from $5,000 to $20,000, with individual consular officers adjusting the sum based on each applicant’s specific circumstances.

    The core policy goal of the program is to incentivize compliance with nonimmigrant visa terms, ensuring that temporary visitors exit the U.S. before their authorized period of stay expires. The administration’s formal announcement was published in the Federal Register, where officials laid out their case that the 12-month pilot generated enough data to confirm visa bonds are an effective tool for boosting temporary visitor compliance with immigration rules.

    The interagency evaluation conducted during the pilot, which included input from the U.S. Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of the Treasury, concluded that the bond system is both operationally feasible and effective at cutting rates of visa overstays, one of the most common sources of unlawful residual presence in the U.S.

    While the majority of nations on the program’s designated country list are African countries, the roster also includes two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states: Antigua and Barbuda, and Dominica.

    This permanent codification of the visa bond program aligns with the broader hardline immigration agenda the Trump administration has advanced since returning to office in 2025. Over the past year, the administration has rolled out a suite of policies targeting both unauthorized and legal immigration, including stricter visa screening protocols, expanded interior immigration enforcement raids, and increased deportation numbers.

    Administration officials have repeatedly emphasized that visa overstays account for a large share of people who remain in the U.S. in violation of immigration law. By tying compliance to a refundable financial deposit, officials argue the program creates a direct financial incentive for visitors to abide by their visa terms and depart on schedule. The pilot was initially rolled out for dozens of countries earlier this year, with the designated country list expanded in a May 2026 update ahead of the permanent transition.

    In addition to the visa bond program, the administration has advanced another controversial immigration policy change affecting international students and foreign journalists: replacing the longstanding “Duration of Status” rule, which allows authorized stay for the duration of an individual’s academic program or journalistic assignment, with fixed maximum periods of authorized stay. That proposal has sparked sharp pushback from student advocacy groups and media organizations, which warn the change will introduce unnecessary uncertainty for people legally residing, studying, and working in the United States.

    According to the Federal Register notice, the permanent visa bond program is being implemented to fulfill the mandates of Executive Order 14159, titled “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” which directs all federal immigration agencies to strengthen enforcement measures and improve overall compliance with U.S. immigration law.

  • Korpschef Pinas peilt zorgen bewoners: meer surveillance en snellere politiehulp gevraagd

    Korpschef Pinas peilt zorgen bewoners: meer surveillance en snellere politiehulp gevraagd

    On a recent Saturday, Suriname Police Chief Melvin Pinas led a community walkthrough in the De Nieuwe Grond neighborhood, cutting through bureaucratic layers to hear directly from residents about their experiences with and expectations for local law enforcement. The outreach initiative forms a core part of Pinas’ long-stated goal to bridge the growing gap between police forces and the communities they serve.

    Since taking office, the chief has emphasized that sustained, close engagement between police and the public is non-negotiable for effective public safety. Sitting behind a desk only gives leadership secondhand accounts from officers, Pinas explained during the walk, noting that on-the-ground conversations offer unfiltered insight into how community members actually experience policing.

    While many residents reported that their neighborhood currently remains relatively calm and expressed a desire to preserve that stability, almost all shared key priorities for improving local police services. The most commonly cited demands included faster processing of police reports, more decisive action against criminal activity, clearer, visible outcomes following police interventions, and an increase in regular neighborhood patrols to deter crime. Even residents satisfied with overall local safety pushed for more consistent, visible police presence to maintain current low crime rates.

    Other residents voiced more specific frustrations with systemic delays in police work. Multiple attendees called out the months-long wait for accident reports required for insurance claims, a burden that leaves crash victims waiting extended periods for compensation they are owed. Complaints also included the complete lack of follow-up updates provided to victims of crimes such as robbery, even when surveillance footage clearly identifies potential suspects. Many residents also shared a widespread perception that preferential treatment is common, claiming that connections within the police force are required to get cases processed in a timely manner.

    Following the walkthrough, Pinas hosted a follow-up community meeting at the Penny and Jon School to continue the conversation. While turnout for the meeting was lower than expected, attendees raised a broad range of additional public safety concerns that require police attention. These issues included reckless driving by e-bike users and bus drivers particularly during peak commuting hours, groups of people loitering outside retail establishments late into the night, repeated vandalism of critical fiber optic infrastructure, excessive noise from overnight neighborhood parties, suspicious unfamiliar individuals loitering in residential areas, and vehicles with heavily tinted windows parked for extended periods in neighborhood streets, which residents view as a potential security risk.

    Throughout both the walk and the subsequent meeting, Pinas shared his personal contact number with all attendees and gave a formal commitment that the police service would prioritize addressing every complaint and tip received during the outreach. In a major policy announcement tied to the engagement push, Pinas revealed that the national police is developing a dedicated mobile application that will allow residents to submit anonymous tips, and upload photos or other evidence related to suspicious activity or crimes. Pinas noted that the app is designed to remove barriers to reporting and enable faster, more effective responses to criminal offenses across communities.

    Reflecting on the day’s outreach, Pinas said he viewed the initiative as a success, but acknowledged that future events need more proactive publicity to draw a larger, more representative cross-section of neighborhood residents. Similar face-to-face community engagement sessions are already scheduled for the coming months in other Surinamese communities including Para, Galibi, and Tamanredjo, as the police force continues its push to build closer, more trust-based ties with the public.

  • Extension of the UN cooperation framework until December 31, 2028

    Extension of the UN cooperation framework until December 31, 2028

    On July 30, 2026, high-level officials from the Haitian government and the United Nations system gathered at Port-au-Prince’s Karibe Hotel for a landmark steering committee meeting focused on the future of their long-standing strategic partnership. Co-chaired by Haiti’s Planning and External Cooperation Minister Sandra Paulemon and UN Resident Coordinator Nicole Boni Kouassi, the gathering brought together a broad cross-section of stakeholders, including multiple cabinet ministers, representatives from the diplomatic community, international technical and financial partners, UN agency heads, civil society leaders, and Haitian national institutional representatives.

    The meeting centered on two core objectives: a full annual review of cooperation activities completed in 2025, and formal approval of an extension to the UN-Haiti Cooperation Framework, pushing its end date from the original expiration to December 31, 2028. The initiative builds on the strategic direction set by the administration of Haitian Prime Minister Fils-Aimé, which has prioritized aligned collective action to address the country’s most pressing challenges.

    In her opening address to the committee, Minister Paulemon stressed that Haiti’s complex current challenges demand cohesive, coordinated government action paired with aligned international support. She framed the extended Cooperation Framework as far more than a bureaucratic agreement, positioning it as the foundational shared platform that unites government and UN action around Haiti’s nationally defined priorities. “This framework is not just another policy document,” Paulemon told attendees. “It is the common ground through which the Haitian government and the United Nations system organize collective action that directly serves our national development goals.”

    Kouassi reciprocated the acknowledgment, praising the Haitian government’s consistent leadership in guiding the bilateral strategic partnership. She reinforced the role of the steering committee as the central joint governance body for the framework, tasked with setting broad strategic direction, verifying that all UN support aligns with national priorities, reviewing implementation results, and hosting open strategic dialogue. “It is a privileged space for strategic dialogue: a place where we can speak frankly about the difficulties, the necessary adjustments, and the choices to be made together,” Kouassi explained of the committee’s mandate.

    Minister Paulemon used the meeting to reaffirm the Haitian government’s top current priority: restoring nationwide security. She outlined the government’s ongoing core initiatives, including the implementation of the National Commission for Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration, and Rehabilitation, acceleration of the National Program for Stabilization and Economic, Social, and Territorial Recovery, expansion and strengthening of essential social services, protection of human rights, coordinated action to combat gender-based violence, consolidation of democratic governance, and direct support for Haiti’s ongoing democratic transition.

    Over the course of the meeting, stakeholders conducted a thorough review of 2025 implementation results, documented key lessons learned from the past year of cooperation, and debated strategic adjustments and programmatic priorities for the extended 2026–2028 cycle. By the close of discussions, attendees unanimously approved a revised programmatic framework that aligns all future cooperation with the government’s stated priorities and adapts programming to reflect Haiti’s evolving socio-political context.

    On the topic of global sustainable development, Paulemon reaffirmed Haiti’s unwavering commitment to meeting the targets laid out in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. She outlined ongoing government efforts to reduce poverty and food insecurity, expand public access to quality healthcare, education, clean drinking water and core infrastructure, advance women’s economic and political empowerment, and strengthen community resilience across the country. The minister acknowledged, however, that SDG 16 – focused on peace, justice and strong institutions – has become the foundational prerequisite for progress on all other sustainable development targets. She also highlighted growing progress toward SDG 5 (gender equality), noting that five women now hold strategic cabinet portfolios in the current government.

    As the meeting concluded, Paulemon expressed optimism that the extension of the Cooperation Framework would translate to expanded, more effective collective action, greater alignment across stakeholders, and more tangible results for Haitian communities. She emphasized that this ambition will depend entirely on consistent cross-stakeholder alignment of priorities, sustained resource mobilization, and transparent joint progress reporting. The Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation, she confirmed, will continue to lead coordination across all sectors, working alongside national institutions, local authorities, civil society groups, the private sector, the Haitian diaspora, the United Nations, and international technical and financial partners to deliver on the framework’s shared goals.

  • Economy : ADIH Strategic Industrial Policy Plan

    Economy : ADIH Strategic Industrial Policy Plan

    After six consecutive years of deepening economic contraction that has left Haiti’s industrial sector on the brink of collapse, the Association of Industries of Haiti (ADIH) has launched an ambitious 25-year Strategic Industrial Policy Plan (PSPI 2026-2050), developed in close coordination with Haiti’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry following extensive input from across the national industrial sector’s key stakeholders.

    Decades of systemic stagnation have left Haiti facing cascading structural economic challenges that demand urgent, coordinated intervention, according to data included in the plan. IMF figures show that industrial contribution to Haiti’s gross domestic product (GDP) has plummeted from 18% in the 1980s to just 4.5% in 2026. Nearly 78% of the country’s working-age population is either underemployed or locked out of the formal labor market, while an annual $4 billion trade deficit reflects that Haiti imports more than 80% of its consumer goods. Cumulative inflation over the past six years has surpassed 30%, eroding business working capital before production cycles even conclude, and electricity costs exceed $0.52 per kilowatt-hour—multiple times the regional average—rendering domestic production uncompetitive on the global and even regional stage. Without immediate structural reform, ADIH warns these trends will permanently cripple Haiti’s productive base, eliminate prospects for job growth, and deepen the country’s dangerous dependence on foreign imports.

    At its core, the PSPI proposes a landmark National Competitiveness Pact between the Haitian government and the country’s productive sectors, designed to rebuild industrial capacity over 25 years and lay the groundwork for inclusive, sovereign, and sustained long-term growth. The plan’s 2050 vision frames Haiti as a competitive, self-sustaining production economy that generates widespread formal employment, cuts import vulnerability, and consolidates national economic sovereignty.

    To turn that vision into measurable progress, the plan sets bold quantitative targets for 2050: the creation of 500,000 new formal industrial jobs (up from the current 150,000), an increase in industrial GDP contribution to 20%, a quadrupling of industrial exports from $1 billion to $4 billion annually, a 30% reduction in the national trade deficit through targeted import substitution, and $250 million in additional annual tax revenue for the Haitian government.

    A defining feature of the plan is its break from Haiti’s current industrial incentive model: instead of relying on passive tax breaks tied to corporate profits, ADIH proposes an active incentive framework centered on boosting the competitiveness of core production factors. This model draws on successful development experiences across other Caribbean and emerging economies, rooted in the belief that Haiti has untapped entrepreneurial potential that can only be unlocked with a stable, coherent competitive regulatory environment.

    Today, domestic producers remain blocked by overlapping structural barriers: exorbitant energy costs, a tax system ill-suited to support productive investment, tariffs on critical production inputs, prohibitive logistics costs, and limited access to modern manufacturing equipment. ADIH argues that strengthening industrial competitiveness is impossible without coordinated, proactive action from the public sector.

    To address these barriers, the plan is organized around six mutually reinforcing strategic pillars, each paired with concrete actionable measures:

    1. **Unlocking Domestic Production**: The first pillar targets permanent reductions in production factor costs through stable, predictable duty and tax exemptions for raw materials, industrial equipment, machinery, spare parts, production technology, and energy and storage infrastructure. This full guaranteed exemption is designed to structurally lower production costs and reduce business break-even points, allowing Haitian industries to regain their competitive edge. Under this framework, industrial firms will fulfill all tax obligations, including corporate income tax, only after the state has put in place the infrastructure and conditions needed for them to operate profitably. ADIH frames this shift as a paradigm shift toward productive sovereignty and a roadmap for national economic reconstruction aligned with evolving global trade dynamics.

    2. **Prioritizing Energy Security and Affordability**: The second pillar positions affordable energy as the non-negotiable foundation of any credible industrial policy, introducing targeted mechanisms to support productive energy use, incentivize on-site power generation, scale solar photovoltaic energy, and advance public-private partnerships to drive down costs substantially.

    3. **Upgrading Critical Production Infrastructure**: The third pillar focuses on expanding and modernizing core industrial infrastructure, including the development of new industrial zones, upgrading logistics and port facilities, and rehabilitating existing assets to streamline supply chains and cut operational lead times.

    4. **Investing in Human Capital and Technical Training**: The fourth pillar addresses gaps between workforce skills and industry demand, proposing the creation of sector-specific technical training centers, expansion of apprenticeship programs, and incentives for continuing education to align worker capabilities with industrial needs.

    5. **Expanding Access to Capital and Promoting Investment**: The fifth pillar targets persistent financing barriers, calling for the creation of a dedicated Industrial Development Fund, a public loan guarantee system, tailored refinancing mechanisms, and a targeted tax credit for industrial employment.

    6. **Strengthening Regional Integration and Global Market Access**: The sixth and final pillar aims to expand export opportunities by fully operationalizing Haiti’s participation in the CARICOM single market, consolidating existing preferential trade arrangements, and establishing a national export promotion agency to open new market channels.

    Beyond boosting production, ADIH notes the plan will deliver broad budgetary and macroeconomic benefits for the Haitian state, drawing on global evidence that well-designed competitiveness policies expand the tax base, support formalization of the informal economy, and strengthen long-term public financing capacity. By waiving taxes on production inputs, the state secures a larger share of future profits from growing, profitable firms; only formal, registered businesses can access plan incentives, driving a voluntary transition out of the informal sector; mass formal job creation will boost consumption, increase social security contributions, accelerate monetary circulation, and strengthen social stability; and a competitive industrial sector will create a national multiplier effect, supporting agricultural growth, stimulating the service sector, expanding exports, reducing imports, and strengthening Haiti’s national currency, the gourde, to stabilize the overall economy.

    To guarantee rigorous, transparent implementation over its 25-year timeline, the plan establishes a dedicated institutional framework for strategic oversight, technical execution, and public accountability. A new National Industrial Policy Council (CNPI), co-chaired by Haiti’s Prime Minister/Commerce Minister and the ADIH President, will serve as the strategic steering body meeting quarterly. A Permanent Technical Implementation Unit (UTE) will be housed within the Prime Minister’s Office to manage day-to-day execution, and sector-specific committees will be established for each priority industrial area, including agribusiness, construction, textiles, packaging, pharmaceuticals, and renewable energy. A rigorous monitoring and evaluation system will include quarterly performance dashboards, annual reports to Haiti’s Parliament, triennial independent external audits, and a public transparency web portal publishing beneficiary lists, incentive amounts, performance indicators, and meeting minutes.

    The plan is rolled out in three phased implementation stages with clear, measurable priorities:
    – 2026–2027: Establish the full legal and institutional framework, launch initial tax instruments, and secure $50 million in seed funding. The stage targets 12,000 new jobs and $120 million in new investment, with a total budget of $170 million.
    – 2027–2029: Deploy core infrastructure including solar energy projects, new industrial zones, and expanded technical training. The stage targets 90,000 cumulative new jobs, a 40% increase in exports, and industrial GDP contribution rising to 12%, with a total budget of $700 million.
    – 2030–2050: Consolidate gains, invest in research and development, and solidify Haiti’s regional competitive position. The final stage targets 500,000 total new jobs, 20% industrial contribution to GDP, and $4 billion in annual exports, with a total combined budget of $1.3 billion.

    To build immediate confidence among investors and international development partners, ADIH has identified five high-priority short-term actions to be implemented before the end of 2026–2027: adoption of a national industrial policy decree by summer 2026, establishment of the CNPI and recruitment of the UTE by summer 2026, launch of a 30% tax credit for industrial employment by October 2026, deployment of mobile cargo scanners at ports and border crossings by mid-2027, and establishment of the Industrial Development Fund with an initial $50 million endowment by the first quarter of 2027.

    The PSPI 2026-2050 is framed as a comprehensive roadmap to drive economic recovery, transform Haiti’s productive sector, and consolidate national economic sovereignty, providing a structured action framework that aligns public sector efforts and private sector commitment around shared goals of competitiveness, job creation, and investment growth. It is built on a principle of shared responsibility: the state is accountable for creating a pro-production, pro-investment regulatory environment, while the productive sector commits to formalization, job creation, and full tax compliance.

    ADIH emphasizes that the long-term success of the plan depends on sustained political will, effective public-private partnership, budgetary discipline aligned with agreed commitments, significant improvements in security across industrial production zones, and gradual mobilization of support from international development partners tied to credible, verifiable results. Ultimately, the plan’s goal goes beyond addressing Haiti’s immediate crisis: it seeks to rebuild the sustainable foundations of a national productive capacity that can support long-term inclusive development for all Haitians.

  • Family Appeals for Help to Find Missing Woman Shenett Jacobs

    Family Appeals for Help to Find Missing Woman Shenett Jacobs

    The family of Shenett Jacobs is turning to the wider community for urgent assistance to locate the 5-foot-4 woman who has been missing for weeks after she was last spotted in the Brown’s Bay/Nonsuch Bay region on July 25, 2026.

    Law enforcement and Jacobs’ relatives have released a detailed physical description to help members of the public recognize her: Jacobs has a brown complexion and hair that blends both black and grey strands. The clothing she wore when she was last seen included a bright yellow construction helmet, a heather grey long-sleeved shirt, deep green trousers, and a pair of grey Converse sneakers.

    Local authorities and the Jacobs family are emphasizing that every piece of information, no matter how insignificant it may seem to the holder, could prove critical to advancing the ongoing search. Anyone who has seen a person matching this description, or has any details that could shed light on Jacobs’ current whereabouts, is strongly encouraged to reach out either directly to her family or to the local police force as soon as possible.

  • Security : Report to the UN Secretary-General and BINUH on the situation in Haiti

    Security : Report to the UN Secretary-General and BINUH on the situation in Haiti

    In mid-July 2026, the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) submitted its latest quarterly report on the situation in Haiti to the UN Secretary-General, offering a comprehensive update on political, security, humanitarian and institutional progress across the Caribbean nation since the previous assessment in mid-April 2026. The report outlines critical milestones, ongoing challenges and unmet needs that shape Haiti’s trajectory through the first half of the year.

    ### Key Timeline of Major Developments
    The quarter was marked by several high-profile diplomatic and institutional events. On May 16, UN Secretary-General made an official visit to Haiti, during which he issued a urgent call for expanded international backing for the country, reaffirming the global body’s commitment to sustaining a Haitian-led political process that addresses the nation’s longstanding crises. Eleven days later, on May 27, Haitian authorities inaugurated new Specialized Judicial Hubs focused on prosecuting mass atrocities, sexual violence and financial corruption — a key step toward strengthening the country’s fractured rule of law framework. On June 1, aligned with the timeline mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 2793 (2025), the new United Nations Support Office in Haiti was formally established, and the country’s multinational Anti-Gang Force officially launched operational activities to curb widespread gang violence.

    ### Progress on Political Dialogue and Electoral Preparation
    Over the review period, Haitian stakeholders and UN partners made steady progress laying groundwork for upcoming elections, starting with reaching a formal agreement on an electoral budget. From May 28 to 30, an international conference focused on refining the electoral framework was hosted in partnership with the State University of Haiti, bringing together global and local stakeholders to align on process standards. Inclusive consultations were also prioritized: private sector representatives met with organizers on April 16, followed by sessions with a broad range of civil society groups including women’s organizations, religious communities and media outlets on April 27.

    Public outreach efforts have also expanded: voter awareness sessions for first-time eligible voters were held in Port-au-Prince on June 2, Cap-Haïtien on June 18, and Les Cayes on June 23. To support fair and peaceful media coverage of the electoral cycle, training programs were rolled out for hundreds of journalists: 369 reporters across five Haitian departments received training backed by the UN Peacebuilding Fund and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), while a local media association supported additional training for 200 online journalists based in Haiti and in the Haitian diaspora between April and June.

    Parallel to electoral preparations, stakeholders advanced planning for a national Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) program, holding consultations with national institutions and civil society groups between April 2 and 27 to secure the international funding and technical support needed to launch the initiative.

    ### Security, Rule of Law and Human Rights: Mixed Progress Amid Persistent Crisis
    The report documents uneven progress on security and human rights across the country. Partial state presence has been restored in the key municipalities of Delmas and Port-au-Prince, as well as at multiple institutional sites surrounding Port-au-Prince’s Champ de Mars, following security operations by the newly launched Anti-Gang Force. However, violence has intensified in the Artibonite and Centre departments, and gang activity has expanded into Haiti’s Southeast region. Deadly gang clashes continue to disrupt communities in La Plaine du Cul-de-Sac, encompassing the Cité-Soleil and Croix-des-Bouquets areas. Between March 1 and May 31 alone, 825 cases of sexual violence were documented by monitors, 84% of which were perpetrated by gangs as a tactic of control and intimidation.

    In the justice and prison sector, systemic overcrowding and prolonged pretrial detention remain acute crises. On May 28, BINUH supported a criminal justice monitoring committee in convening 26 key institutional stakeholders to address the growing problem of extended pretrial detainment. As of June 30, official prison statistics recorded a total inmate population of 7,563, including 413 women, 263 minor boys and 20 minor girls. The system is operating at 313% of its designed capacity, and 82% of all incarcerated people are being held without a conviction, highlighting deep systemic failures in Haiti’s judicial process.

    On the human rights front, accountability and capacity building efforts moved forward: in April, 40 allegations of potential summary executions by Haitian National Police officers were referred to the General Inspectorate of the Haitian National Police (IGPNH) for investigation. Between April and May, 149 civil society representatives across eight departments received training on data collection methods to support anti-corruption efforts. From May to June, more than 1,300 officers and 30 commanders of specialized Haitian National Police anti-gang units completed human rights and operational training. All 270 members of the new Anti-Gang Force received specialized training on child protection and the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse. Peacebuilding and integrity education programs, supported by the Peacebuilding Fund, continued operating in 15 primary and secondary schools across Port-au-Prince.

    ### Dire Humanitarian Crisis With Severe Underfunding
    The report confirms that Haiti’s humanitarian crisis remains one of the most severe in the world, with 6.4 million people — half of the country’s total population — in need of life-saving humanitarian assistance. As of mid-2026, 1.47 million Haitians are internally displaced by violence, representing 12% of the national population. Funding for the 2026 humanitarian response plan remains critically low: as of June 15, only 25% of the total $880.3 million required has been secured, leaving aid organizations unable to scale up life-saving support for vulnerable communities across the country.