Carib Scope

标签： Haiti

海地

  • Extension of the HOPE/HELP law passed in the US Senate but…

    Extension of the HOPE/HELP law passed in the US Senate but…

    In a key development for U.S.-Caribbean trade relations, the U.S. Senate has passed its revised version of an interim funding resolution that would extend the duty-free access provisions of the HOPE/HELP trade programs for Haitian textiles for an additional two years. The legislation now heads back to the U.S. House of Representatives for a final vote, after the Senate introduced last-minute changes that require new legislative approval when members reconvene from recess in September 2026. Once the House signs off on the amended text, the bill will be forwarded to President Trump to be signed into law.

    Originally, the bill to extend the HOPE/HELP programs sailed through the House of Representatives by an overwhelming bipartisan margin, with 340 votes in support and only 54 votes opposing the measure. The two-year extension is framed as a stopgap measure designed to preserve existing industrial trade partnerships between the U.S., Haiti, and regional supply chain partners, while giving private sector stakeholders time to plan for a more permanent, long-term reauthorization of the trade preference program.

    U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, a Georgia Democrat and senior member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, who was a leading advocate for the extension, framed the approval as a mutually beneficial outcome for both U.S. consumers and regional trading partners. “This extension is a win-win for Georgians and our trading partners in Haiti and Africa,” Warnock said in a statement following the Senate vote. “It will lower the cost of everyday goods for American families and improve our national security by helping stabilize the economies of our global partners. This victory shows what is possible when we center the people in policymaking.”

    Industry leaders across the Caribbean have welcomed the Senate’s action, noting that the decades-old HOPE/HELP programs are foundational to the Haitian manufacturing and apparel sector, which is deeply integrated into regional supply chains that extend to the neighboring Dominican Republic. Capellán Peralta, president of the M/CODEVI Group, a major player in the regional textile industry, called the Senate’s approval an important step forward for securing long-term program continuity.

    Even with the positive progress, Peralta and other industry stakeholders are pushing for a far longer 10-year extension of the program, arguing that a multi-decade reauthorization is critical to attracting new foreign direct investment, creating sustained formal employment across the region, and boosting the overall competitiveness of the Caribbean apparel manufacturing sector. Until the House completes its final vote on the amended legislation, the future of the extension remains formally unresolved.

  • FAd’H : Towards the creation of a Special Forces Unit

    FAd’H : Towards the creation of a Special Forces Unit

    Top leadership from Haiti’s Armed Forces (FAd’H) gathered for a high-stakes working session at the country’s Ministry of Defense on December 8, 2026, chaired by Defense Minister Mario Andrésol. The meeting focused on aligning key strategic priorities to modernize Haiti’s military and boost its operational capacity, amid ongoing efforts to stabilize the country’s security landscape.

    Four core strategic pillars anchored the discussions, starting with improvements to recruit training. Military leaders reviewed the current progress of personnel undergoing basic and advanced training, and approved upgrades to logistical infrastructure and support systems that serve new recruits, addressing longstanding gaps in resource provision for trainee development.

    A second key priority centered on structural optimization of the armed forces. Leaders agreed to strengthen existing institutional mechanisms to streamline program delivery, cut bureaucratic inefficiencies, and boost the overall effectiveness of FAd’H’s core missions across the country.

    Third, participants reaffirmed their commitment to advancing and solidifying existing strategic international partnerships. International military cooperation has been a key component of Haiti’s efforts to rebuild its security capacity in recent years, and the meeting underscored that this collaboration will remain a central focus of the FAd’H moving forward.

    The most notable operational initiative announced during the session is the launch of a major new project: the establishment of a dedicated Special Forces Unit to be based at Base Vertières. This specialized unit is explicitly designed to dramatically enhance Haiti’s military rapid intervention capabilities, a critical upgrade for responding to acute security threats across the country.

    In addition to these strategic priorities, the meeting also established new, enhanced coordination protocols between the Ministry of Defense and FAd’H High Command. The new framework is intended to improve monitoring of ongoing operations and create greater institutional synergy between civilian defense leadership and military command.

    Finally, Minister Andrésol provided an official update on preparations for a landmark three-day forum focused on the future of Haiti’s armed forces, scheduled to take place August 21 through 23, 2026. The forum is intended to open space for inclusive dialogue and strategic reflection among stakeholders about the long-term trajectory and role of Haiti’s military institution.

  • Technology : Roadmap for the responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Haiti

    Technology : Roadmap for the responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Haiti

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is widely regarded as the most transformative disruptive technology of the 21st century, with industry analysts projecting its global economic and societal impact will match the combined influence of the Industrial Revolution’s electrification and the 1990s rise of the internet. For the first time in modern history, advanced cognitive capabilities are becoming broadly accessible, deployable at low cost, and available to communities across every income level. Recognizing both the transformative opportunities and the governance challenges of this technological shift, four Haitian institutions have formalized a historic partnership to craft the country’s first national plan for responsible AI integration.

    On August 10, Banj, which leads the ProIA project funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), joined with the Internet Society Haiti Chapter (ISOC Haiti), the Higher School of Infotronics of Haiti (ESIH), and the Association for Responsible AI (ARAI) to sign a collaboration agreement for the co-development of Haiti’s national AI adoption roadmap. The signed protocol outlines clear working methodologies, role assignments, and decision-making frameworks for the cross-institutional initiative, establishing operational coordination between partners without creating binding financial obligations or formal contractual relationships.

    Each partner brings unique, complementary expertise to the project. Banj serves as the lead organization for the ProIA initiative, under the direction of Marc Alain Boucicault. ISOC Haiti, led by Max Larson Henry, is the author of a foundational reference guide for AI rollout in resource-constrained nations. ESIH, represented by Patrick Attié, contributes academic and technical infrastructure to the effort, while ARAI, led by Sindy Obed, brings global expertise in ethical AI governance. All partners commit to contributing their institutional knowledge, professional networks, and specialized skills, and will share project deliverables to advance collective progress.

    The core shared vision uniting the four organizations is that Haiti’s AI integration must be guided by principles of national sovereignty, responsibility, practicality, and gradual progress. The roadmap will be built on Haiti’s existing domestic technical capacities, and adapted from global lessons learned to fit the specific context of resource-limited developing nations. To lay the groundwork for the final roadmap, partners unveiled two preliminary foundational documents during the agreement signing event.

    The first document, *Mapping the AI Ecosystem in Haiti*, marks the first-ever comprehensive survey of Haiti’s emerging AI sector. It structures the national ecosystem into 8 actor groups organized across three functional layers: Foundations (encompassing the public sector, digital infrastructure, and data management), Drivers (including education and research, private sector entrepreneurship, and venture capital), and Amplifiers (covering the Haitian diaspora, civil society, media, and the broader enabling environment). The mapping identifies more than 40 distinct active stakeholders, each with a clearly defined role within the ecosystem, and outlines 8 high-priority sectors for targeted AI adoption: health, agriculture, fintech, education, disaster risk management, commerce, public governance, and energy.

    The second preliminary document, *The International Reference Guide for Developing a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy in Resource-Limited Countries*, was co-created by ISOC Haiti, ESIH, and ARAI with support from ProIA. Designed for use by policymakers and international donor organizations, the guide addresses a critical gap in global AI governance: how can low-resource nations proactively and responsibly guide AI development without waiting to build advanced capacities they do not currently hold?

    The guide promotes an agile governance model centered on learning through pilot experimentation, rapid iteration, and continuous policy adjustment. It is structured around five core components: a strategic framework built on two critical foundations (robust data governance and strengthened institutional capacity), a phased implementation architecture with clear accountability mechanisms, targeted prioritization of high-impact AI use cases, proportionate ethical governance anchored by a national AI focal point, and a continuous system for monitoring, evaluation, and learning. It is not a technical manual, a one-size-fits-all solution catalog, or a proposal for large-scale capital investment; rather, it is a practical public governance tool that draws on on-the-ground Haitian experience and successful models from Rwanda, Benin, and Egypt. It is also aligned with Haiti’s 2025–2035 National Digital Strategy (SNNH) and UNESCO’s regional AI roadmap for the Caribbean.

    A dedicated cross-institutional working group, led by ESIH’s Patrick Attié as coordinator and Ben-Manson Toussaint as deputy coordinator, will steer the roadmap development process. Working group members also include Marc Arold Rosemond, Christelle Vaval, Schallum Pierre, and Luckny Zéphyr.

    Both preliminary documents are classified as “living documents,” meaning they remain open for input and revisions from all Haitian AI ecosystem stakeholders ahead of finalization. All interested groups — including public and private sector institutions, educational providers, civil society organizations, media outlets, Haitian diaspora members, and independent AI experts — are invited to submit feedback and recommendations via procedures that will be announced through ProAI’s official communication channels.

    The ProAI initiative, formally launched on March 11, 2026, is the Program for Creating Digital Opportunities in Haiti through AI. It is organized by the Inter-American Development Bank and led by Banj as a three-year national platform for AI research, skills training, and public outreach. Structured around four core pillars, ProAI focuses on AI workforce development, building a national connected AI network, running national public awareness campaigns, and developing the national AI adoption roadmap that the current partnership advances. By the end of its three-year mandate, ProAI aims to train at least 125 Haitian professionals in AI-relevant skills, establish a cross-sector network connecting developers, government institutions, policymakers, academics, and diaspora experts, and run three national AI literacy campaigns.

    ARAI, the Association for Responsible AI, is an international non-profit organization dedicated to advancing ethical, safe, and human-centered AI development and deployment. Founded in Dayton, Ohio, U.S., ARAI unites a global community of experts, researchers, policymakers, industry professionals, private companies, and civil society groups to promote AI governance frameworks rooted in transparency, fairness, accountability, and universal human rights. Beyond developing global standards and advocating for responsible practice, ARAI supports AI research and innovation, builds governance frameworks, industry standards, certification pathways, and professional training programs, and raises public awareness of both the opportunities and risks of AI adoption and its broader societal impacts. The organization also contributes to global AI policy discussions and supports public and private institutions worldwide in transitioning to responsible AI use.

  • Elections : 5 out of 15 political groups approved by the CEP are led by women

    Elections : 5 out of 15 political groups approved by the CEP are led by women

    As Haiti prepares for its upcoming general elections, a landmark milestone for gender representation in national politics has emerged, after the country’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) released its official list of qualified political groups for the vote. Of the 15 coalitions and political organizations granted approval to contest the elections, five are headed by women – accounting for 33% of all registered participating groups.

    On Monday, August 10, 2026, Pédrica Saint Jean, Haiti’s Minister for the Status of Women and Women’s Rights (MCFDF), publicly praised the CEP’s publication of the list, framing the gender breakdown as a tangible win for years of advocacy aimed at breaking down barriers to women’s political leadership.

    Saint Jean linked this progress directly to commitments forged at the National Conference on Women’s Political Participation and Electoral Violence, held in December 2025. The MCFDF emphasized that the growing share of women leading officially registered political structures proves that targeted advocacy work is driving meaningful change toward more gender-equitable participation in Haiti’s democratic governance.

    The five women-led approved groups bring together a total of 53 separate political parties across the Haitian political landscape. The full breakdown of these coalitions is as follows:
    – *DEBLOKE*, headed by general coordinator Marie Yanick Mézile Lhérisson, comprises 11 member political parties
    – *EN AVANT POUR HAITI*, represented by Vilcé Nancy, is made up of 12 parties
    – *LAPEH AK ALYE’L YO*, led by Marie Nelly Verpile Boyer, includes 10 participating parties
    – *ANFÒS POU SOVE LONÈ*, represented by former senator Gilles Cemephise, counts 10 parties among its members
    – *DELIVRANS*, represented by Djina Guillet Délatour, is a coalition of 10 parties

    The full list of all 15 approved political groups is available for public download via HaitiLibre at the link: https://haitilibre.com/docs/groupements-politiques-agrees-08-08-2026.pdf

    In conjunction with welcoming the announcement, Minister Saint Jean issued an urgent nationwide appeal to Haitian women: she called on large numbers of women to complete their voter registration, stand as candidates for a wide range of elected public offices, and engage actively at every stage of the upcoming electoral process.

    Saint Jean also reaffirmed her ministry’s ongoing commitment to supporting women entering the democratic process, offering full backing for women candidates and participants as they navigate the election cycle. She closed by expressing confidence that broad, determined citizen mobilization will pave the way for a far more inclusive and equitable political landscape in Haiti following the elections.

  • FLASH : Increase in public transport fares (price list)

    FLASH : Increase in public transport fares (price list)

    In an official announcement released to the public on August 11, 2026, Haiti’s Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Marc Elie Nelson confirmed that the country is implementing an across-the-board increase to public transportation fares, a policy change that comes directly on the heels of an upward revision to national fuel prices.

    The new fare adjustment follows Joint Notice 25-26/006, issued jointly by Haiti’s Ministries of Economy and Finance, Commerce, and Industry, which established updated pricing for all petroleum products across the country effective August 10, 2026. With fuel costs making up a major operational expense for public transit providers, government officials determined that a corresponding adjustment to passenger fares was unavoidable to align with the new energy market conditions.

    The revised pricing structure covers all public transit routes nationwide. Full details of the new fares are published in a 14-page French-language PDF document available for public download, alongside a reference copy of the previous fare schedule implemented in July 2026.

    On August 10, the day the new fuel prices took effect, Minister Nelson joined Guerline Jean-Louis, Director of the Department of Labor, for a press conference hosted by Lucien Jura, Secretary of State for Communication, to walk the public and press through the reasoning behind both the energy and transit price changes.

    Minister Nelson emphasized that the decision to set standardized national fares was made in full consultation and agreement with Haiti’s driver unions. He explained that the primary goal of the official fare adjustment is to preempt potential disputes and conflicts between transport operators and passengers that could arise from unregulated price hikes following the fuel increase. He also noted that domestic fuel price movements continue to track closely with shifts in global crude oil markets, a dynamic that leaves import-dependent Haiti with little choice but to adjust domestic prices to match international trends.

    For his part, Secretary Jura traced the latest fuel price increase to renewed geopolitical instability in the Middle East, which has driven a sustained upward trend in global oil prices. He pointed out that this latest adjustment marks the first upward revision after three consecutive cuts to domestic fuel prices, adding that regular government intervention in fuel pricing is designed to prevent critical shortages in Haiti’s domestic market and crack down on unregulated black market activity for fuel.

  • Environment : Training for the Citizen Environmental Initiatives Support Program

    Environment : Training for the Citizen Environmental Initiatives Support Program

    Against a backdrop of growing community-level environmental challenges across Haiti, the nation’s Ministry of Environment has partnered with UNESCO to kick off a landmark capacity-building initiative, the Citizen Environmental Initiatives Support Program (PAIEC). On August 7, 2026, the first round of interactive three-day training workshops launched simultaneously across five Haitian departments: West, South, Grand’Anse, Artibonite, and North.

    Targeted at emerging leaders from grassroots community-based organizations (CBOs), registered civil society groups (CSOs), local small businesses, and established environmental protection nonprofits, the workshops center on equipping participants with practical, actionable skills. Trainees learn to structure, design, and formalize their community-focused environmental projects and green business concepts to meet the strict eligibility criteria of PAIEC, which is also formally referenced as the Integrated Environmental and Climate Action Program.

    This opening workshop phase is the first step in a national rolling training and mentorship scheme that will ultimately engage 100 pre-selected initiative leaders, representing nearly 300 total beneficiaries spanning all 10 of Haiti’s administrative departments. The pre-selection process followed a nationwide open call that drew more than 800 candidate proposals, with 537 applications cleared as eligible before the shortlist of 100 initiatives was finalized.

    On August 9, Haitian Minister of Environment Valéry Fils-Aimé presided over the closing ceremony for the West Department workshop. In his remarks, Fils-Aimé praised the ongoing commitment of participating environmental organizations and young green entrepreneurs, urging attendees to translate their local ideas into robust, financially viable projects that deliver tangible solutions to the environmental issues facing their neighborhoods. He reaffirmed the Haitian government’s core priority: centering local stakeholders and youth in national environmental action, while simultaneously fostering innovative sustainability solutions and growing the domestic green economy.

    Following the conclusion of the first workshop round, the training scheme will resume on August 14, running through August 16 in Haiti’s five remaining departments. After all workshops are completed, participants will receive ongoing tailored support to polish their full project proposals. These proposals will then undergo a formal evaluation process to select the final cohort of initiatives that will receive direct funding through PAIEC.

    Ultimately, the Ministry of Environment frames PAIEC as a long-term investment in local leadership: the program is designed to nurture homegrown sustainability initiatives that deliver three core outcomes: expanded national environmental protection, new inclusive economic opportunities for marginalized communities, and equitable sustainable development across Haiti’s regions.

  • Call for Expressions of Interest : Project to support entrepreneurial invention and startups

    Call for Expressions of Interest : Project to support entrepreneurial invention and startups

    Haiti’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) has opened a call for expressions of interest to recruit the first cohort of a new national university-focused startup incubation initiative, aimed at revitalizing the country’s entrepreneurial landscape. Spearheaded by MCI Minister James Monazard as part of the government’s mandate to boost trade, industrial development, and small business growth, the Project to Support Entrepreneurial Invention and University Startups (AIESU) seeks to build a resilient, interconnected university entrepreneurial ecosystem across Haiti through a phased rollout of campus-based startup incubators.

    The initiative is launching its pilot phase at Quisqueya University, with this call for candidates marking the first major milestone of the pilot. Through the open call, program organizers will select eight innovative early-stage ventures to participate in a six-month structured incubation program, designed to help founders refine their concepts and scale their impact.

    Eligible applicants include current students, recent graduates, academic researchers, and cross-disciplinary teams affiliated with any accredited higher education institution in Haiti. The program accepts proposals across eight high-priority sectors that align with Haiti’s long-term economic and social development goals: digital technologies, artificial intelligence, agribusiness, manufacturing, green economy, health, creative industries, and innovative services.

    Shortlisted ventures will be evaluated based on a clear set of criteria that balance innovation potential and national impact. Judges will score applications on the originality of their idea, market fit, technical feasibility, long-term business model viability, projected growth trajectory, team capacity and commitment, and the venture’s projected contribution to inclusive economic and social progress across Haiti.

    Selected startups will gain access to a comprehensive package of support to advance their projects. Benefits include dedicated co-working space, structured entrepreneurship training, one-on-one mentorship from industry experts, end-to-end technical, legal, and administrative guidance, support in preparing for future funding rounds, and referrals to Haiti’s Investment Facilitation Center (FDI) for high-performing projects with strong investment appeal.

    To complete an application, candidates must submit a filled-out application form, official photo identification, curriculum vitae for all team members, official proof of affiliation with a recognized Haitian higher education institution, and a five-page maximum concept note outlining their venture. All application materials must be submitted through the official MCI portal at https://mci.gouv.ht/aiesu.

    The selection process follows a structured multi-step timeline, beginning with a closing date for applications of August 15, 2026. Administrative eligibility checks will run from August 17 to 25, while the independent selection committee will conduct technical evaluations of qualified applications between August 26 and September 10. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to deliver in-person or virtual pitches to the committee between September 15 and 20, followed by final deliberations between September 21 and 25. Results will be published between September 25 and 30, with selected ventures receiving official notification by the end of September. The six-month incubation program is scheduled to officially launch on October 1, 2026.

    Participation in the open call is completely free for all eligible candidates. MCI notes that selection for the incubation program does not guarantee direct funding, and reserves the right to request additional documentation or conduct compliance verifications at any stage of the selection process.

  • Environment : Monitoring of commitments against desertification

    Environment : Monitoring of commitments against desertification

    Against a backdrop of growing climate vulnerability and accelerating land degradation across the Caribbean nation, Haiti’s Ministry of Environment (MoE) has convened a key national workshop to evaluate progress on the country’s global anti-desertification commitments and review the implementation of a major landscape management initiative. Scheduled for August 9, 2026, the gathering centered on the launch of the Performance Review and Assessment of Implementation System (PRAIS) report, the primary monitoring tool mandated by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) for tracking member state commitments. The workshop also served as a critical platform to conduct a mid-implementation stocktake of the Integrated Sustainable Landscape and Land Management Project (PISLM), Haiti’s flagship intervention for degraded land recovery.

    This event aligns with the core policy priorities set by Haitian Prime Minister Fils-Aimé’s administration, which has identified degraded land restoration, natural resource protection, and boosting community climate resilience as central planks of its national action agenda.

    During the opening session, Environment Minister Valéry Fils-Aimé presented official certificates to members of the National Inter-institutional Committee for Sustainable Soil and Surface Management (CNIGSS), technical specialists, and institutional representatives that collaborated on the development of the PRAIS report. He commended the collective work of these stakeholders, noting their contributions have been instrumental in strengthening Haiti’s national environmental monitoring framework and advancing the fight against widespread land degradation.

    The workshop brought together a diverse cross-section of stakeholders, including senior representatives from multiple government agencies, international technical and financial partners, local civil society organizations, and leading national environmental experts. Over the course of the meeting, attendees reviewed key outcomes delivered by the PISLM project to date, highlighting how its on-the-ground interventions have advanced degraded land restoration, preserved critical natural habitats, and built greater community capacity to withstand the accelerating impacts of climate change.

    A core portion of the workshop was dedicated to walking stakeholders through the full PRAIS reporting process, which was developed with technical and coordination support from CNIGSS. Participants engaged in detailed discussions covering every stage of national data collection, consolidation, and validation, ultimately agreeing on a set of targeted recommendations designed to improve the accuracy and consistency of future national environmental reporting and strengthen cross-institutional coordination across Haiti’s environmental sector.

    The event also marked the official launch of the new Haitian Reforestation Guide, a landmark reference document crafted to support ongoing forest landscape restoration initiatives across the country. The guide is designed to promote context-appropriate reforestation practices tailored to Haiti’s unique ecological conditions, and to provide actionable support for national land restoration targets.

    Closing out the workshop, Joseph Emmanuel Philippe, Director General of the Ministry of Environment, praised the productive and collaborative nature of the exchanges, and called on all partner institutions to maintain their momentum. He emphasized the need for continued collective action to strengthen national coordination, expand access to reliable environmental data, and scale up adoption of evidence-based sustainable land management practices across Haiti.

    Through the organization of this workshop, Haiti’s Ministry of Environment has reaffirmed its commitment to consolidating the country’s national environmental monitoring systems, improving the quality of its international reporting under the UNCCD, and accelerating on-the-ground land restoration actions that directly benefit Haiti’s most climate-vulnerable communities. The institution also renewed its pledge to maintain close collaborative partnerships with all national and international stakeholders, to advance the long-term preservation of Haiti’s natural resources and build more robust national resilience to climate change impacts.

  • Taiwan : Official start of the 2nd rice-growing season in Artibonite

    Taiwan : Official start of the 2nd rice-growing season in Artibonite

    On September 8, 2026, the official launch of the year’s second rice-growing season marked a key milestone for agricultural development in Haiti’s Artibonite Department, backed by the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) through its ongoing Rice Production Improvement Project.

    As the initiative gets underway, joint teams from the ICDF and local partner farmers have already moved into the critical pre-planting preparation phase across target plots. Workers are deploying mechanized tillers to break up compacted soil, a step that improves root penetration and water retention, before carefully leveling each paddy to create the uniform growing environment critical for strong rice yields. Parallel to land preparation, nursery operations are already underway, utilizing high-quality seeds harvested from the previous growing season to cultivate robust, disease-resistant seedlings that will underpin the new season’s output.

    Project organizers have emphasized that proper paddy leveling is not just a routine task, but a foundational practice that drives long-term productivity. A perfectly leveled field ensures even growth after seedlings are transplanted, eliminating common stressors that cut into harvests: low-lying spots no longer face the risk of root rot from standing water accumulation, while higher, naturally drier areas avoid the unchecked weed growth that outcompetes young rice plants for nutrients and moisture.

    For fields with large natural variations in elevation, the project is advising farmers to segment plots into separate growing zones aligned with the natural topography. This targeted adjustment simplifies irrigation management, ensures every section of the field receives the right amount of water, and makes routine crop health monitoring far more efficient for local producers.

    Going into the 2026 second season, both the Taiwan-based project technical team and Artibonite’s local farming community have highlighted their commitment to context-appropriate sustainable agricultural practices. Through coordinated preparation and shared expertise, stakeholders are working to transform carefully tended paddies into productive landscapes that will support healthy, high-yield rice crops for Haiti’s domestic food supply.

  • FLASH : Fuel Prices Revised Upward

    FLASH : Fuel Prices Revised Upward

    In an official announcement dated September 8, 2026, Haiti’s Ministry of Economy and Finance and Ministry of Commerce and Industry have rolled out updated pump prices for petroleum products across the country, following a formal recommendation from the country’s Petroleum Market Monitoring Advisory Council (CCSMP).

    The new price schedule marks a controlled upward adjustment for all three major fuel categories. Gasoline, previously sold at 650 Gourdes per gallon, will now cost 700 Gourdes, a 50 Gourde increase. Diesel sees a 70 Gourde rise from 700 to 770 Gourdes per gallon, while kerosene gains 75 Gourdes, climbing from 690 to 765 Gourdes per gallon.

    This incremental adjustment is not a full pass-through of global market costs to consumers, the CCSMP emphasized in its accompanying explanatory note. The advisory body calculated the full real cost of fuel at 879.22 Gourdes per gallon of gasoline, 861.39 Gourdes for diesel, and 788.87 Gourdes for kerosene — far higher than the new regulated prices. The decision to phase in increases comes after a full review of July 2026 fuel shipments, and is rooted in a framework of transparency, institutional accountability, and sensitivity to Haiti’s ongoing socio-economic crisis.

    The CCSMP stressed that fuel pricing cannot be determined solely by budgetary and accounting needs, as every price shift ripples through every layer of daily life for Haitian citizens. Higher fuel costs directly raise transportation fees, push up grocery prices, raise operating costs for small businesses, disrupt agricultural production and domestic commerce, and make essential public services less accessible to vulnerable groups.

    Against the current backdrop of widespread insecurity, mass population displacement, plummeting household incomes, soaring unemployment, and already eroded purchasing power, the Council warned that implementing the full calculated market price immediately would only deepen the economic and social vulnerability of Haitian families. The gradual adjustment is therefore framed as a deliberate compromise: it works to gradually close the revenue gap that the Haitian state currently carries for fuel subsidies, while avoiding the immediate shock of passing the entire cost difference on to consumers.

    “The need to preserve public finances must go hand in hand with protecting purchasing power and preserving social cohesion,” the CCSMP stated, outlining its guiding principle for the recommendation.

    Separately, Haiti’s Northeast Departmental Directorate of Commerce and Industry issued a public warning cracking down on unregulated illegal price gouging, a practice that has become alarmingly widespread in the region. The directorate emphasized that illegal overcharging does not only harm motorists — it sends inflationary shockwaves through transportation, food supplies, all goods and services, and undermines the entire national economy.

    “We should never have reached a point where an illegal practice has become so widespread that the population has begun to consider it normal, right under the noses of the relevant authorities,” the directorate’s memo noted, adding that when the state sets a formal regulated price, that price is legally binding for all operators. Any vendor charging prices above the official schedule must provide verifiable legal justification for the markup, the agency said, noting that all claims of extraordinary expenses, security-related costs, or distribution chain disruptions will be subject to rigorous official investigation.

    The department has made clear it will not tolerate exploitative price gouging that preys on the public or abuses consumer rights. It has issued a call to action for local communities, urging Haitian residents not to normalize illegal pricing practices, and to file formal official complaints whenever price violations are documented. To enforce the new price schedule, the directorate announced it will resume routine and targeted inspections at all service stations across the Northeast department, and will apply all relevant legal penalties for violations. The agency also requested coordinated cooperation from all other relevant government bodies to ensure consumer protections are upheld across the region.