Friday, Wilson Laleau, Minister of Economy and Finance (MEF) and Fresner Dorcin, Minister of Agriculture, signed a memorandum of understanding for the establishment of a pact for support the Agricultural Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which, provides, as agreed in Amending Budget 2014-2015, the funding of agricultural companies, through an initial fund of 470 million gourdes placed at the Industry Development Fund (FDI).

These financings, achievable as loans granted (cofinancing, regular loan, equity loan, equity participation and guarantee) by the FDI, will be between 1 million and 10 million gourdes, to equivalent interest rates of interbank interest rates and on terms and commitments defined by the pact.

These commitments will be made by the various parties of the pact.

Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) :

The MEF will undertake to make available to the signing of the protocol, an initial amount of 200 million gourdes placed at FDI to finance agricultural companies (creation and existing) in different regions of the country. A Monitoring Committee for the Implementation of the Pact composed of a representative of the MEF, the MCI and the MARNDR will be set up. It will have the responsibility to make a first selection of projects to forward to the FDI.

Industry Development Fund (FDI) :

The IDF will be responsible for granting loans to agricultural companies that request it, subject to compliance with the eligibility criteria defined in the protocol and will ensure that the other eligibility criteria outside of the signed Protocol are not too restrictive in order to facilitate the creation and operation of these agricultural societies.

Minister of Commerce and Industry (MCI) :

The MCI will have to ensure that major distributors of agricultural products of Haiti, will procure agricultural products directly from the companies receiving the financing of FDI in the context of this program. To this end, the Ministry will establish mechanisms to provide opportunities for these agricultural societies. Through an accompaniment provided by the Business Assistance Services (SAE/MCI), the MCI will commit that the recipient companies can be able to meet certain standards and national and international standards in their operations and marketing activity. Finally, MCI will commit to assist in the creation of these agricultural societies and assist the recipient companies on business management, personnel management and accounting.

Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR) :

The MARNDR will undertake to provide technical assistance to beneficiary companies within the framework of the production of agricultural goods (analysis of varieties of agricultural products, facilitating access to fertilizers, equipment rental for the use of the land.) It will facilitate the irrigation of lands, identifying sites that could host water points. It will facilitate access to water through the construction of dams, irrigation channels etc... and will commit to build rural roads to facilitate the delivery of the goods from production centers to the centers of marketing.

HL/ HaitiLibre