In a statement, Wilson Laleau, the Minister of Economy and Finance informs the general public and importers in particular that a list of 23 products from the Dominican Republic will no longer be able to be imported by road but only by sea or air (excluding cement). These goods will be allowed to disembark only at the port of Port-au-Prince and that of Cap-Haitien.

The Ministry states that "These measures are adopted with the aim of a better quality control and to better ensure the safety of the population" and warned the stakeholders that "the General Administration of Customs is instructed to make the immediate seizure of any product on the list that would be imported by a port other than those authorized by a border office."

Due to the late publication of the decision, the Ministry in a corrective statement indicates that the entry into force initially scheduled this Wednesday, September 16 is postponed to Thursday, October 1, 2015.

Liste des produits concernés :

1.- Wheat flour

2.- Gray cement (exception)

3.- Edible oil

4.- laundry soap

5.- Detergent Powder

6.- Packaging foam

7.- Drinking Water

8.- Painting and car body products

9.- Cooking Butter

10.- Mantèque

11.- Rebar

12.- Noodles

13. Expanded metal and sheet

14. PVC Pipes

15. Juice Powder

16. Soft Drinks

17. Beer

18. Snack (cheeco)

19. Ground maize

20.- Mattresses

21.- Heavy equipment for the construction (even for rent)

22.- Household utensils in plastic

23. Cookies

Obviously these measures are aimed above all other reasons, to enable the Ministry to cover the hundreds of millions of dollars of tax revenue lost to smuggling. However, one may wonder whether the Minister has taken into account the increase in the price of these products, due to a much more expensive transportation method, which will have negative repercussions on the cost of living, already too high for the poorest populations...

HL/ S/ HaitiLibre