The Sixth International Summit of Finance organized this week by the Group Croissance around the theme "Financing Infrastructure in Haiti" gathered including personalities from the world of finance, technology, policy makers and political operators, was the opportunity for stakeholders to address fundamental issues related to integrated development of the regions of the country.

In his address, the Engineer Alix Célestin, Director General of the National Port Authority (APN), said that his institution was making every effort to solve the problems due to poor port infrastructure, lack of integration and coherence on a coastline of over 1,550 km, the sand encroachment of the main access channels, for lack of regular dredging, to allow Haiti to fully play its role as a link in the supply chain of transportation.

He recalled that facing the efficiency of port services derived in part from a lack of training, the APN had joined the French network of the "Train for Trade" of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) for the upgrade of its staff.

"A development program and of construction of new units of cabotage ports in a territorial harmonization scheme, putting at contribution the development of the concept of 'Port Economic Cluste' is in progress. These are the problems of the national port sector, the most urgent that require investments of $250 million by 2025," indicated Alix Célestin adding "The APN wants and needs to rely more than ever on the state subsidy (as is done in many countries in the region) and private investment through the Public private Partnership (PPP) to continue to improve and enhance the performance and effectiveness of national port sector." He also noted that his institution was prepared to partner with municipalities in coastal areas, in promising projects to help increase revenue for the needs of their growth and development policy.

For his part, Engineer Jean Carrel Delpé, as General Coordinator of the Steering Committee of the reform underway within the APN made a presentation about the operationalization of the reform having the specific objectives :

• Clarify the roles and missions of the various public and private stakeholders ;

• Establish a new clear and transparent legal and regulatory framework for the granting and exercise of all port activity ;

• Define a new framework of modern management separating the sovereign functions of those related to port operations;

• To involve the private sector as financing meansand rapid development of the port sector.

HL/ HaitiLibre