Wilson Laleau, the Minister of Commerce and Industry has proceeded yesterday Tuesday, to the installation of the industrialist Georges Barau Sassine [appointed by presidential decree], as the new Director General of the National Society of Industrial Parks (SONAPI).

Mr. Georges B. Sassine, was the Executive Director of the Commission of Implementation of Hope (CMO-Hope) and worked in several organizations in the industrial sector and has spent over 30 years of his life to work to change the image of the Haitian industry through other countries. He replaces to this position Jean Kesner Delmas, at this fuction for several years.

In his speech, the Minister Laleau thanked the outgoing Director and expressed confidence in the new direction "I thank Jean Kesner Delmas for having properly directed the SONAPI [...] I think that Georges Sassine, will achieve good results with the SONAPI and will contribute to the increase of the national economy, as he has already done in several foreign countries."

For his part the outgoing Director declared "I am happy and proud to have collaborated for the functioning of many industrial parks and I am ready to give to Mr. Sassine the commands of this institution," recalling that the estimated budget for the month of August is 5.5 billion gourdes.

Taking the floor, the new Director General of the SONAPI declared "[...] the President Martelly and Prime Minister Lamothe said they would like see a little more Industrial Parks in the country. So we have already begun [...] there are studies that are being made ​​for, that apart the Park of Caracol, other industrial parks are built. We look at where we are able to do other Parks, currently studies are made in Ganthier [...]

The Industrial Parks will contribute greatly in the actual development of the country, but I draw attention, to tell you that it is not only them that will make the development, but it's the easier to achieve to bring other investments. Why this is the easiest ? Because the industries that come into these parks are light industries [...] all countries that develop, passes by. With the workers who work, discipline begins to grow, they begin to make more money and most important, their children go to school. The State, while they work, has time to develop other policies much more important, for example agricultural policy [...]

Our ambition [...] is not to put 3 million Haitians to work in parks, not at all ! I want to remind everyone that in the past, we had over 180,000 people working in these plants : in sewing, baseballs, stuffed animals, electronics... in 2004 we are descended to 9,000 people, which made only jerseys and T-shirts. My ambition is to return to a level of 200,000 [...]"

HL/ SL/ HaitiLibre