Ady Jean Gardy, the Minister of Communication, this week presented a voluminous report of 850 pages, relating to the governmental perspectives for the year 2013, based on the actions conducted by the administration Martelly, Lamothe, during the year 2012.

According to the Minister, on the macro-economic level in January 2013, "Haiti is stable following a strict control of inflation and an appropriate monetary policy."

The Minister pointed out that the Republic of Haiti, had gross reserves of 2.2 billion U.S. dollars, a partial guarantee fund of $ 35 million, and a venture capital of $ 25 million [acounted in 2012], which is, according to Jean Gardy, "a positive result at the beginning of this new year."

In this report, it is mentioned that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by 5.6%, and the inflation passed from 8% to 5% in December 2012. The budget deficit was reduced from 32% to 21% and the tax burden is now at 14%, whereas it was 10% before the installation of current Government.

On the other hand, the Minister noted that "credit has resumed from 24% to 29% due to foreign direct investment, which tripled in 2012, exceeding $150 million, while it was 38 million before the arrival of the new Government. [...] The unemployment rate is falling, with the creation of 100,000 jobs in various sectors, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which account 28% of new operators."

According to the Minister, the continuation of the fight against smuggling, should allow in 2013, combined with the new tax base, to attract 54 billion gourdes during the fiscal year "we hope with an effort to reach the target population [...] the actual percentage of those who pay taxes in Haiti is only 3%... I draw your attention that this year [...] we have a population of 100,000 new workers [...] in the fields of textiles and agriculture. The resumption of credit has enabled many people to create work [...]

The perceptive 2013 are very good, for example in the field of investment at the transport level, we have budgeted, 18.2 billion gourdes for the year. It also provided 2.3 billion gourdes, for drinking water, in terms of hydraulic infrastructures, and 4.2 billion in energy [...] At the social level, we have about 25%. For education, nearly 12.3 billion have been planned and 9,05 billion for health [...] and all this of course in 2013 [...] The sites of state buildings, public buildings, are on the road and the Government takes into consideration the situation of human rights, extreme poverty, in order to reduce the poverty, which is of the order of 51%."

Concerning the Environment, the Minister stressed that it was not possible today, to only have 3% of vegetation cover, and that in 2013 the objective is "to achieve more than 5%, and further increase by the end of the term of the President in order to obtain a wider vegetation cover." About agriculture Mr. Jean Gardy, stated that "the state spends nearly $ 54 million in importing fertilizer, while we have the possibility to produce it on site. This year the Government has distributed, 6,000 metric tons of fertilizer, which helped to rehabilitate 40.000 hectares of arable land.

HL/ S/ HaitiLibre