The french and American governments and international financial institutions have been at the forefront at the donor conference in Washington.
The Obama administration is by far the donor of Haiti’s most generous with a budget of 57 million U.S. dollars. “The United States will concentrate its assistance in four areas, all critical,” said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, citing the reconstruction of infrastructure (20 million) debt relief (20 million), the feeding programs in Haiti (15 million) and the fight against drug trafficking (2 million).
“The Haitian people need security and they deserve. The country needs to strengthen its infrastructure, especially roads,” she said.
For its part, the French Secretary of State for Human Rights, Rama Yade, said that his country will increase to 30 million euros assistance to Haiti, which stood at 12 million euros in 2007. This assistance tdevrait used to finance infrastructure projects and education. We must remember the old relationship, sometimes tragic “between the two countries as well as” the geographical proximity to the french departments of Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and the language. ” It considered that the aid promised to “allow this country to finally take the paths of economic development deserved.
In his speech, the Managing Director of the IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, said that Haiti would receive by the end of June a debt reduction of nearly one billion dollars from his institution and other creditors, that it can save 35 to 40 million annual debt service. This release “of resources in the fight against poverty and expenditures that support growth,” said Mr Strauss-Kahn.
In return for international aid, the Haitian authorities have committed to report regularly to the international community for its budgetary process.
