#600: Structural adjustment : Antoine comments on Dailey (#548) (fwd)

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Guy Antoine <GuyAntoine@windowsonhaiti.com>

Please help me understand!  I have read Peter Dailey's
assessment of privatization policies in Haiti, and came
away from reading his text with a lot more questions than 
I started.  This is to his credit, as he certainly challenged
us to think.  Without reproducing the entire text, I have to 
pose the following questions, based on some extracts of
his message.  I invite Peter and others to enlighten me
with some answers.

Guy

> From: PETER DAILEY <HOLMES11@prodigy.net>

>The major "reform," with the most far-reaching and 
>potentially catastrophic consequences was the reduction 
>of tariffs on agricultural imports. This became law in 
>1995. All the subsequent controversy, and the bringing 
>down of the government in 1997, accomplished was to 
>prevent the implementation of those measures tossed in 
>by the lenders to cushion the blow and help the least 
>competitive agricultural sector in the hemisphere, the 
>Haitian peasants, cope with the onslaught.

Could you please elaborate on which measures were
designed to help the Haitian peasants and in what manner?

>(snip) And now we see that in spite of the efforts of "young 
>activists" like Rene Civil and the JPP the privatization of Teleco 
>is pushing to a conclusion.

Could you describe the outcome a bit more specifically, and
in your opinion, is it a good thing or a bad thing, and why?

>(snip) We have all read scores of proposals for development 
>over the past four years, all of which made more sense than the 
>one the international lenders apparently contemplate. I have yet 
>to read one of these proposals that had anything concrete to say 
>about how such development might be funded.

Unless there's a typo or omission in there, I don't follow the logic.
Did the proposals make more sense, or made no sense?

>Although I would be interested in hearing otherwise, I 
>doubt the GOH ever had a choice other than to dig in, 
>negotiate the best deal possible, and move on.

What makes the GOH so impotent in your view?  Is it solely the
utter lack of capital, or are there other equally important factors?

>Apart from those amounts tacitly set aside by the lenders 
>for the satisfaction of the corrupt instincts of Haiti's 
>rulers...

If this was done tacitly, how does one get to know about it?
Do the the international lenders support corruptness in a
machiavellic manner (the end justifies the means?)  What
would be a good estimate of those amounts specifically set 
aside to assuage the corrupt instincts of Haiti's rulers?
Also, is it possible to grease the hands of a killer without
seriously compromising your own integrity?  

>I doubt that the banks will intentionally leave very much of 
>the disbursement of the money to the government's discretion, 
>but will instead misspend it themselves.

How do you suppose they will misspend the money? And is
there any alternative leading to responsibility and accountability?

Thank you.