a1305: Prime Minister Announces Series of Measures...(AHP) (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: MKarshan@aol.com

News from the Haitian Press Agency (AHP) - March 15, 2002 English Selection
(unofficial)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------
Prime Minister Yvon Neptune announces a series of measures aimed at
improving the living conditions of the Haitian people and reducing social
inequality

Port-au-Prince, March 15, 2002 -(AHP)- Prime MinisterYvon Neptune promised
Thursday to create political and economic conditions that should enable the
economy to recover by stimulating investment and carrying out structural
reforms.

Mr. Neptune, delivering his overview of general policy before the Senate and
the House of Deputies spoke in favor of durable and sustainable economic
growth and at the same time made a point of taking on the problem of poverty
that affects, he said, 70% of society.

The Prime Minister indicated that the government's actions at the
macro-economic level will be oriented, for example, toward more participatory
development and the strengthening of the private sector in order to promote
lasting development through activities that generate revenue and employment.

According to Mr. Neptune, the actions to be undertaken should allow average
annual income to rise above the threshhold of absolute poverty, as well as a
1.2 % growth in the Gross Domestic Product,  a rate of inflation maintained
below 10%, a reduction in the rate of unemployment, the gradual reduction of
the budget deficit within the limits of 1% of GDP, the stabilization of the
currency exchange rate and an increase in the currency reserves to a level
equivalent to three months of imports.

At the level of fiscal policy, Mr. Neptune proposes to reinforce action
already taken and defined in the draft law on finance presented to the
Parliament - and whose principle objectives are: growth of GDP at a rate of
1.5%, keeping the inflation rate below 10% and limiting the budget deficit
to approximately 2% of GDP.

Fiscal policy will be oriented, he said, toward increasing the fiscal ratio
to a level above 8%, keeping the budget deficit under control, and will be
structured around a rationalization and a measured increase in public
spending and will be accompanied by actions designed to enlarge the fiscal
pie and improve the efficiency of agencies that collect taxes and duties.

These measures will focus on the rationalization and the control of fiscal
and customs exemptions by strengthening the legal and administrative
framework, the reform and updating of fiscal legislation, the fight against
fraud, the under-assessment of goods at customs as well as corruption, the
payment by businesses and public entities of taxes levied by the DGI (tax
authority), by systematic tarcking down and collection of the State's
accounts receivable.

Yvon Neptune also intends to simplify the current procedures for carrying
out budgetary expenditures, controlling the operational expenditures in such
a way as to prevent all waste and to see to it that there is an appropriate
level of public services.

According to the head of the government, monetary policy will be oriented
toward price and foreign exchange stabilization while at the same time
attacking the problem of financing the economy.

A credit policy will be put in place designed to facilitate the financing of
activities through guarantees, micro-credit, reform of pension funds,
consolidation of decentralized finance structures such as savings and credit
banks and the promotion of popular banks.

As for the popular bank, Mr. Neptune indicated that measures will be taken
in order to protect the public interest and safeguard the integrity of the
national financial system.

The prime Minister called on the economic actors and all levels of society
to work with discernment and realism so as to preserve what has been learned
by the cooperative movement.

In this sense, he declared his support for the actions already underway in
both the public and private sectors to arrive at a well-measured
partnership in keeping with the greater interests of the country.

AHP March 15, 2002 11:00 AM