26972: Verteuil: (Reply): Re: 26947: Phillipe: (reply) Re: 26926: Morse (ask) Jobs in Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: P de Verteuil

"Philippe" presents a logical list of "to do's" designed to attack the
unemployment problem:
- serious reform of the "État civil";
- the creation of a complete cadastre;
- systematic encouragement to migration towards the cities;
- building roads
- considerably increasing the supply of electricity;
- creating a good telecommunications infrastructure;
- allowing maximum autonomy to municipalities;
- setting up a judiciary dedicated to the elimination of cheating
and cheaters.

This list shows how difficult the job of "Jobs" is.

I do not believe a complete cadastre can be created by other than a strong
(very strong) dictatorial government without causing a civil war. Haitian
law (which broadly follows the Napoleonic code) demands that the
quasi-totality of your worldly goods pass on, divided equally between your
children. As a result the large majority of rural land is held undivided
(and this for several generations). The cost of surveying and notary fees
would generally exceed the value of the land. Families manage to cope.
Stated or tacit agreement that Ti-Jo owns this piece and Asefi owns that
would collapse in any attempt to formalize it. Most land parcels with legal
title are vested in an ancestor and belong to 100, 200 or more, scattered on
three continents.

The lack of work and opportunity in rural areas forces "migration towards
the cities". It would be sounder, I think, to inject a little know how and
capital in the rural areas. How about a little education. The "Rural"
literacy rate is below 20%.
The Grand'Anse (where I live) is in slightly better shape than the rest of
the country (we very rarely starve) largely because the lack of a road
isolates it from Port au Prince. I would recommend a development model with
roads built out from the coastal cities into their hinterland whilst better
port facilities encourage sea born internal (or external) traffic.

One final comment: The majority of jobs (other than rural self employment)
are government jobs. No matter how hard they try the governments have never
been able to hire more than a minority of those who feel they deserve a job.
This is a recipe for disaster as once you have determined that the
government of the moment has no job for you, you become a determined foe,
eager and waiting for another chance with the next government.
More government jobs are "bad" and more private sector jobs are "good".

Patrick de Verteuil