28312: Fuller (reply) Re: 28288: rossier comments Re: 28285: SLMathison: (ask) Fwd: (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

> From Rob Fuller

Haiti certainly could do with a drastic increase in real incomes across the 
board. But giving disproportionately large salaries to a lucky few will not 
help to achieve this.

In terms of household income, Haiti is already the most unequal country in 
Latin America (which is itself the most unequal region in the world). This 
certainly leads to social tension - witness kidnappings in Pétionville as an 
extreme example. While a small number of Haitian people have secured well-paid 
jobs with the UN and large NGOs, the overwhelming majority have seen little 
benefit from this.

Even the increase in consumption resulting from employing people on high 
salaries is unlikely to benefit the rest of Haiti much, since most of the 
resulting extra consumption will probably be spent on imported "luxury" goods. 
I do not see much evidence of the "trickledown" of wealth from the rich elite 
to the rural poor. (And only a little even to the urban poor.)

Unfortunately, I suspect that the UN and NGOs have already have pushed up 
market salaries for the (relatively scarce) skilled employees that the original 
poster was looking for. So anybody who is considering setting up a business in 
this country will find that the international community have made it more 
expensive: that is, they have decreased the incentives for investment. That's a 
shame, when investment in sustainable businesses is what this country really 
needs for long-term job creation and development.

Rob

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