Clinton Bush Haiti Fund Investments Encourage Long-Term Progress in Haiti

The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund today announced $2.59M in grants and loans to four businesses and workforce development programs, including Regis College, Cap Lamandou Waterview Hotel, CLYF Quincallerie, and SOFIHDES. These investments highlight the importance of viable enterprises and a skilled workforce as Haiti continues to build a stable, healthy economy.

Cap Lamandou Waterview Hotel

As part of its continued effort to revitalize the tourism sector in Haiti, the Fund made a $349K loan to upgrade the Cap Lamandou Waterview Hotel in Jacmel. The hotel is owned by SIMACT Tourism Inc., a US company held by Haitian and diaspora investors dedicated to helping develop their country. The loan will enable physical renovations including updates to furniture and equipment, as well as an updated reservation system and training for hotel management. The seaside facility, which sits on a cliff overlooking the bay in the historic town of Jacmel, hopes to join the Comfort Inn brand of Choice Hotels International.

“Jacmel is a vibrant town, and Haiti’s tourism sector is ready to grow here,” Clinton Bush Haiti Fund CEO Gary Edson said. “Smart investments in the hotel industry translate into successes for local restaurateurs, artisans, small enterprises, and the Haitian economy as a whole.”

Regis College

The Fund made a $463K grant to Regis College to educate faculty at six Haitian nursing schools. The grant will help provide 24 Haitian nurse educators with a master’s degree in nursing. These teachers are expected to pass that education along to 3,300 students over the period of the grant. This program will benefit Haiti for years to come by sustaining nursing jobs, raising healthcare standards, and transforming the health sector, all while filling a need for skilled Haitian health workers.

“Haiti is in dire need of indigenous health workers who are committed to their local communities. Long-term health and economic results can only be achieved by partnering with Haitians to build the health training and service programs that they own, operate in, and use,” said Clinton Bush Haiti Fund board member, Senator William H. Frist. Senator Frist is also a thoracic surgeon.

SOFIHDES

The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund also made a second investment in SOFIHDES, bringing its total support to the long-established Haitian development bank to $2.25M. With a new $1M loan, SOFIHDES will continue to provide loans to Haitian small and growing businesses. An additional $250K grant will provide technical assistance for capacity-building, helping update SOFIHDES’ loan management system and reporting capacity, as well as reinforcing its credit process.

SOFIHDES on-lent the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund’s first $1M loan to a variety of companies, reaching sectors from agriculture to communications.

CLYF Quincallerie S.A.

The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund also made a $525K investment in a Haitian for-profit commercial construction materials company, CYLF Quincallerie. The grant and loan will help CLYF provide access to reliable, quality hardware materials from a local Haitian source, building back better and promoting job creation.

The $525K investment is comprised of a grant and a loan. The $375K loan will allow Port-au-Prince-based CLYF to purchase machinery to produce light-gauge steel metal studs. The $150K grant will support training for use of the equipment, creating at least 25 new jobs.

About the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund

The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded after Haiti’s January 12, 2010 earthquake, when President Barack Obama asked former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to lead a major fundraising effort to assist the Haitian people to “build back better.” The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund initially responded to the catastrophe with millions in humanitarian relief. By the time the Fund was officially formed in May 2010, it transitioned to primarily serving its longer-term mission of sustainable reconstruction efforts designed to promote jobs and economic opportunity, empowering Haiti to chart its own successful future.

Contact:
Clinton Bush Haiti Fund
Meg Galloway Pearce, 202-572-4045


http://finance.yahoo.com/news/clinton-bush-haiti-fund-investments-130000997.html

Translation of above:

Slick Willy flew to Haiti just as the Haitian has taken a "public" view against open market borders and contrabands that aim to destroy Haitian economy and society.

Soon after a tete-tete with Martelly..........the government of Haiti will back down and announce they can secure the border and look at ways that a free trade agreement might be beneficial to both sides.

In exchange, Duvalier will remain free, continue to collect his pension and enjoy 24h security from the police.....all courtesy of the poor people he terrorized and murdered.

en devant - 28 June 2012 08:10 PM

Translation of above:

Slick Willy flew to Haiti just as the Haitian has taken a "public" view against open market borders and contrabands that aim to destroy Haitian economy and society.

Soon after a tete-tete with Martelly..........the government of Haiti will back down and announce they can secure the border and look at ways that a free trade agreement might be beneficial to both sides.

This is not what papa Slick Willy wants for Haiti and Haitians.

Oh, so this is going to be another let's be grateful to american military.........

No, I said the public stance of the Haitian government will be stopped by slick willy.

You posted the video that shows the Haitian government stating they plan to stop the open border market?

I agreed the haitian government said it will crack down on libre imports.......something slick willy is against.......bill clinton was the architect that forced Haiti to engage in a free trade agreement with the world by adopting the lowest tariff rate in the world..... what economists have called "shock economy"

So yes, slick willy is against any type of reform at the Haitian dominican border...........before you jumped in to defend bill clinton.....you should know that willy himself has already admitted to the deed.

en devant - 28 June 2012 08:38 PM

Oh, so this is going to be another let's be grateful to american military.........

No, I said the public stance of the Haitian government will be stopped by slick willy.

You posted the video that shows the Haitian government stating they plan to stop the open border market?

I agreed the haitian government said it will crack down on libre imports.......something slick willy is against.......bill clinton was the architect that forced Haiti to engage in a free trade agreement with the world by adopting the lowest tariff rate in the world..... what economists have called "shock economy"

So yes, slick willy is against any type of reform at the Haitian dominican border...........before you jumped in to defend bill clinton.....you should know that willy himself has already admitted to the deed.

I'm not defending papa Bill. I am in agreement with you.

http://www.clintonbushhaitifund.org/page/-/cbhf-new/pdf/2012_3_1 PUBLIC Commitments Breakdown.pdf

http://cbhf.3cdn.net/6f6b425042d76aaae2_gfm6i6zrl.pdf

A couple of links to politcal cronnies receiving payouts from Clinton.

Oasis Hotel

Solar Electric Light Fund

Partners in Health

Fonkoze

and several other micro-finance firms that charge over 35% interest rates to haitian poor on money given to them for FREE by donors.

It's a real Democrat Party operatives porkfest using donated funds to "Aid The Poor".

Bill Clinton visits Haiti to promote tourism..........Haiti's minister of tourism went to the Dominican republic and speaks of "union" with tourism of the Dominican republic.

while this is not the first time the panyols have hinted that they will control tourism in Haiti......this is the first official statement made by the Haitian government.

Investment Opportunities Knocking for The Bahamas

NASSAU, Bahamas (defend.ht) - Big or small, near or far, the opportunity for investing in an emerging Haiti can come from any country anywhere. Seasoned businessman Gregory Mevs, volunteering as the Haitian Ambassador of Trade and Investment, demonstrated the opportunities that the business community of the Bahamas had in Haiti.

Ambassador Mevs delivered a presentation alongside the Haitian Ambassador to the Bahamas, Antonio Rodrigue, and the Chairman of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employer's Confederation.

The presentation was two-fold, first, to show Haiti as a tourist destination and the second, on doing business in Haiti.

Business people attending the presentation benefited by hearing a detailed overview of the needs in Haiti for tourism infrastructure and how those needs translate into business opportunities that Bahamians can vantage from.

Tourism and related services sit atop the priority sectors where opportunities are ripe for investment and other sectors with possibilities are textiles, agriculture, fisheries, livestock, construction and energy. In the next 4 years, $5 billion in revenue is estimated in these areas alone.

Secondary industries such as telecommunications, information technology and financial services are budding areas of opportunity.
Facts and Figures

The Haitian government, led by President Michel Martelly and Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe has set a "modest" goal to attract $300 million in investments and in the approaching year of 2013, $600 million.

To meet those goals, Ambassador Mevs, in his presentation, revealed that incentives such as a 15 to 20 years exemption from income tax an elimination of capital gains and stamp taxes are available.

"In tourism, Haiti is spending a lot of money on infrastructure, in the north on airports and terminals for cruise ships. And we need hotel rooms. We need everything. And we need people to train Haitians in this industry," relayed Mevs.

The Chairman of the BCCEC, Chester Cooper, said he is pushing to see a change in policy between Haiti and the Bahamas. Cooper spoke of his work on ending the embargo on agricultural goods to start.

"The Bahamas government should put in place its own inspection protocols and expedite the removal of these restrictions. Ending the embargo will not only reduce the cost of Haitian products imported into The Bahamas and improve trade, but taking it to a logical conclusion, it might help the Haitian economy and our relations with Haiti by improving commerce," explained Cooper.

Gregory Mevs will continue to travel to other countries visiting chambers of commerce and sharing opportunities and knowledge on business and investment opportunities in Haiti.

The new Haitian government has pledged to create and environment conducive to economic growth and is explaining to the world that, in this early transition, Haiti is open to investment and business.

http://defend.ht/politics/articles/diplomatic/3155-haiti-investment-opportunities-opened-for-the-bahamas

Food-Sovereignty-Haiti - 01 July 2012 11:28 AM

Investment Opportunities Knocking for The Bahamas

NASSAU, Bahamas (defend.ht) - Big or small, near or far, the opportunity for investing in an emerging Haiti can come from any country anywhere. Seasoned businessman Gregory Mevs, volunteering as the Haitian Ambassador of Trade and Investment, demonstrated the opportunities that the business community of the Bahamas had in Haiti.

Ambassador Mevs delivered a presentation alongside the Haitian Ambassador to the Bahamas, Antonio Rodrigue, and the Chairman of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employer's Confederation.

The presentation was two-fold, first, to show Haiti as a tourist destination and the second, on doing business in Haiti.

Business people attending the presentation benefited by hearing a detailed overview of the needs in Haiti for tourism infrastructure and how those needs translate into business opportunities that Bahamians can vantage from.

Tourism and related services sit atop the priority sectors where opportunities are ripe for investment and other sectors with possibilities are textiles, agriculture, fisheries, livestock, construction and energy. In the next 4 years, $5 billion in revenue is estimated in these areas alone.

Secondary industries such as telecommunications, information technology and financial services are budding areas of opportunity.
Facts and Figures

The Haitian government, led by President Michel Martelly and Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe has set a "modest" goal to attract $300 million in investments and in the approaching year of 2013, $600 million.

To meet those goals, Ambassador Mevs, in his presentation, revealed that incentives such as a 15 to 20 years exemption from income tax an elimination of capital gains and stamp taxes are available.

"In tourism, Haiti is spending a lot of money on infrastructure, in the north on airports and terminals for cruise ships. And we need hotel rooms. We need everything. And we need people to train Haitians in this industry," relayed Mevs.

The Chairman of the BCCEC, Chester Cooper, said he is pushing to see a change in policy between Haiti and the Bahamas. Cooper spoke of his work on ending the embargo on agricultural goods to start.

"The Bahamas government should put in place its own inspection protocols and expedite the removal of these restrictions. Ending the embargo will not only reduce the cost of Haitian products imported into The Bahamas and improve trade, but taking it to a logical conclusion, it might help the Haitian economy and our relations with Haiti by improving commerce," explained Cooper.

Gregory Mevs will continue to travel to other countries visiting chambers of commerce and sharing opportunities and knowledge on business and investment opportunities in Haiti.

The new Haitian government has pledged to create and environment conducive to economic growth and is explaining to the world that, in this early transition, Haiti is open to investment and business.

http://defend.ht/politics/articles/diplomatic/3155-haiti-investment-opportunities-opened-for-the-bahamas

So sad.

Martelly/Lamothe are focused on the Bahamas when the US market sits a few hundred miles away.

You won't find the Asian mfg's wasting their time on the Bahamas when the US market sits 35 miles away.

we once wasted our time on USA tourism......they declared HIV originated in Haiti and our economy lost 70 percent value in one year.

When and if we EVER get rid of this internationally chosen crackhead they call our president........we should focus on tourism from black Caribbean, Africa and Asia.

en devant - 01 July 2012 02:08 PM

we once wasted our time on USA tourism......they declared HIV originated in Haiti and our economy lost 70 percent value in one year.

When and if we EVER get rid of this internationally chosen crackhead they call our president........we should focus on tourism from black Caribbean, Africa and Asia.

"tourism"; you can hope and dream all day long.

20 years from now, and Haiti will be in the bottom 90% percentile.

No trees, no infrastructure, cholera, polluted everything, and WHY would somebody from Africa or other Caribbean nations want to "vacation" here?

Cuba sits 60 miles away and the DR is directly next door.

Bad idea.

By the same reasoning, why would anyone from USA come to Haiti?

en devant - 01 July 2012 04:13 PM

By the same reasoning, why would anyone from USA come to Haiti?

To make money.

Haiti's destruction of its natural beauty now screams: "Let's become a manuafcturing power house in the Caribbean."