Trade with Haiti Promising:
By Paige Ferguson -
Nassau, Bahamas:

Haiti has long been assumed to have a desolate economy with little promise, but some Bahamian businesses have already expressed interest in the rejuvenating economy.

Past president of The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce, Winston Rolle, said since the Chamber’s mission to Haiti last month, there have been several promising consequences.

"I know for a fact that since our visit to Haiti a number of individuals have come into the chamber or have called the chamber looking to make contact with persons in Haiti to do business," he told The Bahama Journal.

"And we’ve facilitated that by putting them in contact with the various persons or organizations in Haiti."

The Chamber of Commerce’s four-day trade mission to Haiti in October was aimed at dispelling the myth that Haiti is an unsafe place to do business.

The focus was also on exploring avenues for developing trade agreements between Haiti and The Bahamas in agriculture, poultry, telecommunications, construction, souvenir, craft making and other areas of commerce.

The country was then hailed by the current president of the Chamber, Dionisio D’Aguilar as being poised for economic development and a rebirth, despite its infrastructure problems, widespread poverty and history of lawlessness.

Agricultural products have been Haiti's main export commodities for many years. Mr. Rolle said those kinds of trades between the two countries have a number of benefits that could result in booming economic growth.

"One area would be to purchase products out of Haiti for distribution here in The Bahamas which obviously has a cost element associated with it as it relates to delivering products in a less costly fashion here," he said.

"The other option obviously is that people have the opportunity to invest and do business in Haiti and that generates opportunity there."

Mr. Rolle said a variety of businesses have expressed interest in finding opportunities to invest in or source products from Haiti.

However, he said the extent to which those opportunities can be deemed successful could not be noted at this point.

"I think that the various [business] people will have to determine that. I know of a couple of things that are in the works that obviously I’m not at liberty to say anything about," he said.

"But I know there are a number of things that they’re looking at in terms of establishing working relationships to expand on business opportunities."

17 November 2007