August 10, 2010Former U.S. President George W. Bush will travel to Haiti on Tuesday in part to "view progress made on rebuilding after the January earthquake ... and visit with organizations that are assisting in the rebuilding effort and have been supported by the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund," according to a statement from Bush's office.
Bush also will hear from Haitians regarding the conditions in their country since the earthquake, the statement said.
The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund is a nonprofit organization founded after Haiti's January 12 earthquake. The organization is primarily focused on long-term economic reconstruction projects to help the people of Haiti by creating jobs and promoting economic opportunity.
"President Bush's trip will draw attention to the great ongoing need in Haiti, and he will encourage Americans to continue to give what they can to help their neighbors in need," the statement said.while in Washington link ~ on Tuesday 11:40 a.m. Obama to push $26 billion aid package for U.S. states ... )
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IMF Executive Board Concludes 2010 Article IV Consultation with Haiti
Public Information Notice (PIN) No. 10/112
August 6, 2010
At a high level donor conference in New York in March, the government presented its National Action Plan for Recovery and Development to build a better Haiti. The plan aims at sustainably raising medium-term growth and reducing poverty by creating decentralized economic growth poles, reducing vulnerability to natural disasters, enhancing access to basic social services, and strengthening state institutions. Donors generously pledged US$9.9 billion in support of Haiti’s reconstruction, of which US$5.3 billion are to be disbursed over the next 18 months. Although actual disbursements so far have been slow, external aid related to the reconstruction could triple as a share of GDP over the next 3-5 years.
At a high level donor conference in New York in March, the government presented its National Action Plan for Recovery and Development to build a better Haiti. The plan aims at sustainably raising medium-term growth and reducing poverty by creating decentralized economic growth poles, reducing vulnerability to natural disasters, enhancing access to basic social services, and strengthening state institutions. Donors generously pledged US$9.9 billion in support of Haiti’s reconstruction, of which US$5.3 billion are to be disbursed over the next 18 months. Although actual disbursements so far have been slow, external aid related to the reconstruction could triple as a share of GDP over the next 3-5 years.
A recovery in economic activity, led by a rebound in agriculture, construction (including debris removal), and textile manufacturing, is mitigating the GDP decline (projected at 8.5 percent for the fiscal year ending in September 2010). Twelve month inflation reached 6.4 percent in May, in line with a projected increase of 8.5 percent for the year. The gourde has remained broadly stable since end-January, as the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) has stepped up its net foreign exchange purchases. Net International Reserves grew to US$646 million at end-May (from US$402 million at end-December). A recovery in revenue collection since January and weak spending have compensated for slow budget support disbursements. However, priority spending on relocation of families, education, energy, and transport infrastructure should pick up in the coming months. To maintain financial sector stability and restart credit, the central bank is launching a partial credit guarantee scheme, with technical support from the IMF and the World Bank.
http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pn/2010/pn10112.htm
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