German Entrepreneurs Urged To Invest in Haiti

German Entrepreneurs Urged To Invest in Haiti
Author

Joseph Guyler Delva

Release Date

Saturday, January 11, 2014

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Haiti's President Michel Martelly met German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday to discuss and reinforce bilateral cooperation, as he called on German businessmen to invest in the Caribbean country where, he said, previous German investments have been fruitful.

The discussions between Martelly and Merkel, which took place in Berlin on Wednesday, revolved around issues such as the holding of crucial legislative and local elections in Haiti, national reconstruction, security, and opportunities for German entrepreneurs to invest in the Caribbean country.

On the issue of the holding of elections to renew two thirds of the 30-member senate, the entire Lower Chamber and local government entities, Martelly cast the blame on members of opposition parties and recalcitrant senators who have refused to pass an amendment to an electoral law, which is a prerequisite for the holding of the ballot.

The elections are likely to take place within the first quarter of 2015, when Martelly will be able to make an executive order to facilitate the organization of the vote, given that Parliament will be by then dysfunctional.

Martelly and his delegation, which also includes members of the private business sector, had a working session with members of the German Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industries, during which the Haitian leader spoke about the multiple opportunities that Haiti provides to foreign investors who wish to do business in the Caribbean nation.

"I came here today to tell you that my country is now a business opportunity land and that you should not miss these opportunities which are being provided to you," Martelly told German businessmen and women attending a session on the economy in Berlin on Wednesday.

"Other Germans had successfully invested in Haiti," said Martelly, urging attending entrepreneurs to do the same.

Martelly, who put the emphasis sectors such as on tourism, infrastructure and agriculture, explained that Haiti is one of the safest countries in the Caribbean region.

The chairman of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industries, Hugo Kramer, promised to send a fact-finding mission to Port-au-Prince in 2015 to explore investments opportunities in the country.

The Haitian leader thanked Merkel and her government for the assistance provided by Germany to Haiti, which was hit by a devastating earthquake that killed up to 300,000 people and left hundreds of thousand others homeless.

Merkel congratulated Martelly and his administration on progress achieved in different areas in Haiti and expressed hope that the delayed elections will take place as soon as possible.

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