Les Caraibes
La fermeture des marchés binationaux dérange en République dominicaine
- Détails
- Publié le vendredi 6 juillet 2012 12:49
L'annonce du Premier ministre Laurent Lamothe, lors du Conseil de gouvernement du 20 juin, de mettre un terme aux marchés binationaux ouverts sur la frontière deux fois par semaine fait déjà grincer les dents en République dominicaine. L'Eglise catholique, de l'autre coté de la frontière, ne voit pas dans cette décision une solution au problème.
Les dignitaires de l’Eglise catholique de la République dominicaine s’opposent à toute idée de fermer les marchés binationaux le long de la frontière entre la République dominicaine et Haïti, qui génèrent gros. C’est l'hebdomadaire dominicain « Camino » qui a rapporté l’avis des autorités religieuses dans son éditorial de cette semaine intitulé « Abandonnés ». Ces autorités pensent que ceux qui sont pour la fermeture des marchés binationaux ne sont pas intéressés aux problèmes de la frontière. Et elles soutiennent que la décision de fermer ces marchés causerait des dommages à des milliers d'Haïtiens et de Dominicains qui trouvent leur subsistance dans les 14 lieux d'échanges recensés sur la frontière en 2010 par le journal dominicain Listin Diario.
Marcia Forbes: The Trade Wars Between Jamaica and Trinidad
- Détails
- Publié le mercredi 4 juillet 2012 01:11
By Marcia Forbes, PhD
CJ Contributor
The Patty War
Many in the Anglophone Caribbean would have heard of Jamaica’s Patty War with Trinidad. It came to a head in 2009. At its root was what some describe as non-tariff barriers imposed against Jamaica under the guise of the World Trade Organization’s sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) guidelines. These WTO guidelines concern food safety and came into effect in 1995. They allow countries to set their own standards so as to ensure that their citizens are not exposed to harmful products.
Since everyone (or nearly everyone) in Jamaica eats and enjoys Tastee patties and many have done so for close to 50 years, that war was won after the various inspections of plant and product to ensure safety supported by scientific evidence. Jamaican patties are now being enjoyed in the republic of Trinidad and Tobago, alongside the Trinis’ delightful doubles.
Durandis: Why Haiti Must Address Its Policies on Private Land Ownership
- Détails
- Publié le mardi 26 juin 2012 20:35
By Ilio Durandis - What was a crisis before the earthquake in Haiti is shaping up to be an omnipotent disaster for the reconstruction effort. Establishing legal land ownership anywhere in the world can be a difficult task, but in Haiti, not only is it a very agonizing process, but, at times, it can even be deadly.
Using the lessons of Haitian history, for many politicians, land reform policies are not be considered. It is suicidal for the career of most politicians to talk about agrarian reform.
The affinity of the Haitian population to their land remains one of the few traits inherited from colonial era. For the peasants, the land is their savings account. For those in big cities, land ownership is a sign of prestige and wealth. However, not everyone who claims to be a land owner can legally prove their ownership.
A stalemate is slowly brewing, as countless volumes of documents were lost at the land title registrar building in Haiti right after the earthquake in January 2010. At present, it is a very complicated matter to prove rightful ownership to a piece of land in Haiti.
The Bahamas is “Open for Business”
- Détails
- Publié le mercredi 4 juillet 2012 01:06
Above: downtown Nassau (CJ Photo)
By the Caribbean Journal staff
The new Bahamian government is making its financial services industry a priority, according to new Financial Services Minister Ryan Pinder.
“The Bahamas is open for business,” Pinder said Wednesday during his contribution to the budget debate.
Pinder said the government would be focusing on four areas: the financial services industry itself, the establishment of the Bahamas as an international arbitration sector, trade development and promotion and industrial expansion and promotion.
“For the last five reporting cycles, the Bahamas has fallen in the rankings of the Global Financial Centres Index,” Pinder said. “We have a plan — we are building a great team.”
Talk of closing US$2.0B per year border market worries agro leader
- Détails
- Publié le mardi 26 juin 2012 18:25
Santo Domingo.- Racking up a whopping US$1.0 billion per year, and as much as US$2.0 billion when the informal movement is added, more than 181,700 people take part in the Dominican-Haiti cross-border markets, with 95,055 Dominicans (52.3%), 86,652 Haitians (47.7%), according to the Country Market 2010 Census.
Because of those figures, Agro Board vice president Osmar Benitez said Dominicans should be concerned with statements from Haiti Prime Minister Guy Lamothe, that his country is studying the possibility of closing the markets, because many products are smuggled and don’t pay taxes.
