Business
Haiti is open for business – Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe
The Prime Minister of Haiti, Laurent Lamothe says his country is making headway two-and-a-half years after an earthquake claimed the lives of 300,000 people and left 1.5 million others homeless.
In a recent interview, Lamothe told reporters that the government of Haiti has moved 250,000 people out of tents they had been living in and relocated them to homes, but he admits more still needs to be done.
The magnitude 7.0 quake on January 12, 2010 reduced dozens of government and private buildings to rubble within 25 kilometers of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. In two weeks, the government will begin construction on a new building for the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Commerce.
The prime minister explained that the Commerce Ministry was chosen because the government wants the world to know Haiti is open for business.
(More: Haiti rises from the ashes – Economy contiues to grow)
Haiti has also begun infrastructure improvements to replace more than 40 percent of the roads. Lamonthe says the government has waived tuition for more than 1 million school children as part of a poverty reduction program that will also assist parents.
Haiti has received 48 percent of its pledges from international donors. Lamothe says the government is working with donors on remaining pledges.
