Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies

Haiti: The Economy
Two World Bank projects provide another example of a different
approach to socioeconomic development in Haiti.
When the country's gross domestic product fell by about 40
percent during the 1991-94 embargo years, and large numbers
ofjobs were lost, the World Bank initiated a two-year Employment
Generation Project, which provided short-term jobs for
325,000 of Haiti's poorest. Another social safety-net program
geared toward directly assisting the underprivileged and
improving social services is known as the Basic Infrastructure
Project, which involves the poor in its design and implementation.
The project's goal is the rebuilding of critical infrastructure
in serious disrepair (roads, sanitation facilities, and flood
controls) in provincial towns. The objective is achieved
through consultation with local communities and use of local
labor in construction, thereby providing opportunities for
more sustained employment.
Whatever approach the Haitians choose to reform their
country's basic institutional structure and to embark on a
coherent economic development program, their task is bound
to be daunting. Dealing with an economy in ruins, a population
in despair, an administrative system in shambles, and a
government at a standstill will not be easy and may take years,
even with substantial aid from the international donor community.
* * *
Reliable statistical data on Haitian economics are hard to
obtain. Most publications acknowledge that their figures are
based largely on estimates. For example, despite the obvious
breadth and depth of their research, the International Monetary
Fund and the World Bank note that they have little confidence
in the statistical data provided on Haiti.
Perhaps the best source on Haiti's economy is the Economist
Intelligence Unit, which publishes an annual country profile as
well as four quarterly country reports on the island nation. The
profile typically includes a comprehensive analysis of the country's
economic developments, while providing an insightful
political backdrop to put them in perspective. The quarterly
updates furnish what is tantamount to a running chronicle of
economic and political events as they unfold on the Haitian
scene. It is also useful to consult publications by major donors
such as the World Bank, the Inter-American Development
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