Haiti’s Prime Minister Gerard Latortue has told the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) that he wants to prioritize the country’s electricity and roads sectors in revitalizing the economy, the IDB announced.
Latortue is heading up the transition administration, which expects to hold elections in 2005.
“We need roads, we need to open up the country,” the statement quoted Latortue as saying. In some areas agricultural output is lost simply because it cannot be brought to market. The prime minister also asked the IDB board to consider Haiti as a “special case” which needs international support.
The IDB has nearly US$400mn in concessional loans in Haiti to finance rural roads, basic infrastructure renovation, agriculture, potable water and sanitation, health, basic education and community development.