Friday at the Hotel Royal Decameron, on the Côte des Arcadins, in the presence of Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant, Max Rudolph Saint-Albin Minister of the Interior, Major David Basile, Director General of the Unit Against Corruption (ULCC) and Jude Edouard Pierre the President of the National Federation of Haitian Mayors (FENAMH), opened a two-day training, information and awareness seminar for mayors of the West on the fight against corruption around the theme "Towards the involvement of local elected representatives in the fight against corruption".

This seminar aims to sensitize local elected officials on collective responsibility in the fight against corruption, which constitutes an obstacle to good governance, development, economic growth and investment and is a real scourge for Haitian society in general.

In his opening speech, Major David Basile recalled the mission of the ULCC, responsible for leading the policy of prevention and fight against corruption, according to principles of good governance and results-oriented public resources management. In addition, he reminded the mayors of the West of the constitutional obligation of the authorizing officers and public accountants to make their declaration of assets and announced on this subject, a technical framework that the ULCC is about to put in place at the disposal of the FENAMH to help mayors who wish, to complete their declaration form.

The Minister Saint-Albin, insisted on the reinforcement of the local financial governance and the control of works by the communities. To this end, he announced that his Ministry in concert with that of the Economy, intends to accompany the local authorities. In the framework of the reinforcement of the communal administrations and the reforms of the local governance he mentioned certain actions already realized like: the recruitment, the formation and the operation of territorial financial controllers in the arrondissements for the technical support of town halls in the area of public finances; the support of municipalities in the preparation and execution of budgets and the preparation of administrative accounts and the introduction of a financial management system.

The Prime Minister has described this activity as an innovative initiative allowing a strategic approach aimed in particular at strengthening the fight against corruption in local institutions and at the profitability of public investments.

During the first day of this seminar, specialists in law and local governance intervened inter alia on the declaration of assets and the legal and regulatory framework of local authorities.

HL/ S/ HaitiLibre