Concerning the National Fund for Education (FNE) which was launched Thursday, May 26 at the Hotel Karibe Convention Center by the President Martelly ( https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-3034-haiti-education-launch-of-the-national-fund-for-education-fne-by-martelly-update-1h03pm.html ), and which is funded by two "contributions", US$0.05 on each incoming minutes and US$1.50 on money transfers incoming or outgoing of country, not everyone agrees, some calls them, taxes, contributions...

For Martelly these "contributions" to the financing are not taxes but "a clever way for us not to tax people" emphasizing "that the money will not come directly from the client but will come from the operators".

But for Senator Evalière Beauplan it is indeed a tax and a legal framework is necessary "when it's question to impose taxes, a legal framework is necessary" he says adding that "we can get up like that a morning and have to pay a tax without knowing under which law."

For his part, Saurel Jacinthe, President of Bureau of the Chamber of Deputies things must be done within the law "we have no objection that the president Martelly, acquires the means to send children to school through his program of free education, but things must be done legally."

"Any new tax must be the subject of a law passed by the Parliament" recalls the senator Pierre Francky Exius, first secretary of the Bureau of Senate

who plans to make convene to the Senate Ronald Baudin, the Minister of Economy and Finance, and Charles Castel the Governor of the Central Bank, so that they give explanations on the taxes that the Executive intends to collect.

The jurist Burel Fontilus think that the FNE is a commendable initiative and nd expressed hope that the executive sent a bill for these taxes to parliamentarians and notes that everything must be done within the budget.

With the advent of the "contribution" of S$0.05 on each incoming minutes, a "possible " imposition of a price floor (0.23) has been proposed, the four local operators (Digicel, Voila, Haitel, Natcom) are unanimous for the establishment of the FNE but all do not agree with that price. For Natcom, who is about to enter on the market, the idea of a price floor is penalizing "Our strategies to offer better prices during our introduction will be impossible if the CONATEL requires all operators to practice same price" denounces the Deputy Director Deneral of the NATCOM, Yves Armand "We are for the FNE, for the introduction of a fee of US$0.05 per minute on international incoming calls, but we are against price floors [...] we are for free competition, against price fixing. For 13 years, telecommunications companies exist, this was never done. Why introduce it now ?"

While for the "contribution" of US$1.50 on money transfers incoming or outgoing of country, this was done via the circular #98 issued by the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH), dated May 20, 2011, under the signature of Charles Castel Governor of the Bank.

It seems, in the opinion of many that a legal framework must now be established around the National Fund for Education (FNE)... and its taxes...

See also:

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-3034-haiti-education-launch-of-the-national-fund-for-education-fne-by-martelly-update-1h03pm.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-2993-haiti-education-it-s-not-a-tax-but-a-surcharge-on-the-tariff.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-3027-haiti-education-the-tax-on-money-transfers-comes-into-force-on-june-1-2011.html

HL/ HaitiLibre