This past week, Prime Minister, Laurent Lamothe, accompanied by David Bazile, the Minister of the Interior Terrotoriales Communities (MICT) and the Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the EU, Javier Niño Pérez, launched the Investment Fund of Local Authorities (FICT).

The FICT is part of the Support Program for Governance and Local Investment in Haiti (Appui à la Gouvernance et à l'Investissement Local en Haïti - AGIL) funded by the European Union to the tune of 5.5 million euros. "Our country suffers from excessive centralization" has the Prime Minister, adding that with this launch, the government intended to mark a milestone in the process of decentralization in Haiti.

Under this FICT 120 million gourdes, allocated by the European Union, are available for 16 municipalities in the North and North East, who have very limited financial resources: Cap Haitien, Quartier Morin, Limonade, Milot, Dondon, Acul du Nord, Terrier Rouge, Trou du Nord, Caracol, Fort Liberté, Sainte Suzanne, Capotille, Mont Organisé, Delpech, Ferrier and Ouanaminthe located on the axis Cap Haitien / Ouanaminthe. For its part, the MICT brings to this pilot project, an additional contribution of 12 million gourdes.

This support to communities will help to implement projects identified by the citizens, as public lighting, equipment center, public market, slaughterhouse, system of drinking water supply etc... "The Investment Fund of Local Authorities, is a real tool for experimentation in the mastery of communal work in the area of ​​decentralization," said the Minister Bazile, who argued in favor of strong and autonomous local authorities that can exercise the powers granted by law to support the needs of the community, adding that the FICT has the peculiarity of fostering intercommunal dynamics and increase the capacity of intervention of municipalities, by pooling their resources.

Ambassador Javier Niño Pérez stressed the important role of local authorities and civil society in sustainable development "The FICT reflects the importance that the EU attaches to issues of local governance and decentralization, essential to sustainable development driven from the base by social actors."

SL/ HaitiLibre