A delegation of the European Union (EU) led by Ms. Lut Fabert, Head of EU delegation in Haiti, participated in Cap Haitien, this Thursday, October 28, to the presentation of the global project of economic development of the Pole of North in Haiti.

At this conference, EU confirmed its commitment to the Haitian authorities, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and USAID to this vast project aimed at developing the economic pole in the North, particularly through the development of the sectors of tourism, agriculture and textiles. The EU, because of its experience of implementation of major infrastructure projects in Haiti, has pledged to contribute in particular to the infrastructure component of the project.

The project discussed in detail at the conference attended by government officials and private sector in Haiti, which includes the establishment of an industrial park, estimated to 75,000 the number of jobs created in the textile industry, tourism and agriculture. Early studies show that the project would generate over 360 million dollars in revenue and would have economic benefits for 500,000 people in the Northern Department.

This participation of the European Union, is part of the current Euro-Haitian cooperation, which focuses on the areas of infrastructure and decentralization, particularly through opening up the central plateau and the development of northern part of the country.

This project is fully complementary with the building, with funding from the European Union, the National #3 between the capital Port-au-Prince and the second largest city Cap Haitien, almost 200 kilometers long, it will, once completed, linking two major cities in just three hours cons over 8 hours now.

The EU has already completed the section Port-au-Prince - Mirebalais along 62 km in 2009. The section Mirebalais - Hinche along 53 km, under construction, will be completed next year in 2011 while the last section Hinche - Cap Haitien along 74 km will be completed in 2013.

The completion of the section between Cap Haitien and Hinche will connect the two cities in 1:30 against almost 5 hours now. The completed highway will free up the productive capacity of the constraint that slows the flow of products, in particular agricultural, towards the market and to improve the access of the Haitian populations to the basic infrastructures.

HL/ HaitiLibre