Beyond the reassuring demagogic statements of the Minister of Education who had guaranteed Monday "Textbooks subsidized by the Haitian State will be available well before the beginning of the school year" https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21882-haiti-politics-moise-chairs-a-high-level-meeting-14-days-before-school-begins.html it is quite different on the side of the Maison Henri Deschamps, Haiti's largest printing and publishing house.

For Peter Frisch, CEO of Maison Deschamps, beyond the speeches there is reality. It affirms that the marketing of textbooks subsidized before school is "legally and physically impossible". He recalled that a letter of commitment from the Minister did not bind the State but only the Minister and did not allow for the entry into force of a contract which had not yet passed the steps required by law.

He recalled that the Government had lately launched its subsidy program, that the publishers had not yet received the contracts which was only approved on 18 August by the Ministry of Finance. He explains that these contracts must also be approved by the National Procurement Commission and registered by the Court of Auditors and Administrative Litigation (CSC / CA) before it can enter into force, process still in execution... It is only after this process and the deposit of bonds of the publishers, that the Ministry of Education must issue a notification letter specifying the requirements and reciprocal commitments before the production of the school books can be launched. Noting that once the books have been printed and before they are placed on the market, the Ministry still has to check and record them before issuing a certificate of conformity...

Adding that the Maison Henri Deschamps has always scrupulously respected its contracts, as long as the State for its part respects its calendar.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21882-haiti-politics-moise-chairs-a-high-level-meeting-14-days-before-school-begins.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21867-haiti-education-at-15-days-of-the-new-school-year-the-ministry-does-not-seem-ready.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21740-haiti-politics-subsidized-textbooks-still-unavailable.html

PI/ HaitiLibre