On April 20, David Stillman and colleagues including Dr. Lesly Kernisant, President, SIMACT, Inc.,  Harry Stokes  and Brady Luceno of Project Gaia, and Regine Barjon of the Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce of Florida and New York attended the Haiti Reconstruction Business Dialogue at the U.S. Department of Commerce.    This featured  U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Haitian Minister of Tourism (and reconstruction) Patrick Delatour as the keynote speaker.   Robert Jones, U.S. Commercial Services Regional Senior Officer for the Caribbean, was emcee. 

A panel discussion on the private sector perspective for doing business in Haiti featured senior representatives of Trilogy International Partners, Crowley Maritime Corporation, Hanes Brands and BEA Architects.   Trilogy is currently the largest U.S. investor in Haiti, with the Voila! wireless communications.   Crowley has reopened the Port of Port-au-Prince;  Hanes has resumed manufacture in Haiti; and BEA Architects spoke of planning for ports and modular housing.

A second panel included senior representatives of the USAID/Haiti Task Team, Inter-American Development Bank, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.    USAID is emphasizing public-private partnerships and activities for development outside of Port-au-Prince.   IDB has agreed to double its lending program and welcomes proposals.   OPIC aims to mobilize U.S. capital and skills, and provides political risk insurance.  The USTDA focuses on funding for infrastructure projects through feasibility studies and technical assistance and also welcomes proposals.

Despite the positive remarks of the private sector’s experience and the welcoming tone of the public sector speakers, three months after the earthquake specifics of detailed plans for reconstruction were not  available.    In response to questions, the USAID representative remarked it would take time for the pledges made at the March 31 Donors Conference to be approved by legislatures and implemented by agencies.

The meeting was valuable for making personal contacts with a number of senior officials.