In order to bring money to Haiti, sometimes you have to invest outside of Haiti.

Many folks are saying that Haiti is starting to move in a backwards position economically.  That in the first part of the year, the country was moving in the right direction and now it is the opposite.  Folks are saying invest in Haiti.

Here are a problem with that.  For one, I will speak specifically about La Gonave, but it applies to all of Haiti.

1. Cost - Cost too much money to invest in Haiti.  When you can open a business cheaper in America, and get more money, then why invest in Haiti?  From port fees to buying materials, Haiti is very costly. 
2. Lack of skills - Skills are a major problem.  From lack of customer service skills, data entry, mechanical, etc.  Haiti doesn't have large groups of people to fill skill sets companies need.
3. Security - Too many guns and violence on the street, will keep foreign investors away.
4. Government -Too many people are not in the position for upward mobility.  The government should focus on building more power plants and focusing on ways to stop deforestation.

There are many more but I will save you the time.  This isn't bashing Haiti, nor La Gonave, but it is simple, the country is working with a set of systems that DO NOT WORK!  While in Haiti, folks will continue to do what they have been doing in the past, and are not interested in trying something new, this mindset is not allowing the country to move forward.

La Gonave should be it's own Special Administrative Region.  This will allow the region to set it's own taxes, fees, monetary policy, economic strategy, judicial system, etc.  La Gonave should exercise that right, and create its own government and elect a Chief Executive to run the region.  This person is similar to a president of a country, but doesn't have military power.  La Gonave can focus on each problem I listed, and the many others I didn't, and fix core issues.

Building a port should be a top priority, and the fees for that port should be extremely low.  La Gonave should focus on building a power plant as well.  Even a small 2 MW plant could make a major difference for the region.  We are currently studying how to implement kerosene and alcohol stoves, which would limit the cutting down of trees for charcoal.

So how can La Gonave make money given all of these major barriers to entry?  Well initially investment outside of La Gonave, but based in La Gonave is the answer.  For example, if a business opened in the US and was a eatery, but based on La Gonave, the revenue would go back to La Gonave.  Given that Americans can pay more and eateries are usually big business, this is just one example of how investing outside of the country could help the country.  Think of McDonalds and Starbucks.  Both are American companies that are all over the world.  The money however, comes back to the US.  La Gonave could start small businesses and then expand them to places like Miami, Florida, and later to other places with a high Haitian population, such as NYC.  Just a thought!

Go Gonave!