Photos

Firefighter fighting fire in Haiti by the bucket.

The fire ravaged one of the oldest hotel-restaurants in the upscale hilltop suburb of Petionville overlooking Port-au-Prince. 'Cubano', a 12-room hotel was renamed as 'The Perroquet' (The Parrot) in 2012 where regular concerts and parties for promotion of traditional Haitian culture were organized and which was an integral part of Petion-Ville's night life, was gutted by the fire. The fire at 'Cubano' first broke out in a storeroom and it spread quickly, because the firefighters took over an hour to respond. About 10 people were inside the hotel when the fire started, but all escaped unhurt. Bianca Stecker, the distraught daughter of the proprietor has complained that "It's been years that we are complaining about the uncontrolled building with makeshift structure next to our hotel; it was violating every norms of safety.

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Fire in Petion-Ville - On Monday, April 4, 2016, a major fire occurred in Petion-ville. As per the Civil Protection source, around 8:00 A.M in the morning, the fire broke out at the corner of streets Lamarre and Vilatte. The fire destroyed a hotel, a house and several small shops in a small market of construction materials. The fire spreads very quickly because of the inflammable materials (paints and other flammable products) stored in the market. The exact cause of the fire is not yet known, but it could be related to an electrical short circuit which came into the contact of flammable items stored in the warehouses of the market. The local people carried water from the fire fighting truck by bucket in a desperate attempt to bring the fire under control. Petionville is the home of Haitian riches. It is a shame that there was no single fire truck in the commune.

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Here is the picture of Jean Danton Leger, the new Government Commissioner of Port-au-Prince

Since his installation as the new Government Commissioner of Port-au-Prince, his several statements have reaffirmed his determination to fulfill his mission under the law, impartially. However, in the first week of April, the new departure prohibition against man Marc Antoine Acra (drugs were found in his cargo of sugar), the CEO of NABATCO (National Bag and Trading Company), as well as that against the Director of the National Port Authority Alix Célestin made a great noise, because in Haiti, initial ban was arbitrary and illegal and a government commissioner or an investigating judge is not empowered to set a prohibition against a defendant. Danton's move, as per some political and economic analysts, gives the impression of a modern day Sheriff who is not ready to stop ever.

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Here is a picture of the Minister of Economy and Finance in Haiti, Wilson Laleau.

In September 2015, Mr. Laleau announced a list of 23 specified items which could no longer been imported by road, but only by sea or air (excluding cement). This measure was implemented to enable the Ministry to regain the hundreds of millions of dollars of tax revenue lost to smuggling and to encourage the revival of domestic production to meet the needs of the Haitian population. Wilson Laleau is an economist trained in North America and a professor at the State University of Haiti (UEH) of which he was for several years, the vice-rector for academic affairs. On January 20, 2015, when he was installed as the minister of Economy and Finance by then Prime Minister Evans Paul, he announced the importance to declare a state of economic emergency in the country, and do everything possible to revive the hope for a healthy economy. Prime Minister Evans Paul, before an audience of economic officials, described Minister Laleau as an asset of the government, because his passionate governance has the power to resolve all economic problems of the country.

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Here is Minister of Economy and Finance Wilson Laleau - New program "Agribusiness"

Some of the responsible positions that Hon. Wilson Laleau had served in the past, include: Minister of the Economy and Finance, Haiti, Governor at Inter-American Development Bank and Governor at The Caribbean Development Bank. He was the Minister of Economy and Finance during the presidency of former President Martelly. As a minister, he initiated a support program for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in agriculture and agribusiness sector to improve and increase productivity. A funds named ' Industry Development Fund (IDF)' with an amount of 1 billion 200 million gourdes was created to provide loans to agricultural companies fulfilling certain eligible criteria. Under the program, an aspiring beneficiary to the fund must hold a standard unit of land covering an area of 10 hectares or about 12 tiles-- the land could be owned by a single beneficiary or jointly by several land owners which could be construed as one single unit.

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Here is a picture of Mr. Guy Didier Hyppolite who was installed as Minister of Tourism and Creative Industrie.

Guy Didier Hyppolite, prior to this appointment, was the Vice President of the Tourism Association of Haiti (ATH). The new Minister of Tourism was installed by his counterpart from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Yves Romain Bastien, because Romain Bastien, as the Minister of Finance has a special interest in the tourism sector and he believes that unless the country is freed from the political unrest, there would be no development and economic contribution through this sector.

Mr. Camille Junior Edouard, a hard core critic of the former President Martelly has been appointed as the new Minister of Justice & Public Security in the cabinet of Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles, replacing Florence Élie, (former wife of René Préval, both Aristidienne and Prévalienne). Mr. Camille Junior Edouard is a former member of the Cabinet of Prime Minister Garry Conille and former Coordinator of the National Commission for the Fight against Drugs (CONALD). As the new minister, he was chosen at the last moment by the ombudsperson. The new Prime Minister mentioned his name as one of his brightest students at the Faculty of Law and Economic Sciences of the UEH. The Prime Minister is confident that the talent of the new Minister of Justice would contribute immensely towards the benefit of the nation. During his speech for the occasion, Camille Edouard junior said, he will lead fight against criminals of all kinds.

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Here is a picture of Me Camille Junior Edouard, the new Minister of Justice and Public Security.

On the evening of March 24, 2016, to receive his vote of confidence on his general policy in the Senate, the new Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles released a list of his cabinet members, 24 hours before its publication in the official newspaper "Le Moniteur". The new cabinet is composed of 18 ministries, which would be managed by 15 ministers who have sworn in as part of the country's interim government. The 15-member cabinet proposed by Enex Jean-Charles was approved in both the senate and the lower chamber. Some of the important inclusions in the list are: Yves Romain Bastien, Minister of Economy and Finance; Guy Didier Hyppolite installed as Minister of Tourism and Creative Industry; and Me Camille Junior Edouard as the New Minister of Justice and Public Security.

During the installation of Me Camille Junior Edouard as the new Minister of Justice and Public Security, the new Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles revealed that new minister Camille Junior was one of his most brilliant former students at the Faculty of Law and Economic Sciences of the UEH. The Prime Minister is confident that the talent of the new Minister of Justice would contribute immensely towards the benefit of the nation.

Camille Junior Edouard the New Minister of Justice and Public Security
On Monday, March 28, 2016, Guy Didier Hyppolite was installed as the Minister of Tourism and Creative Industries, replacing the outgoing Minister Stéphanie Villedrouin. Earlier to this appointment, Hyppolite was the Vice President of the Tourism Association of Haiti (ATH). As a new minister, he has said, under his leadership, the country will engage itself to regain its share of the tourism market. During his speech for the occasion, he praised the role played by his predecessor Ms. Stéphanie Villedrouin, because she managed the almost impossible challenge to put Haiti on the world tourist map. His Ministry would continue to promote the exquisiteness of Haiti as the ultimate tourist destination and create a solid infrastructure essential for sustainable development of this prime economic sector and assist operators and partners to grow. The Tourism Minister thanked the Interim President of the Republic, Jocelerme Privert and the Prime Minister, Mr. Enex Jean-Charles for bestowing their confidence on him.

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Here is a picture of Marc Aurèle Garcia (Marcus), the new Minister of Culture and Communication

Marc Aurel Garcia aka Marcus Garcia, the new Minister of Culture and Communication in the cabinet of Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles is a journalist and a director of the newspaper Haiti en Marche and Radio Mélodie. He is well known with his voice of melody to the general public as 'Marcus'. On Monday, March 28, 2016, he has been installed into his new responsibility replacing Joan Dithny Raton. The outgoing minister Dithny Joan Raton, who was present during the installation ceremony, took the opportunity to appreciate his successor for his contribution to the Haitian media. The new Minister of Culture and Communication also congratulated his predecessor for his work.

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Here is a picture of Mr. Abel Nazaire, the new Minister of youth and Sports in Haiti

Abel Nazaire, the new Minister of Youth, Sports and Civic Action (MJSAC) has always remained a defender of the cause for the youth. He believes if the youths are placed properly at the center of all activities, it could uplift the socio-economic conditions of the nation. He is of opinion that the country should invest heavily on youth. He would take definite steps to increase the budget allocation to his ministry (MJSAC) while drafting the amended budget. During the previous fiscal year only 667 million gourdes (0.5%) were allocated. The new minister has requested another 500 million gourdes for the period April-June 2016. Abel Nazaire has replaced the outgoing Minister Jimmy Albert, who held the post for past 14 months.

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Here is a picture of Mme Jessy C. PETIT-FRÈRE, the new Minister of commerce and Industry in Haiti

On the same day, Mme. Jessy C. Petit-Frère, has been appointed as the Minister of Trade and Industry and Industry and Minister of Haitians Living Abroad. Mme. Jessy has said, the private business sector in the country is in big trouble. The State should understand their problems, because it is the engine of development and the essence of the country's growth. The terms of bank finance should be easier and more accessible to them. The legislation and regulatory measures of the country should meet the current practical needs. She joined her office on March 29, 2016, replacing the outgoing Minister, Mr. Jude Hervey Day.

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