Haiti pays $32 million in arrears to Inter-American Bank
By Michael Norton, Associated Press Writer
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Jul. 10 - Haiti has paid $32 million in arrears to the Inter-American Development Bank, nearly wiping out its foreign reserves in its effort to resume frozen international loans.
The Haitian Central Bank notified the IDB it had made the payment from its dollar reserves, an official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Wednesday from bank headquarters in Washington.
The Central Bank had about $35 million in reserves before the payment.
In Port-au-Prince, Communications Minister Lilas Desquiron confirmed Tuesday's payment. "This won't solve all our problems but it will give us some air to breath," she told The Associated Press.
Already the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation, Haiti has sunk deeper into misery since international financial organizations suspended more than $500 million in loans and aid after flawed legislative elections swept by President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's party in May 2000.
Citing the growing poverty, the Organization of American States in September urged those institutions to normalize relations.
But Haiti's debt to the IDB gradually mounted to $32 million, and international financial institutions do not lend to countries in arrears.
The arrears had to be paid to start up the complicated process toward resumption of aid.
Last month, several Haitian banks negotiated with the government to bail their country out with a bridge loan, but they apparently did not receive the guarantees they expected.
At the same time, Haiti and the International Monetary Fund signed an agreement obliging Haiti to cut deficit spending from 5.2 to 2.7 percent, reduce inflation from 13 to 10 percent and monitor spending in public sector enterprises.
Payment of the arrears and the agreement are necessary steps toward receiving a $50 million IDB budget support loan, ratified by Haiti's Parliament last month. The IDB board of directors must approve the terms of the loan, a decision expected by the end of July, the IDB official said.
The first $32 million of the budget loan would reimburse the Central Bank.
The disbursement of four IDB loans totaling $146 million — frozen because of the elections, then stalled because of the arrears — could then begin.
More than $300 million in additional IDB loans would also become available.
If Haiti keeps its promises to the IMF during 12 months, the Caribbean nation will have access to between $100 million and $150 million in IMF funds for poverty reduction and growth.
Other aid, however, remains tied up by Haiti's unresolved political conflict.
The World Bank has pulled out of Haiti and will not resume its loan program until Haiti complies with the IMF plan, pays arrears of more than $30 million and reaches a political settlement.
The European Union terminated its $15.9 million budget support grant in 2001 and will not provide another until Haiti complies with the IMF plan and shows progress in resolving the political crisis.
Copyright © 2003 The Associated Press
Quelle ne fut ma surprise d'apprendre que le gouvernement d'Aristide avait versé 32 millions d'arriérés de dettes à la BID, pour essayer de débloquer les prêts promis, dont rappelons-le, celui prévu pour l'assainissement de l'eau.
500 millions de dollars de prêts ont été suspendus en 2000, pour les histoires que vous connaissez, un ramassis de zen concoctés par les professionnels de la chose,
Là où ça se corse, c'est que ces 32M remboursés doivent servir pour débloquer 50M de prêts
Faîtes la soutraction: 50-32 = 18.
Quelle affaire !
Puis, si vous lisez correctement l'article vous verrez les différentes conditions devant permettre à l'IDB de prêter à Haïti 146 M de $.
Un système pas seulement absurde
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