Bill Clinton Launches Haitian Loan Fund

By: - August 17th, 2011

Haitian businesses devastated by the 2010 earthquake could get a boost with a new initiative by former US President Bill Clinton. Clinton is launching a $20 million programme to bolster Haitian businesses, with the first loan of $415,000 going to Caribbean Craft, an exporter of art and other goods. “One of the biggest problems in growing the Haitian economy is that there is really no facility that grants small business loans on reasonable terms,” Clinton said. Earlier this month, the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund granted $850,000 to a Haitian microfinance programme. [Bloomberg]

Haiti

Marriott BVI Foray Completes First Phase

Above: Scrub Island By the Caribbean Journal staff The first Marriott destination in the British Virgin Islands, and the first Caribbean resort to join the company’s new Autograph Collection has completed phase one of the Scrub Island project, according to Doug Kulig, CEO of OBMI. The property will officially join Marriott’s new Autograph Collection in […]

Haiti

In Jamaica, a New Look at Literacy

Above: the National Library of Jamaica Jamaica’s Ministry of Education has partnered with UNESCO to implement a Literacy Assessment Monitoring Programme to accurately assess literacy levels among Jamaicans. Jamaica is the first country in the Caribbean to put the project into effect, and the first in English. “In putting together the national plan for attaining […]

Haiti

Interview with Dr Keith Nurse: What Climate Change Means for Caribbean Tourism

By Alexander Britell The Caribbean is continually looking for ways to emerge from the downturn. And with an economy largely dependent on tourism, a changing world economy – and a changing world climate — pose new problems for the region. The solution, says Dr Keith Nurse, is to tap into new markets and resources — […]

Making Haiti Safer by Design

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LaRocque Begins Term with Guyana Visit

Above: CARICOM Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque with Acting Guyanese President Samuel Hinds (Photo: CARICOM) New CARICOM Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque began his term yesterday with a visit to the Guyanese government, meeting with acting President Samuel Hinds and making a courtesy visit with Foreign Minister Caroline Rodrigues-Birkett. Yesterday, regional integration expert Professor Norman Girvan told Caribbean Journal […]

Talking with the Caribbean's Rum Minister

 Above: the Centre de Reconstruction in Port-au-Prince (Photo: Open Architecture Network) While Haiti once had its own comprehensive building code, along with a zoning code, construction in Haiti has lost a coherent structure, according to Stacey McMahan. While Haitian architects are starting to learn more about earthquake-safe design, the country’s building industry is a bit […]

Jamaica, Chinese Firm Finalize Sugar Deal

 The Jamaican government has completed the privatisation of the country’s sugar industry, signing a divestment agreement with state-owned Chinese company COMPLANT. Under the agreement, COMPLANT will acquire the Bernard Lodge, Frome and Monymusk lands for $9 million. “We know that this relationship will be long and fruitful,” said Agriculture Minister Robert Montague. “We not only […]