Haiti – Economy: International Day of Cooperatives (Speech by the President of the CPT)
07/07/2024 10:09:47
Saturday, July 6, 2024 brought back the International Day of Cooperatives, celebrated this year under the theme “Cooperatives build a better world for us”.
The Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) recognizes the importance of these institutions, in particular the Savings and Credit Cooperatives (CEC), one of the pillars of the promotion of financial inclusion, due to their presence in the most remote areas, which also contribute to the economic and social development of Haiti.
According to the International Cooperative Alliance, a cooperative is “an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise.”
On this day of celebration, Edgard Leblanc Fils, President of the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT), delivered a speech.
Excerpts from the speech of the President of the CPT:
« […] In Haiti, the 87-year-old movement has a large network of cooperatives, the majority of which are Caisses Populaires. It has assets of nearly 9.3 billion Gourdes, savings of more than 6.5 billion Gourdes and a credit portfolio of 5.5 billion Gourdes. […]
On this anniversary day, it is important to take stock of the historical and current contributions of cooperatives in building a more secure future by accelerating efforts to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2030) […] Through democratic governance and collective ownership, cooperatives provide an example of building peace and stability by putting people from diverse backgrounds on an equal footing and fostering mutual respect and understanding. […]
Some thought that the crisis of cooperatives in Haiti, at the beginning of 2002, caused by the excessive remuneration of certain Caisses Populaires, would sound the death knell of the Haitian cooperative movement. Fortunately […] Traditional cooperatives rooted in good practices and respecting prudential standards have continued to operate normally […] Since then, cooperatives have grown stronger and have been able to play their role in the fight against poverty and in the creation of wealth, enabling members to cope with the continuing deterioration of the country’s economic situation.
[…] On my own behalf and on behalf of the Presidential Transitional Council, I express the hope that the stimulation of the cooperative activities sector by the integration of young people representing more than 60% of the population will contribute to reducing unemployment which affects nearly 70% of the active population and, by extension, will positively influence the efforts of state authorities mobilized in the fight against the criminality of armed gangs which are bringing the country’s economy to its knees.
Long live the Haitian cooperative movement!”
HL/ HaitiLibre
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