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By
Matthew
Russell Lee
WASHINGTON,
May 20 -- With
Haiti, the International Monetary Fund announced a $67.9 million
arrangement under its Extended Credit Facility on May 20, 50 days after it answered Inner City Press on electrical subsidies that it was "in discussions with regard to a possible follow up program."
The IMF's May 20 announcement, published here one minte after the embargo, says that
“The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a
three-year SDR 49.14 million (about US$69.7 million, 60 percent of
quota) arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) for Haiti on
Monday, May 18, 2015. The approval enables the immediate disbursement
of an amount equivalent to SDR 7.02 million (about US$10 million), while
the remaining amount will be phased over the duration of the
arrangement, subject to semi-annual program reviews.
“The authorities’ ECF-supported program aims to raise Haiti’s growth
potential and reduce vulnerabilities to shocks, while entrenching
macroeconomic stability.
“Following the Executive Board’s discussion on Haiti, Mr. Min Zhu,
Deputy Managing Director, and Acting Chair, made the following
statement:
'Haiti’s pursuit of macroeconomic stability in the aftermath of the 2010
earthquake is commendable—growth has been positive, inflation has
remained moderate, and international reserve levels adequate. Going
forward, continued efforts are needed to support sustained and inclusive
growth, strengthen institutions and the policy framework, and maintain
adequate buffers to absorb shocks.'”
There was no mention of cholera, much less of the UN system's role.
Back on March 26 after
reports that
the
International
Monetary Fund
is pressuring
Haiti to cut
or "reform"
electricity
subsidies,
Inner City
Press went to the
IMF and asked
spokesperson
William Murray
about it. Video
here, from
Minute 39:23;
transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: This is
the kind of
question that
sometimes
doesn’t get --
you can't get
it in online.
So I wanted to
ask it since
I'm here.
MR. MURRAY:
Yeah, welcome
to Washington.
Inner City
Press: It has
to do with
Haiti. There's
reporting in
Haiti that the
IMF may
decline to
sign an
agreement or
to proceed
with them
given the sub
-- you know,
if they
continue to
subsidize Electricite
d'Haiti.
And so, people
are obviously
very
concerned. A
lot of people
don't have any
electricity.
Is that -- do
you either
know or can
you get an
answer on what
the status of
that is?
MR. MURRAY:
Let me check
to see. I
don't, you
know, this is
not something
that jumps out
at me at the
moment but let
me see if I
have something
to offer you
on that. We
will get back
to you and
we'll share
with everybody
here. Hold on
a second. Let
me see if we
have -- I have
something on
Haiti. I don't
believe I have
anything
that's really
current at the
moment but let
me just see.
Yeah, I don't.
I'm going to
have get back
to you on
that. We can
talk
afterwards and
then, we'll
share it.
It'll go -- as
our standard
practice, when
we receive
questions,
this is for
the audience
out there as
well, when we
receive
questions of a
nature where I
don’t have an
immediate
answer, we
will
incorporate
the answer --
the question
and the answer
that we give
in the
transcript
that we
publish and
we'll make
that -- we'll
bracket it
somehow to
make sure it's
clear that it
was inserted.
But you'll see
also this
conversation
in the
transcript.
But
when the
transcript
went online,
there was no
answer.
On
March 31, this
arrived from
the IMF:
"Here is what
we have on
your question
on Haiti: 'At
the request of
the
authorities,
we are
currently in
discussions
with regard to
a possible
follow up
program.'”
Watch this
site..
On March 18
after the UN
Security
Council held
its
semi-annual
debate on
Haiti, with 28
speakers, on
March 18,
Inner City
Press
asked UN envoy
Sandra Honore
to explain
paragraph 11
of her speech,
in which she
said:
"The radical
opposition has
continued to
criticize the
recent
political
breakthrough
and has not
desisted from
organizing
anti-Government
demonstrations,
calling for
the
resignation of
President
Martelly and
capitalizing
on
socio-economic
grievances
such as the
recent general
strikes over
fuel prices
and teachers'
salaries."
Isn't it
Haitians'
right, to
protest? Such
protests
elsewhere,
against other
leaders, are
lionized. So
what had
Honore meant?
She
insisted it
wasn't
pejorative. Video here. Inner City
Press also
asked about
the spike in
cholera cases,
and to comment
on if the UN
denying and
evading
responsibility
for bringing
the disease
harmed the
UN's
"legitimacy
and moral
standing."
Honore
cited a
particular
water source,
and said
cholera in
Haiti has not
impaired the
UN's work
around the
world. Really?
Video
here.
Honore's
speech did not
mention the UN
mission
MINUSTAH
shooting at
demonstrators.
On March 17,
Inner City
Press asked
the UN:
Inner City
Press: on what
you said about
the reports
becoming
public, one
suddenly came
back to mind
is the report
from MINUSTAH
on the
shooting of
demonstrators.
I know it's
been said a
number of
times it was
being
finalized.
It happened in
December and
it's now
March.
Is that
released?
When is that
report going
to be
released?
Deputy
Spokesman
Haq:
We'll let you
know once it
can be… once
it has been
finalized for
release.
But, at this
stage, I
believe what
Stéphane has
already said
about this
remains the
case, that the
person
involved in
this was
suspended from
duty.
Honore
on March 18
said
MINUSTAH's
report is
finished and
is "with"
DPKO. We'll
have more on
this.
By Matthew Russell Lee
WASHINGTON, March 27 -- On March 26 after reports that the International Monetary Fund is pressuring Haiti to cut or "reform" electricity subsidies, Inner City Press went to the IMF and asked spokesperson William Murray about it. Video here, from Minute 39:23; transcript here and below.
On March 27, the US State Department announced that
"Counselor Thomas A. Shannon and Special Coordinator for Haiti Thomas C. Adams will travel to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, March 29-31. They will meet with senior government officials, civil society, and the private sector.
"On March 29, Counselor Shannon and Special Coordinator Adams will travel to Santo Domingo to meet with President Medina, Foreign Minister Navarro, and representatives of the International Organization for Migration and U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. They will discuss preparations for the Summit of the Americas, regional relations, and bilateral issues of interest and importance. While in the Dominican Republic, the Counselor and Special Coordinator will also meet with representatives of civil society to discuss issues of migration and worker rights.
"On March 30, Counselor Shannon and Special Coordinator Adams travel to Port-au-Prince to meet with representatives of the Government of Haiti, international organizations, and the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) to discuss preparations for upcoming Haitian elections. While in Haiti, the Counselor and Special Coordinator will also meet with representatives of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry."
So, meeting with business groups, the government, MINUSTAH and other "international organizations." What about civil society?
Here's from the IMF's March 26 transcript:
Inner City Press: This is the kind of question that sometimes doesn’t get -- you can't get it in online. So I wanted to ask it since I'm here.
MR. MURRAY: Yeah, welcome to Washington.
Inner City Press: It has to do with Haiti. There's reporting in Haiti that the IMF may decline to sign an agreement or to proceed with them given the sub -- you know, if they continue to subsidize Electricite d'Haiti. And so, people are obviously very concerned. A lot of people don't have any electricity. Is that -- do you either know or can you get an answer on what the status of that is?
MR. MURRAY: Let me check to see. I don't, you know, this is not something that jumps out at me at the moment but let me see if I have something to offer you on that. We will get back to you and we'll share with everybody here. Hold on a second. Let me see if we have -- I have something on Haiti. I don't believe I have anything that's really current at the moment but let me just see.
Yeah, I don't. I'm going to have get back to you on that. We can talk afterwards and then, we'll share it. It'll go -- as our standard practice, when we receive questions, this is for the audience out there as well, when we receive questions of a nature where I don’t have an immediate answer, we will incorporate the answer -- the question and the answer that we give in the transcript that we publish and we'll make that -- we'll bracket it somehow to make sure it's clear that it was inserted. But you'll see also this conversation in the transcript.
But when the transcript went online, there was no answer. Yet. Watch this site - and this embedded video, last question:
On March 18 after the UN Security Council held its semi-annual debate on Haiti, with 28 speakers, on March 18, Inner City Press asked UN envoy Sandra Honore to explain paragraph 11 of her speech, in which she said:
"The radical opposition has continued to criticize the recent political breakthrough and has not desisted from organizing anti-Government demonstrations, calling for the resignation of President Martelly and capitalizing on socio-economic grievances such as the recent general strikes over fuel prices and teachers' salaries."
Isn't it Haitians' right, to protest? Such protests elsewhere, against other leaders, are lionized. So what had Honore meant?
She insisted it wasn't pejorative. Video here. Inner City Press also asked about the spike in cholera cases, and to comment on if the UN denying and evading responsibility for bringing the disease harmed the UN's "legitimacy and moral standing."
Honore cited a particular water source, and said cholera in Haiti has not impaired the UN's work around the world. Really? Video here.
Honore's speech did not mention the UN mission MINUSTAH shooting at demonstrators. On March 17, Inner City Press asked the UN:
Inner City Press: on what you said about the reports becoming public, one suddenly came back to mind is the report from MINUSTAH on the shooting of demonstrators. I know it's been said a number of times it was being finalized. It happened in December and it's now March. Is that released? When is that report going to be released?
Deputy Spokesman Haq: We'll let you know once it can be… once it has been finalized for release. But, at this stage, I believe what Stéphane has already said about this remains the case, that the person involved in this was suspended from duty.
Honore on March 18 said MINUSTAH's report is finished and is "with" DPKO. We'll have more on this.
