Haiti: Questioning Haitel's 70 Million Investment

Tout Haiti ponders (Fr) Haitian telecom Haitel's recent 70 million dollar investment into CDMA technology: “Why didn't the Haitel investors invest those 70 million dollars in the agricultural sector where there is much more stability compared to Port-au-Prince.”

6 comments

  • sak fe haitel pa fe tankou digicel cree sit pou messag gratui et tankou voila chak mimuit se pyay
    haitel razzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz amort
    nou pap fout fe kob tou paske mounn pa jwenn intere Ht yon tenten konsa
    my god ou fem gen yon vye bout haitel nan menm chanjel an voila tanpri
    un pti couseille metter plus option pou mounn !

  • G-money

    What do you think Haitel is? A charity organization!!
    This is a for-profit institution. They ought to invest where they can make the most profit. Not that I don’t care about helping those poor farmers in the country side, but at the time of Haitel’s investment, there was a greater demand for high-tech phone service than Haitian agricultural goods. It’s the Haitian government’s responsibility promote Haitian agricultural goods in order to increase their demands which will lead to an increase in their supplies. Thus increase increase investment in that sector.

  • Voilari

    We all want the country to come but let’s splender first then blame the government … No sense of building something tangible … Haiti is at a point where priorities must come first … We can no longer afford that disposable and fast food way of thinking … Doing the right thing can at times mushroom into a real profit institution … Remember! rats makes holes but never in a ship where they can sink it …

  • timax

    It would be nice to know what % of the profit generated by Haitel has to be reinvested in Haiti. It would be nice to also know how much profit is beeig made and what is the % of return on their investment is.Who are the share holders? I hope the governments, past or present, have made it clear that if a company can make money in Haiti it is right to invest some of it back into the country. Some tranparency please!!

  • haitidoc

    Any investment in Haiti is a big help to the country. Let’s not knock it.

  • James Kurz

    Now, some years later, it seems that Digicel has been “net positive” investor in Haiti. Far more people have cell phones now than they ever could in the past. It instill some pride and some comfort in people. They can speak with their family, call friends, and do business. Even some rural people can use their cell phones to better coordinate with Ti Machann’s they might sell too. Some can even call the US for 5 goudes/min. They’ve democratized communications and ended the ridiculous Voila monopoly.

    They’ve also been good stewards of the country, volunteering, providing sponsorship of development projects, putting on concerts and sponsoring cultural events. It’s the most you can ask for from a company that needs to provide a return. They’ve had a significant, noticable double bottom line.

    The company has run into some trouble with the investment. They’re past due on having their foreign staff leave the country but the transition has proved harder than expected. Nonetheless, this will some be a Haitian run operation. I don’t think they deserve our criticism.

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