Haiti’s private sector associations issued increasingly urgent appeals in July 2019 for a resolution to the country’s political crisis, warning that the business community was approaching a breaking point after months of disruption, lost revenue, and deteriorating investor confidence. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Association of Haitian Industrialists, and other business groups issued a joint statement calling on both the government and opposition to prioritize economic stability.
Business leaders were careful to avoid being perceived as aligned with either side in the political dispute, but their frustration with the ongoing standoff was evident. They pointed to factories idled, tourism revenue evaporated, investment projects suspended, and trade disrupted as the tangible costs of political paralysis. Some business leaders reported considering relocating operations to other Caribbean countries if stability could not be restored.
The private sector’s intervention carried weight given its role as one of Haiti’s few sources of formal employment and tax revenue. Business associations also had relationships with international partners and investors that gave them credibility as voices for economic rationality amid political excess.
Economists noted that the private sector’s concerns were well-founded: prolonged periods of political instability had historically been followed by extended periods of reduced growth and investment in Haiti, with recovery timelines measured in years rather than months.