Beaumont, Part of Government Effort to De-Centralize
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Poor communities like Beaumont want to control their own destinies, and the Haitian government is ready to cooperate. As part of an initiative to divest the government of its traditional control over the more remote regions, it will put decision-making power into the hands of local governments and de-centralize, through the Katye Pam Poze model, a town-hall meeting format. Katye Pam Poze uses local coffee houses as a meet-up for residents to discuss community needs, which include basic services like police protection, sanitation, and health- and child-care.
In order to help Beaumont provide its citizens with core services, Martelly wants to stimulate agriculture production there. The soil of this town is fertile ground for growing crops of cassava, yams, and bananas, as well as coffee beans, all of which will be exported abroad. Martelly’s hope is to eventually attract private investment from non-pro t social investment funds, which help businesses that have outgrown Haitian bank lending policies keep their burgeoning businesses pro table.
Martelly, as part of his remarks to the gathering of local officials of the village, concluded that “I must bring development to Beaumont. And Grand’ Anse must expect that from me.”
