On Thursday, an official note confirmed that Haitian authorities met with the heads of the Chambers of Commerce to discuss the consequences of the border closure and seek solutions to the immediate needs.
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The Minister of Commerce and Industry Ricardin Saint-Jean expressed the desire and commitment of the Government in agreement with the private sector to find mechanisms capable of absorbing in the very short term the consequences of this crisis, as well as to reflect on the adoption of measures capable of providing sustainable solutions to put the country on the real path towards food self-sufficiency in the long term.
The various Chambers agreed to set up a working group with a view to exploring the related issues in greater depth and supporting the State in the formulation and implementation of strategies to respond to urgent needs.
To this end, they scheduled a new meeting on Thursday, October 5, where Haiti’s main importers will be present.
The tweet reads, "Closure of the Haitian-Dominican border - The Minister of Commerce, Ricardin Saint-Jean, met this week with members of the various chambers of commerce. The Minister wants to find a strategy to deal with this crisis affecting relations between the two countries. According to Mr. Saint-Jean, the government wants to take short- and long-term measures to put the country on the road to food self-sufficiency."
Following the resumption of the construction of an irrigation canal on the Masacre River shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo unilaterally announced the border closure, the prohibition of trade by air, sea and land, as well as the lifting of visas for Haitian citizens and binational transportation.
The measure has had a serious impact on food and other materials and supplies imported by Port-au-Prince from the neighboring country.
Despite the acute crisis that could arise, experts point out that the closure may be an opportunity for Haiti to review the unequal trade relationship between the two countries.