Haiti
1.300
529
529.209
Haiti
Haiti - Key Figures Report.pdf
(228.21 KB)
Key figures
Informe de Mapeo Cooperativo Haití.pdf
(215.16 KB)
Key figures
Research overview
Responding to challenges and existing knowledge gaps facing the cooperative movement, this mapping research seeks to provide exhaustive information on cooperatives around the world.
This is achieved through a process jointly conducted by the ICA and its four regional offices – Cooperatives of the Americas, Cooperatives Europe, ICA Africa, and ICA Asia-Pacific – using a common methodology, designed with the support of external experts from the European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises (Euricse).
Each office collected the input of ICA members present in the countries within its geographic area, by using a common questionnaire, and completing it with relevant national statistics, in order to obtain a picture of the national situation. As a result, the data above is collected following two strategies: 1) a survey targeting ICA cooperative members 2) collecting national statistics already available in the country. The numbers above provide aggregated data from ICA members on the number of cooperatives, as well as the number of cooperative employees and memberships in the country. More methodological information is available in the full report. In Haiti, the data is collected for the reference year 2017.
Mapping out cooperatives in each country provides a more precise picture of the cooperative context at national and regional levels, enhances the movement's visibility, networking, partnerships opportunities, as well as advocacy, and empowers cooperators by providing tools for positive change.
This webpage presents a snapshot of the research results for Haiti. For more information and the full research results, you can download the report by clicking on the links above.
History
The information on the history of cooperativism in Haiti is quite limited, both in English and Spanish; However, the ICA Cooperative Legal Framework Analysis mentions that the first Cooperative Law dates back to September 14, 1953 and established the National Council of Cooperatives (CNC), the supervisory body of cooperativism at that time.
Among the strongest sectors in which Haitian cooperatives have developed are agriculture under small producer cooperatives and the “popular savings banks” which are savings and credit cooperatives.
Overview
Haiti counts 1 ICA member organisation:
- Union Coopérative de Crédit Agricole et Rural d'Haïti (UNICAGRIH), is a full member in the finance sector.
In Haiti the research questionnaire was distributed to and completed by 1 ICA member organisation. The data collected was for the reference year 2017.
Legal framework
Legal Framework Analysis - Haiti.pdf
(200.31 KB)
Legal framework
Informe de Marcos Legales - Haiti.pdf
(141.47 KB)
Legal framework
LFA Highlights - Haiti.pdf
(140.43 KB)
Legal framework
Legal research overview
The legal framework analysis aims to provide general knowledge of the national cooperative legislation and of its main characteristics and contents, with particular regard to those aspects of regulation regarding the identity of cooperatives and its distinction from other types of business organisations, notably the for-profit shareholder corporation.
It aims to evaluate whether the national legislation in place supports or hampers the development of cooperatives, and is therefore “cooperative friendly” or not, and the degree to which it may be considered so, also in comparison to the legislation in force in other countries of the ICA region, or at the supranational level.
In addition, the research aims to provide recommendations for eventual renewal of the legal frameworks in place in order to understand what changes in the current legislation would be necessary to improve its degree of “cooperative friendliness”, which is to say, to make the legislation more favourable to cooperatives, also in consideration of their specific identity. This webpage presents a snapshot of the legal framework analysis results for Haiti.
General overview
The Law on cooperatives dates back to September 14, 1953 and related to the organization of cooperatives and established the National Council of Cooperative (CNC). This Law on cooperatives was amended by decree to three (3) repeated: by the decree of October 27, 1960, by the decree of June 18, 1974 and by the decree of April 2, 1981.
Cooperative Friendliness
An appropriate legal framework where financial services cooperatives (Caisses) and economic services cooperatives (agricultural, multi-purpose, production) can have their own legislation; government leadership provided by the CNC to reform the Law, review its powers and be allocated resources in relation to those responsible; promote concerted action between supervisory agencies and donors to ensure consistency in supporting cooperatives.
Key recommendations for improvement
- Proposal for a new Law on the Savings and Credit Cooperative which will be much more complete, which should correct certain shortcomings of the current law of June 2002.
- Census of cooperatives on the (10) departments of the Republic of Haiti.
- The provision of the Cooperative sector in general and the credit unions in particular of the means necessary for the creation of a forum aimed not only at restoring the image of the sector, but at making known its benefits to all.
- Ensure that education and information training for members and the general public are respected as provided for in (art. 5) on Cooperative Savings and Credit Laws.
Conclusions
The majority of cooperatives find themselves in a precarious situation which is detrimental to their development. The structural mechanisms put in place are not adequate. Legislation that includes cooperatives in general does not ensure compliance with financial standards, which must be observed by Savings and Credit Institutions, for better protection of members' savings. Certain laws relating to taxation and others of cooperatives which have been highlighted in articles, 42, 49, 58, deserve to be called into question.
The legal frameworks analysis is a tool developed under the ICA-EU Partnership #coops4dev. It is an overview of the national legal frameworks at the time of writing. The views expressed within are not necessarily those of the ICA, nor does a reference to any specific content constitute an explicit endorsement or recommendation by the ICA.