Haiti’s Telecom Sector - How it is used by Haitians Politicians to make money.
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Haiti’s Telecom Sector is estimated to be at 400 million minutes per year or $200 million per year. This is the most lucrative sector in Haitian Business.
In 1994, Jean Bertrand Aristide, in exile, realized that it was a very lucrative sector after having used the settlement accounts of TELECO in the US to finance his return to power in 1994.
After having returned in power in Haiti, Aristide granted a license to a newly formed company (FUSION TELECOM) made up of Democratic heavyweights like Marvin Rosen , the former chairman of the Finance Committee of the Democratic Party. They were billing $3 million per month for 5 years. In the beginning of 2002, FUSION got out favor with Aristide because they did not agree to increase his commission from $1 million to 1.5 millionper month.
FUSION then stopped paying their bills to TELECO and still owe 1.8 millionUSD and they are no longer doing business with TELECO.
Subsequently, Aristide personally got involved in the granting of new licenses with TELECO for a fee of 50% of all net profit on the contracts. Aristide creating a shell company called DIGITEC, within DIGITEC was the current DG of TELECO, Alphonse INEVIL, his brother in law: Lesly Lavlanete, Mrs. Aristide. They signed with the following US companies:
UNIPLEX TELECOM TECHNOLOGIES:US Company connected with a Capacity to do 20 million minutes to HAITI. This company has declared Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in the US but kept their contract with TELECO and pays TELECO over 1 million per month.
They Obtained the TELECO license with help of Mrs. Aristide thru the Brazilian Ambassador in Haiti. They have been connected to TELECO for 3 years. They are more or less not as corrupted as the others cited below:
MOUNT SALEM COMMUNICATIONS GROUP:
This is a shell company that Aristide created with FRED BELIARD. Essentially, they are an interface between TELECO and a Canadian Company called GLOBO. This company bills GLOBO Canada more than $500,000per month and payment to TELECO are directly to a Bank account number that is for ARISTIDE, they are making payments up til this day. Alphonse Inevil is still the DG of TELECO.
TERRA COMMUNICATIONS GROUP/WECOM:
same as Uniplex they have been interconnected since 2000 and owe TELECO more than 2 million. They are paying Aristide 3 cents per minute for every call to HAITI.
IDT:
One the biggest Telephone companies in the World, the last company to be granted a license from Aristide, this contract was granted thru MOUNT SALEM and payments of more than 1 million dollars per month are made directly to ARISTIDE. Aristide also gets 3 cents per minute for every call terminated to HAITI.
Suggestions:
We suggest that all the companies listed above be audited in Haiti and to review payment history and deposits into TELECO accounts. If it is determined that they are financing Aristide’s exile, TELECO should disconnected all these companies no fault.
It is widely known by most haitians that most Haitian political personalities in the government ask money to all companies with a substantial contract who wants to operate in Haiti. Teleco is no exception, tin this government some personalities are asking big money for government contract. In Haiti, if you have a big project, there is always an official government there, to make it difficult because he wants he share. This is very true for Telecom business in Haiti as well as big touristic project such as the San Aquino Project and The New Kiskeya Projects.
Is President Preval doing the same as Aristide or is it, Jacques Edouard Alexis who needs money for his coming elections as President that is using the Telecom or other Sector now?
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