Haiti launches regional caravan to formalize 5,000 businesses

Haiti's Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) launched the "Regional Caravan for the Formalization and Revitalization of Commerce and Entrepreneurship" on October 16, 2026, at the Hôtel Montana in Pétion-ville, according to icihaiti.com and Le Nouvelliste. Minister James Monazard led the launch under the patronage of the Primature. The pilot initiative, scheduled to run from October to November 2026, aims to support the formalization and training of at least 5,000 businesses across the country's ten geographic departments. Monazard said the program responds to a decline in business formalization and seeks to bring the ministry's services closer to economic operators, particularly those in the informal sector and in provincial regions. Director General Panel Paulémont said departmental directorates will receive computer equipment to improve processing of requests and operational capacity. Director of Legal Affairs Me. Danovald Charles presented statistics on businesses registered by region through the MCI's digital platform, launched at the end of 2024. The caravan includes registration of commercial names and issuance of Professional Identification Cards (CIP) to simplify administrative procedures. The initiative is supported by the Ministry of Planning, per the cited outlets.