Member Listening Session — Key Outcomes and Next Steps

Member Listening Session — Key Outcomes and Next Steps

The meeting opened with remarks from President Andress Appolon, who outlined the Chamber’s three priority pillars for the next two years of the Board’s mandate. The session was part of the Membership Committee’s new initiative, “AmCham at Your Service,” co-led by Frédéric Vaval and Jean-Philippe, designed to better understand member needs and ensure that Board actions are aligned with business realities. The objective was simple: listen directly to members and identify how the Chamber can deliver stronger, more targeted value.

Participants introduced their companies and sectors, representing construction, logistics, real estate development, agriculture, security services, and telecommunications. A review of Chamber data confirmed a membership base of roughly 100 companies, with the majority operating in the services sector. The discussion then shifted to national and international sector priorities, with security identified as the most urgent constraint affecting business operations across industries.

Challenges Facing Haitian Businesses

Several participants highlighted structural obstacles limiting the competitiveness of Haitian firms in public tenders. Christian Tribié emphasized intense competition from foreign and Dominican companies, combined with financing constraints that weaken local firms’ ability to participate effectively. Raphaël David added that securing financial guarantees before project launch absorbs critical company resources, while restrictive credit conditions further reduce competitiveness.

Clément Bélizaire noted that Haitian firms face disproportionate exposure to insecurity and argued for the creation of a national guarantee fund to improve access to reconstruction opportunities. Henri-Claude Poitevien stressed that international companies have the right to compete in Haitian tenders but that partnerships with Haitian firms should be encouraged to build local capacity. He proposed that foreign bidders be required to associate with Haitian companies to strengthen domestic participation. The importance of structured joint ventures for major reconstruction projects, including national infrastructure, was widely supported.

Guilaine Vitor addressed the difficulty Haitian firms face when trying to access contracts financed by international NGOs and suggested convening a dedicated forum to connect local businesses with available funding channels. Pierre Richard Dennery raised concerns about the Chamber’s limited visibility in social initiatives and suggested commissioning sector studies, including research on education system costs, to inform advocacy.

Data-Driven Advocacy: “AmCham by Numbers”

Frédéric presented a new initiative to build an institutional economic database — AmCham by Numbers — aimed at measuring the aggregate economic impact of member companies. This tool will strengthen the Chamber’s advocacy capacity with government and international institutions by grounding policy dialogue in verified economic data.