The State provides incentives to strengthen national production

The Haitian government has adopted tax and customs incentive measures in the 2024-2025 budget to support businesses, promote job creation, and boost domestic production. The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), with the aim of supporting businesses, promoting job creation and protection, incentivizing private investment, and strengthening the economy and national production, informs business associations, chambers of commerce and industry, the private business sector, and the general public about the measures introduced in Article 1 of the decree establishing the 2024-2025 Amending Budget.

The following decisions were adopted as incentives:

1. Modification of the incentives for companies investing in their renovation, re-equipping, expansion, or modernization. They benefit from tax and customs exemptions for the importation of equipment and raw materials without time limits (Article 30 of the 2024-2025 Amending Budget, which modifies Article 28 of the Investment Code (IC)), according to a press release from the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) dated June 18, 2025. The State has also decided to extend the exemption for investments geared towards export or re-export. These companies benefit from tax and customs exemptions for the importation of equipment, materials, and raw materials (Article 31 of the 2024-2025 Amending Budget, which modifies Article 29 of the IC), according to this press release.

Alongside these incentive benefits, a crackdown on smuggling has been announced. “The Directorate General of the General Customs Administration (AGD) reminds all importers, exporters, commission agents, authorized customs brokers, maritime, air, and land transport agencies, and the general public that, in accordance with Article 179 of the Decree of March 21, 2023, on the Customs Code, smuggled goods and their means of transport will be seized, confiscated, and sold at auction. The Directorate General of the AGD also wishes to remind you that it strictly enforces the Customs Code, as well as all other legal and regulatory provisions related to the control of cross-border movements of persons, means of transport, and goods, in particular the fight against and suppression of the smuggling of goods and the means of transport used to commit this customs offense,” reads a notice from the General Customs Administration.

The incentives for businesses and the tougher stance against smugglers come against the backdrop of six years of economic depression, exacerbated by violence from armed gangs that control major highways and extort or even burn down businesses, thus robbing merchants. Customs officials are taking a harder line after being driven out of the Malpasse border crossing by armed men.

Source: Le Nouvelliste