Update from Pignon, 13 November 2021

Translated from French:

Saturday, November 13, 2021

Our society still struggles with its economic, political, and social uncertainties. As the doldrums become ordinary, no one knows where, when, or how we will emerge from this devastating scourge.

The scarcity of fuels (petrol and diesel) is the main cause of the abnormal functioning of the Charity Hospital and some other health centers, which continue to use their generators for about two hours a day, and / or for extreme emergencies.

Since black gold is a transversal product, this situation gives no access to entrepreneurs to open their doors from communication, transport constituting the only means for the survival of companies as described above.

Despite this scarcity, unconfirmed sources transport gasoline to Pignon or at least people (motorcycle taxi drivers), travel over 100 kilometers to get some gasoline. In gas pumps, even if the quantity we have is not sufficient, they do not show any will to support us in this regard.

Life seems more than difficult for us because all our activities have had to cease. “Customers do not want to pay their credit or make new purchases given the economic situation of large institutions which do not pay their employees on time,” regrets a city entrepreneur.

The government announced the distribution of petroleum products in gas pumps this weekend of November 12-14. This has led sellers on the black market to sell off the products at a price that still does not reflect the price set by the authorities but better than the one before. From 2,500 gourdes (~$25) to 1,200 (~$12) Haitian gourdes.

The purchasing power of the population is reduced. The products consumed come from the capital Port-au-Prince where the trucks cannot go to obtain supplies of a more acceptable quantity. There is a small variation in the price of goods, for example the bag of rice which was 2,500 (~$25) gourdes can be bought at 2,350 (~$23) gourdes this Saturday, November 13.

Indeed, the people of Pignon have suffered a lot because of the scarcity of fuel not distributed in Port-au-Prince and in the gas pumps where the bandits kill, steal, rape, loot or kidnap people against exorbitant sums for ransom. . Therefore, we impatiently await the good return of a political leader for the good functioning of the institutions. This will allow the population to get better.

Darling SERIPHIN