By Johanna D. Mena
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (HCNN) — Haiti’s Prime minister, Laurent Lamothe, has been awarded Innovative Leader of the year for Latin America and the Caribbean, by the Latin Trade Group, which provides information services to business societies in the region where the Caribbean country’s leadership is credited of a series of measures to create a more friendly environment for investments.
Lamothe will receive the award on November 7, during a ceremony organized in Miami by the Latin Trade Group to mark the 20th anniversary of the Bravo Business Awards.
The Latin group explained that Lamothe, Prime minister since 2012 in the administration of President Michel Martelly, has helped to establish a change of paradigm for Haiti as a destination for investments.
THe Latin Trade Group underlined that direct foreign investments have increased by 25%, as several world brands — such as Heineken, Marriot, Carnival Cruise lines, Digicel, Viettel, Toms Shoes — made significant investments over the past couple of years which positively impact job creation, the country’s reconstruction effort and economic growth, while projecting the Caribbean country as a country “open for business.”
The Latin group also hailed tax incentive measures, such as a 15-year tax exemption and other fiscal advantages for entrepreneurs investing in Haiti, where the security environment has been improved with an increase in police numbers and the adoption of a range of measures to strengthen the Haitian police force.
Latin Trade Group’s Executive Director, Maria Lourdes Gallo, said her group is pleased to recognize the remarkable achievements by Prime minister Lamothe who will receive the Innovative Leader of the Year Award, along with Miguel Galuccio (CEO of the year) and Fabian Gosselin (Dynamic CEO of the year).
Latin Trade Group acknowledges the merit of leaders, in the public and private sectors in the region, who are considered role-models in their fields.
Laurent Lamothe is the first Haitian government leader to have been awarded such recognition in the region.