In this April 16, 2019 photo, Johny Legagneur charges a light bulb for a client at his shop in Petion-Ville, Haiti. In exchange, Haiti reliably backed Venezuela against the United States in regional forums such as the Organization of American States. But the cash-strapped Haitian state has gone months without paying subsidies and at one point owed some $71 million, leaving Haitian businesspeople to call for the end of the complicated state-oil purchase structure. Moise’s administration has asked BMPAD, the finance ministry and private energy companies to suggest ways to further open up the petroleum market. But BMPAD’s director, Fils Aimé Ignace St Fleur, says the agency will not give up its role overseeing the importation and wholesale pricing of petroleum in Haiti.

Source: Washington Post May 17, 2019 04:07 UTC