Haiti: A “War Budget” in an electoral year with no teeth

Haiti: A “War Budget” in an electoral year with no teeth By Patrick Prézeau Stephenson * (Le Français suit) PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI — Haiti’s transitional government has approved a 2025–26 national budget it says will fund a “war” on gangs and deliver long-delayed national elections. But spending plans and financing choices in the 345.5 billion gourde package suggest the security push may be underpowered, even as interest costs surge and foreign aid ebbs, according to the budget documents. Figure 1. Budget envelope rises 6.8% from 2024–25 rectificatif The plan, adopted Oct. 9 in the Council of Ministers, lifts total outlays by 6.8 percent from the rectified 2024–25 budget. Current expenditures climb to 213.6 billion gourdes, or nearly 62 percent of the total, while capital spending — often the backbone of mobility, equipment and infrastructure for security and services — falls by 4.9 percent. Officials say the blueprint channels money toward three goals: restoring public se...