Haiti: BRH Focuses on Digitalization and Gender Equity to Boost Financial Inclusion

Port-au-Prince – Sunday, October 5, 2025 — In a fragile economic and socially polarized context, the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) is undertaking a mission of economic reconstruction through innovation. After focusing on financial education in recent years, the monetary institution is now shifting its priorities towards payment digitalization and gender equity, two strategic levers to stimulate financial inclusion and strengthen the resilience of the Haitian economic system. On October 2 and 4, the BRH, in partnership with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry for Women's Affairs, and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), held two days of reflection on the theme: “Supporting synergies of action and partnership to stimulate innovation, gender equity, and access to financing for sustainable opportunities.” A Vision for Post-Crisis Economic Modernization In his opening address, Governor Ronald Gabriel placed this activity in a clear perspective: that of refounding the Haitian economic model through technology, cooperation, and equity. “We want to open a new economic era based on resilience, innovation, and equitable access to opportunities,” he declared. This positioning is crucial: in a country where over 60% of the population remains excluded from the banking system, digitalization and financial education represent a gateway to economic formalization, transparency of flows, and institutional trust. The BRH's approach thus reflects a state's will for regulation and modernization in a context of monetary disorder and contraction of productive credit. Three Structuring Projects to Transform the Financial Ecosystem These days allowed for the unveiling of three major projects capable of transforming the Haitian financial system in the medium term:

1. The diagnosis of the Fintech ecosystem in Haiti, conducted by the World Bank, provides a first comprehensive mapping of digital providers and obstacles to the expansion of digital payments.

This report serves as a basis for regulating operators, securing transactions, and identifying innovation niches.

2. The digitalization of payments in the informal sector, which represents approximately 35% of the national GDP, aims to reduce the country's dependence on cash payments. The pilot phase, planned for Pétion-Ville, Les Cayes, and Cap-Haïtien, aims to progressively connect small traders, artisans, and MSMEs to an interoperable and secure payment system.
3. The Booster SME III program, designed to strengthen access to financing for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, targets job creation and inclusive growth. The challenge is to convert Haitian entrepreneurial potential into a true engine of sustainable development.

Minister Alfred Fred Metellus insists on inclusive payment digitalization and the emergence of a middle class During his intervention at the Forum, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Alfred Metellus, emphasized ongoing reforms to modernize taxation and digitalize public payments. Human Capital at the Heart of Digital Transformation Aware that digitalization cannot happen without skills, the BRH invests in training qualified human capital. Governor Ronald Gabriel insisted on the need to create a critical mass of professionals capable of supporting this technological transformation: “We are training experts in IT audit, cybersecurity, data analysis, and artificial intelligence.” This orientation towards technology applied to finance (FinTech) addresses a dual urgency: securing financial flows and preparing youth for the global digital economy, while fostering the emergence of a local innovation ecosystem. Gender Equity: A Pillar of Economic Stability One of the most innovative aspects of this initiative is the explicit integration of gender equity as a lever for financial inclusion. In Haiti, women represent over 52% of the population, but their access to credit and property remains limited. By creating a fund for artificial intelligence and women's inclusion, the BRH places Haitian women at the center of economic recovery. This mechanism will finance women-led startups in the health, education, agriculture, tourism, and finance sectors, while promoting the collection and analysis of gender-disaggregated data. This multidimensional approach responds to a measurable economic logic: according to the World Bank, gender economic equality could increase Haiti's GDP by over 10% over the next decade. A Strategic Turning Point for Haitian Monetary Policy By integrating digitalization and equity into its institutional agenda, the BRH goes beyond the traditional role of a central bank. It becomes an actor in economic transformation, a catalyst for trust, and a vector for social innovation. Payment digitalization contributes to: ▪︎ reducing the circulation of untraceable liquidity; ▪︎ limiting the risks of corruption and money laundering; ▪︎ improving the collection of macroeconomic data; ▪︎ and increasing the effectiveness of public policies. Politically, this initiative strengthens the institutional credibility of the BRH and repositions Haitian economic governance within a framework of transparency and inclusive development. Towards a More Stable and Just Economy Beyond technical aspects, the BRH's strategy is a systemic response to the crisis of confidence undermining the Haitian economy. It reflects a keen understanding of the challenges of our time: no modern economy can prosper without inclusion, without digital technology, and without social justice. In a country often described as “on the fringes of globalization,” the BRH is attempting to chart a national path towards economic stability, digital transformation, and financial justice. If this vision takes root, Haiti could embark on one of its most significant economic shifts since the monetary reform of the 1990s.