Presidential Advisor Louis Gérald Gilles Listens to Transport Unions

Facing the persistent fuel crisis and the demands of public transport unions, Advisor Louis Gérald Gilles is engaging in dialogue with representatives of the sector. According to a post on his X account, he promises to intervene with authorities to relaunch the application of the memorandum of understanding signed in December 2021.

It is in this context that Advisor Louis Gérald Gilles met with representatives of the road transport union sector this Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Delmas. This meeting aimed to review the current difficulties faced by public transport in Haiti, particularly the rise in fuel prices and the absence of compensatory measures promised by the State.

At the heart of the discussions, the union members demanded compliance with the memorandum of understanding signed on December 9, 2021, between the Haitian government and several transport union organizations. This agreement notably provided for a targeted subsidy for diesel and gasoline to prevent an increase in public transport fares. It stipulated that vouchers, slips, or fuel cards would be issued to registered transporters via a monitoring structure called the Agreement Implementation Monitoring Observatory (OSA).

Composed of representatives of the State and the union sector, the OSA was intended to guarantee the proper implementation of the agreement. However, according to the union members, this observatory was only officially activated on December 17, 2021, more than a week after the surprise fuel price increase decided by the government. Transporters had then denounced a breach of trust, accusing the authorities of having acted without respecting the commitments made.

Since then, delays in the agreement's implementation have accumulated. Despite numerous demands, the subsidy mechanisms have never been effectively put in place. Consequently, drivers have had to adjust their fares upwards, causing tensions with passengers and exacerbating the precariousness of the sector.

Faced with this situation, Louis Gérald Gilles announced that he would urgently request a meeting with several government officials, including the Ministers of Economy and Finance, Commerce and Industry, and Social Affairs and Labor, as well as the Director Generals of the DGI and OAVCT. The objective: to find concrete solutions to the fuel crisis and respond to the legitimate demands of public transport.

In a context of growing discontent and union mobilization, this initiative could mark a turning point, provided that the commitments made in 2021 are finally respected.

Wideberlin Sénexant