On March 4, 2025, the World Bank’s Executive Board approved the Haiti Strengthening Public Financial Management Project, which was officially launched by the Haitian government on July 14, 2025. The initiative is designed to enhance the government’s ability to manage public finances more transparently and efficiently. The $60 million grant from the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) is intended to strengthen institutional frameworks and improve service delivery, which is crucial in the current economic climate.
The project focuses on enhancing budget management capabilities and improving customs operations to boost revenue collection. During a hybrid launch ceremony, Haiti’s Minister of Finance, Alfred Metellus, who also chairs the project’s Steering and Coordination Committee, emphasized that the initiative will directly benefit government institutions by streamlining revenue collection and financial management systems. Businesses and taxpayers are expected to experience more efficient customs procedures, while the general public will benefit from increased transparency and better-informed fiscal policies.
Metellus noted that Haiti has one of the lowest tax burdens in the region, which has historically constrained the government’s ability to fund public services and invest in development. He stated that the project aims to foster collaboration between the government and citizens to reinforce public financial management reforms and build public trust.
An innovative aspect of the project is the introduction of Performance-Based Conditions in certain areas, which are designed to incentivize the implementation of key reforms, such as the adoption of a results-based budget and the strengthening of oversight institutions like the Supreme Audit Institution, the Inspectorate General of Finances, and the Anti-Corruption Agency.
This new initiative builds on the achievements of the previous Improving Haiti’s Public Financial Management and Statistical Information Project (PAGEFIS), which ran from 2017 to June 30, 2025. Anne-Lucie Lefebvre, World Bank Country Manager for Haiti, explained that the new project aims to consolidate the gains of PAGEFIS while expanding into new areas such as internal resource mobilization and strengthening national statistical capacity.
Through PAGEFIS, the World Bank collaborated with the Inter-American Development Bank to enhance governance and public sector management in Haiti. This partnership led to the establishment of an Integrated Public Financial Management System (IFMIS), which has improved budget management and reporting. The project also strengthened oversight institutions, enhancing their capacity to ensure accountability and transparency in public resource management.
Additionally, the partnership has improved the digital infrastructure of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, including better connectivity, energy capabilities, and cloud solutions. These improvements are expected to enhance public service delivery through digital identity solutions and broader digital transformation efforts across government agencies.
— news from World Bank
— News Original —
Strengthening Economic Governance to Increase Service Delivery
Following approval by the World Bank’s Executive Board on March 4, 2025, the Haiti Strengthening Public Financial Management Project was launched by the Government of Haiti on July 14th, 2025. The project aims to boost government capacity and transparency in public revenue mobilization and financial management.
This 60 $US million grant from the World Bank’s International Development Association aims to strengthen economic governance and institutional capacity for service delivery, which are particularly critical in the current context. Key goals include strengthening government capacity for budget management and increasing both the capacity and efficiency of Customs operations for improved revenue mobilization.
During the hybrid ceremony, Haiti’s Minister of Finance, who also serves as Chairman of the project Steering and Coordination Committee, noted that the initiative will provide direct benefits to government institutions by enabling improved revenue collection and public financial management systems. Taxpayers and businesses are expected to experience greater efficiency in customs administration, while the general population will benefit from increased transparency and more informed fiscal policy decisions.
“Haiti has one of the lowest tax burdens in the region, limiting the ability of successive governments to finance public services and invest in development. Through this project, we aim to create spaces for collaboration between the government and citizens to consolidate and strengthen progress in public financial management reforms and increase citizens’ trust in the government”, said Alfred Metellus, Haiti’s Minister of Finance.
The introduction of Performance-Based Conditions in certain areas of the project constitutes an innovative approach intended to boost the achievement of relevant objectives. This measure provides an incentive for implementing reforms, including the preparation and implementation of the results-based budget, as well as supporting the direct financing of government’s institutional capacity for sustainable outcomes. The project also includes efforts to strengthen transparency and accountability by enhancing the capacity of oversight institutions such as the Supreme Audit Institution, the Inspectorate General of Finances and the Anti-Corruption Agency.
Consolidating the gains of PAGEFIS
The new project succeeds the Improving Haiti’s Public Financial Management and Statistical Information Project (PAGEFIS), which was launched in 2017 and concluded on June 30, 2025. “The idea of PREGEFIP is to consolidate the gains of the precedent project, to go further in the operationalization of the budgetary reform, in particular results-based budgeting in addition to new areas such as support for the mobilization of internal resources (customs) and the strengthening of national statistical capacity”, said Anne-Lucie Lefebvre, World Bank Country Manager for Haiti.
Through PAGEFIS, the World Bank collaborated with the Inter-American Development Bank to improve governance and public sector management in Haiti to strengthen the foundations and increase the resilience of state institutions. This ongoing collaboration has promoted more effective wage and public expenditure management and has supported the establishment of an Integrated Public Financial Management System (IFMIS) for better budget management and improved reporting.
PAGEFIS leaves a significant legacy in the form of a functional IFMIS, which lays the foundations for more efficient public resources management as well as more effective oversight bodies (Supreme Audit Institution – CSCCA, Procurement regulatory body – CNMP, Inspectorate General of Finances – IGF, Anti-Corruption Agency – ULCC, OSC), with enhanced capacities to ensure greater accountability and transparency in the use of public resources through improved quality of their work and disclosure of the corresponding results.
Additionally, this partnership is strengthening the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s digital infrastructure by enhancing connectivity, energy capabilities, and cloud solutions, while also improving public service delivery through digital identity solutions and digital transformation initiatives across government.