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Will The Economy Leave Port-au-Prince With Its People?

Posted by: Nate Berg

30 January 2010 - 1:00pm

More than a million Haitians have fled the capital city of Port-au-Prince, and government officials are advising them to stay out of the city. But many question if these provincial cities will be able to provide jobs and economic opportunities.

These are the same provincial cities Haitians fled over the past few decades, seeking better jobs and economic growth in the capital.

"Now, as Haitian officials and international development experts start to envision Haiti’s reconstruction, “decentralization” has become an ubiquitous rallying cry. Port-au-Prince should never again be the congested and almost anarchic city it was before Jan. 12, these experts say: Those who have left the capital should be encouraged to stay out.

All of which sounds fine to people in Jacmel, both old-timers and the newly returned alike, with one considerable stipulation: as long as the provincial cities have the services and amenities – like jobs – that drew people to Port-au-Prince in the first place."

Full Story: Haiti earthquake jolts a million city-dwellers to head for 'home'
Source: The Christian Science Monitor, January 29, 2010
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Even if the report overestimates the costs by a factor of two and underestimates the tax-benefit by a similar amount, the conclusion would be pretty much the same: destination resorts cost local government and taxpayers money.
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