Haiti’s government on Tuesday rolled out a package of austerity measures, attributing the move to disruptions in critical oil supplies and to higher prices affecting economies worldwide as the war in Iran continues. In a statement signed by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, the government said the steps are intended to blunt what it described as serious repercussions for Haiti’s public finances and macroeconomic stability.
The government’s measures include a ban on purchasing any new vehicles. It also said it would reduce fuel expenditures for public institutions, a change it framed as part of broader cost-cutting efforts amid the energy disruptions.
The austerity plan would also limit foreign travel. The government said foreign trips would be restricted to essential missions that the prime minister authorizes.
On security spending, the statement said security escorts would be limited to one vehicle. The government issued the restriction in the context of Haiti’s security environment, describing gangs as controlling an estimated 90% of Port-au-Prince and swaths of rural areas.
The statement also connected the tightening to a deterioration in everyday living conditions. It said poverty in Haiti has deepened as gangs have continued to seize territory since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
The announcement landed as other countries also moved to manage the strain from rising fuel costs linked to the Iran war. The government statement pointed to broader global responses, including measures such as shifting to a four-day work week in some places.