PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – A UN envoy in Haiti said last week that the Caribbean nation is “not yet” ready for foreign investment. The remarks by UN Acting Special Representative Nigel Fisher challenged a mantra often championed by Haitian President Michel Martelly's government. The slogan “Haiti is open for business” has been a rallying cry for the government as it seeks outside investors to help the country rebuild from the devastating 2010 earthquake. “We can blame external partners for their slowness to pay the promised assistance,” Fisher said at his first news conference since taking his post earlier this month. “But the problem is much broader. When friends of Haiti and potential investors are wondering if 'Haiti is open for business,' … some say, yes. But the majority, after a period of reflection, is saying, 'Not yet.'”
