HAITI / HOTEL

The World Bank's Private sector arm, IFC, is helping Haitian investors rebuild their country. A new hotel project is providing jobs and incentives for even more investors to come to Haiti. WORLD BANK

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:25
• Production Date: 28 December 2010
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: WORLD BANK
• Subject Topical: DEVELOPMENT FINANCE
• Geographic Subject: HAITI
• MAMS Id: U101228c

Description

STORY: HAITI / HOTEL
SOURCE: WORLD BANK TV
TRT: 2:25
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ FRENCH / CREOLE / NATS

DATELINE: 20 NOVEMBER 2010, PORT AU PRINCE, HAITI

Shotlist

1. Various shots, Tardieu giving walking tour
2. Wide shot, worker twisting iron
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jerry Tardieu,Businessman:
“It will boost tourism, it will create jobs, and it will enhance the economy in general.”
4. Wide shot, “Oasis” sign (hotel name)
5. Tilt down, workers on top of hotel
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jerry Tardieu, Businessman:
“The shareholding structure of this project is a very large and diverse one, so in that sense I think we have also showed some leadership, we have showed an example, to be followed by others.”
7. Various shots, Tardieu and workers walking through hotel
8. Wide shot, workers
9. Wide shot, welder
10. SOUNDBITE (French) Eveillard Cleff, Chief Engineer:
“In Haiti we don’t do usually do such large scale construction. We are also building earthquake resistant structures here, so I am learning a lot.”
11. Various shots, workers
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Jerry Tardieu,Businessman:
“We will create a lot of direct jobs working directly in the hotel, its facilities, its amenities, but also indirect jobs, for example, buying food from small micro enterprises, buying everything that the food and beverage department will need will come from small fishermen in remote villages.”
13. Wide shot, Jonas at work
14. SOUNDBITE (Creole) Jonas Phael, Construction Worker:
“It is good for us, but if there were more projects like this it would be better.”
15. Zoom in, Jonas at work

Storyline

Haitian businessman Jerry Tardieu takes visitors on a walk through what will soon be
a ten floor hotel, full of luxury rooms, restaurants and shops.

The former professional soccer player says investing in Haiti was always important to him. But last year’s earthquake has made it even more so:

SOUNDBITE (English) Jerry Tardieu, Businessman:
“It will boost tourism, it will create jobs, and it will enhance the economy in general.”

A vast array of local and international shareholders is involved in the mega-project, which Tardieu began with a loan from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank.

SOUNDBITE (English) Jerry Tardieu,Businessman:
“The shareholding structure of this project is a very large and diverse one, so in that sense I think we have also showed some leadership, we have showed an example, to be followed by others.”

Engineers on the project say building the new hotel is providing them not only work, but unprecedented hands-on experience as well, in post- disaster and earthquake resistant construction.

SOUNDBITE (French) Eveillard Cleff, Chief Engineer:
“In Haiti we don’t do usually do such large scale construction. We are also building earthquake resistant structures here, so I am learning a lot.”

The hotel’s building phase alone is providing desperately needed jobs for up to 350 laborers and skilled engineers. Once completed, it will provide even more.

Thirty-year-old day laborer Jonas Phael says that at least for the moment his construction job at the hotel allows him to buy food and other necessities for his wife and two children.

SOUNDBITE (Creole) Jonas Phael, Construction Worker:
“It is good for us, but if there were more projects like this it would be better.”

He says he hopes even more investors come to his country, because it would mean continued work for him, and thousands of other poor Haitians.