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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- There's a brand new Haiti underway, and everyone can participate in the renaissance. Speaking in Miami, Florida, at the first ever Philanthropy Summit held on March 9, Haiti's Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe invited members of the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) and other attendees to create a for-profit investment mechanism and participate in the vision for Haiti as an emerging nation by 2030 -- "The Brand New Haiti".

Lamothe highlighted the progress already achieved by Haiti, less than 37 months after the 2010 earthquake, and enthusiastically shared his administration's vision for emerging nation status for Haiti.

"In laying the foundation for that goal," Lamothe explained, "the Martelly-Lamothe administration is building ambitious programs around five key priorities, the '5 Es': Education, Environment, Etat de droit or rule of law, Energy and Employment."

According to the prime minister, the 5-E initiative has significantly advanced the national agenda.

"In the area of education, Haiti has enrolled 1.3 million children through its PSUGO program," he said. "According to the latest UNICEF LEMUS study, Haiti is the country in the world, which has seen the greatest increase in primary school attendance over the last years."

On the environmental front, the Martelly-Lamothe administration is aggressively initiating reform, including planting more trees and helping the country shift from charcoal combustion to propane.

"On May 1, government officials, in partnership with local students will plant one million trees in a single day," he said, adding that a $10 million, 22,000 acre agro-forestry investment is underway, spearheaded by senior representatives of Nobel Peace Laureate Mohammad Yunus, and British magnate Sir Richard Branson.

The Martelly-Lamothe administration is making it more attractive for investors in this sector by defining a new legal framework. Investments in excess of US$300 million in renewable energies like hydro and solar are currently pending.

The administration is also aggressively creating tens of thousands of immediate jobs by rebuilding roads, airports, government buildings, housing projects,

To make Haiti more attractive to foreign investors, the government has introduced new legislation to reduce the timeframe for incorporating a company from 150 days to 24 hours. Further enhancing Haiti's appeal to investors, the World Bank has recognized the significant progress in the nation's online promotion, by changing the CFI website ranking from poor to best practice.

"You can log on at www.cfihaiti.net, and soon our portal www.investinhaiti.com will be available as your gateway to investment in Haiti," announced Lamothe. "Investment opportunities abound in Haiti and I invite you to discover those for yourselves. The great thing about Haiti is that it will always exceed your expectations."

Inspired by the prime minister's speech, president and CEO of the NBRPA, Arnie Fielkow formally committed himself and the NBRPA to three courses of action: affirmatively responding to the prime minister's invitation to visit Haiti; pledging to help Haiti establish a youth basketball program; and, to be available for youth basketball mentorships.

Underscoring that commitment, several retired basketball players expressed individually their will to follow through on this initial meeting and explore where they could be engaged to participate.

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