Modernizing Administration: MCI Unveils Digital Counter to Financial Stakeholders
By Jean Wesley Pierre · Port-au-Prince
· 2 min read · Updated 24 April 2026
Translated from French — AI-assisted and reviewed by the editorial team. The French version is authoritative. Read the original · About our translation policy
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) officially presented its Digital Counter on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, during a press conference and workshop held at the Montana Hotel.
This initiative is part of the public administration modernization process and the improvement of the business environment in Haiti. The event, led by the MCI Communication Unit, brought together press representatives, officials from financial institutions, cooperatives, and several partner companies from various regions of the country. The main objective was to present the challenges, goals, and operational aspects of the ministry's service digitalization process. According to MCI officials, the Digital Counter aims to simplify administrative procedures, reduce processing times, enhance transparency, and facilitate economic operators' access to public services. The authorities also emphasized the legal value of documents generated by the digital system to ensure their acceptance by banks, cooperatives, and other partner institutions. During the workshop, several key points were discussed, including the presentation of dematerialized legal documents, the importance of the Professional Identity Card (CIP), and a technical demonstration of the Digital Counter, conducted by ministry executives. The discussions helped clarify the role of these tools in formalizing economic activities. The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr. James MONAZARD, recalled that approximately 89% of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) still operate in the informal sector in Haiti. This situation limits their access to credit, public markets, and economic protection mechanisms. To this end, he emphasized that the CIPD (digital professional identification card) is closely linked to the business license, specifying that obtaining the professional card is conditional on the company's tax regularization. Furthermore, the difficulties faced by certain categories of traders, particularly the “Madan Sara” and small roadside vendors, were discussed. Participants highlighted obstacles related to registration costs, especially the fees required by the General Directorate of Taxes (DGI), which represent a major impediment to the formalization of these economic actors. Through this initiative, the MCI aims to strengthen dialogue with financial institutions, foster a better understanding of the digitalization process, and encourage the gradual integration of informal actors into the formal economic circuit. The implementation of the Digital Counter is presented by the authorities as a structuring step towards a more modern, more accessible administration, better adapted to the country's economic realities. Jean Wesley Pierre / Le Relief
This initiative is part of the public administration modernization process and the improvement of the business environment in Haiti. The event, led by the MCI Communication Unit, brought together press representatives, officials from financial institutions, cooperatives, and several partner companies from various regions of the country. The main objective was to present the challenges, goals, and operational aspects of the ministry's service digitalization process. According to MCI officials, the Digital Counter aims to simplify administrative procedures, reduce processing times, enhance transparency, and facilitate economic operators' access to public services. The authorities also emphasized the legal value of documents generated by the digital system to ensure their acceptance by banks, cooperatives, and other partner institutions. During the workshop, several key points were discussed, including the presentation of dematerialized legal documents, the importance of the Professional Identity Card (CIP), and a technical demonstration of the Digital Counter, conducted by ministry executives. The discussions helped clarify the role of these tools in formalizing economic activities. The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr. James MONAZARD, recalled that approximately 89% of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) still operate in the informal sector in Haiti. This situation limits their access to credit, public markets, and economic protection mechanisms. To this end, he emphasized that the CIPD (digital professional identification card) is closely linked to the business license, specifying that obtaining the professional card is conditional on the company's tax regularization. Furthermore, the difficulties faced by certain categories of traders, particularly the “Madan Sara” and small roadside vendors, were discussed. Participants highlighted obstacles related to registration costs, especially the fees required by the General Directorate of Taxes (DGI), which represent a major impediment to the formalization of these economic actors. Through this initiative, the MCI aims to strengthen dialogue with financial institutions, foster a better understanding of the digitalization process, and encourage the gradual integration of informal actors into the formal economic circuit. The implementation of the Digital Counter is presented by the authorities as a structuring step towards a more modern, more accessible administration, better adapted to the country's economic realities. Jean Wesley Pierre / Le Relief
