How to start a business in Haiti

Haiti has a population of 10,173 million people and a GNI (Gross National Income) per capita of 760 USD, thus being considered a low income economy. Starting a business here is not easy. In fact, in 2014, Haiti ranked 177 out of 189 economies analyzed by World Bank’s specialists regarding the easy of doing business.

 1. Where to address to register your company?

To register your company you need to address the Chamber of Commerce. 

2. How many days are necessary to complete all the legal procedures?

You need to wait around 3 months (97 days more precisely) before you can start your business.

3. How many procedures are necessary to start a business?

To start a business in Haiti you need to follow 12 procedures:

•  Draft the company’s status.

To draft the company’s status you need to address a lawyer who will charge you approximately HTG 30,000 (660 USD) while releasing you the papers in 10 days.  

• Legalize the status

After you receive your company’s statues from the lawyer you need to legalize it with a public notary. This will take 7 days and will cost you around 330-550USD depending on the document’s complexity.

Deposit the legally required initial capital in the National Bank

The legally required initial capital will be deposit by the public notary in the National Bank (Banque Nationale de Credit). He will then give you the proof of deposit. This procedure will require 1 working day

• Register the statutes with the Direction Générale des Impôts (DGI)

Included in the public notary’s fee is the Tax Office registration (DGI) of your company’s statues. The notary will present you with a proof of payment. This procedure will take 1 working day.

• Register with the Commercial Registry at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and obtain the authorization of operations (Droit de fonctionnement)

The dossier for registration at the Ministry of Commerce is submitted by a lawyer who will request the ‘avis de fonctionnement’. After processing the application the Ministry of Commerce publishes the company’s registration in the Official Moniteur. However a company can begin operation before the publication, as soon as they receive authorization from the Ministry of Commerce.

This procedure requires 2 weeks for registration and 60 days for publication.

The cost depends on the company’s statues complexity. For a statue that has between 2 to 9 pages: you need to pay 110 USD. If the act of constitution has between 10 and 25 pages you will pay 440 USD and for 26 pages or above: 770 USD.

•  Obtain the Tax ID number (numero d’identification fiscale -NIF) from the Tax authorities (DGI)

To obtain the tax ID number you need to file a form at the Tax Bureau (DGI). The dossier must contain an opening balance sheet on which corporate taxes will be based. The annual taxes are as follows:

-         A 2% tax on company’s initial capital

-         A “tax on share” (taxe sur action) of 0.3% per share, assessed each year

-         A "right of operating" tax (droit de fonctionnement) of 33USD

In addition to all those mentioned above, you have to obtain a professional identity card ("carte d’identite professionelle") for which you have to pay around 33 USD.

The entire procedure requires 15 days to be completed and it can be done simultaneously with the previous procedure

• Obtain the “Carte d’Identite Professionelle” from the Ministry of Commerce

In Haiti all commercial entities are required to hold a “carte d’identité professionnelle”. After obtaining the business permit ("certificat de patente") at the DGI, you need to address the Ministry of Commerce to obtain the “carte d’identité professionnelle”. The issuing cost and time required to obtain the carte are presented in the previous procedure.

• Acquire the special commercial books

To obtain the special commercial books you need to hire an accountant. This will cost you 110USD.

• Notify the Labor Ministry about hiring

Within 8 days of operation you must submit to the Labor Direction a declaration on the hiring of personnel.

• Legalize the commercial books

The commercial books need to be legalized by the Dean of the first instance court (Doyen du Tribunal) and each page has to be sealed by the Dean of the civil court. The costs of this procedure is around 22USD.

• Register for social security (OFATMA)

Within 15 days of opening your business you need to register the company with the Insurance Office for Occupational Injury, Sickness, and Maternity (OFATMA) and give in a list of all your employees (the employer’s contribution to the social security is up to 6% of the monthly salary).

• Enlist for Retirement Insurance Office (ONA)

In addition to registering for social security you need to enlist you company with the Retirement Insurance Office (ONA) within 15 days of opening (as employer you need to transfer up to 6% of your employees’ monthly salary to the retirement insurance).

If you really really really want to start a business in Haiti my advice to you is take a long and deep breath as you are expected to dive in for 97 days at a cost of around 20 USD per day.