Gourde depreciation

In the town of Les Cayes, small traders selling food products are suffering the negative impacts of the gourde’s depreciation against the dollar. This study was carried out with a view to understanding the extent to which this problem has affected their socio-economic conditions. To achieve this, we analyzed the data available on the websites of the Banque de la République d’Haïti and the Conseil National de Sécurité Alimentaire. On the other hand, we conducted a field survey through which fifty (50) small traders were interviewed.The results show that the dollar has risen sharply against the gourde, adversely affecting the socio-economic conditions of small traders. Between 2019 and 2022, the gourde lost an average of almost 30% of its value to the dollar. According to CNSA data, the price of the household food basket doubled over the period.