BRH called upon to release bank reserves to finance investment

The Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) may ease its reserve requirement policy to encourage financing for productive sectors. Currently, commercial banks must hold 40% of their liabilities in gourdes and 53% in foreign currency as mandatory reserves at the BRH.

According to Valéry Félix The, this requirement reduces the banks' capacity to finance productive investment. Between January and March 2026, the amount of net claims by the banking system on the private sector decreased by 1.56% following a 0.91% decline in the previous quarter.

Proponents of such a reform believe that releasing a portion of these reserves could help finance projects that create jobs and wealth. Similar mechanisms already exist in the Dominican Republic, where the targeted release of legal reserves has allowed resources to be directed toward the private sector.

The proposal involves making the reserve requirement ratio flexible to encourage new loans granted to eligible businesses and projects. Each gourde lent for productive purposes would thus allow for a corresponding reduction in the reserve, within a limit set by the BRH.

Priority sectors include energy, fuel storage, logistics and port infrastructure, as well as agriculture, manufacturing, and housing. Large projects requiring significant investment could benefit from financing between several banks with the participation of international institutions like BID Invest.

To preserve monetary stability, a gradual reduction of the ratios is being considered in increments of two to three points per semester. The BRH could suspend the mechanism in the event of economic deterioration, and banks would be required to comply with prudential standards to prevent any misuse.