In 2010, a catastrophic earthquake hit Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Following the earthquake, the city worked hard to recover, but along with the more than 200,000 lives lost and the property damage, the city’s government lacked the ability to restart many basic services, including tax collection.

Greenfield Advisors led the charge to rebuild Port-au-Prince’s tax assessment system and help city officials to once again collect property taxes that would then be used to fund a range of city services, including trash removal.

At the Annual World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty, Greenfield Advisors Vice Chairman and Co-Managing Director Dr. Clifford Lipscomb and Senior Analyst Ruel Williamson presented a closer look at the firm’s work in helping Port-au-Prince rebuild its tax collection and assessment systems.

“This was and continues to be a monumental project,” said Dr. Lipscomb. “Our team is working with Port-au-Prince Mayor Ralph Youri Chevry and his staff to meet regular benchmarks as they begin sending out and collecting property tax bills for the first time in more than eight years.”

The presentation also examined how tax assessment systems like the one now in Haiti could be used in other cities and countries around the world where property tax collection can be a challenge for government officials. Barriers to collection can include inadequate funding, a lack of personnel, or an out-of-date tax system. However, a strong partnership like the one between Greenfield Advisors, Port-au-Prince, and other businesses working with the city, has helped push the project forward.

“Port-au-Prince has been an excellent partner in this endeavor,” said Dr. Lipscomb. “Mayor Chevry and his staff have a wonderful vision for the future of the city, and we’re proud to be helping them realize those plans.”

For more information on how Greenfield Advisors can provide tax assessment systems to governments of all sizes, call 770-334-3952.

Photo Credit: The downtown core shows the damage after an earthquake measuring 7 plus on the Richter scale rocked Port au Prince Haiti just before 5 pm, January 12, 2010. Photo by UN Photo/Logan Abassi. CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.