Strategies vary on how to stimulate economic recovery in Haiti

A new bill in the Senate would extend a key trade provision could help Haiti's clothing industry recover. That's what supporters, such as Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Bill Nelson of Florida say. The two senators introduced the bill Tuesday. It would extend a program known as HOPE, or the Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act. Along with the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act, most clothes that Haiti exports to the US enter duty free. The clothing business accounts for 75 percent of Haiti's exports and employed about 23,000 Haitians before the earthquake on Jan 12.

But critics say the program is only a modest attempt to confront a much larger problem: how to stimulate sustainable jobs for the recovery of Haiti. Other efforts are also underway, including cash for work programs and micro-financing.

To discuss some of these ideas, we're joined by James Kurz. He's a senior analyst with Fonkoze, the largest micro-financing organization in Haiti, founded in 1994.