Prime Minister's Circular No. 002 Capping Ministerial and Secretary of State Cabinet Staffing

Issued from Port-au-Prince on 27 April 2020 and addressed to all Ministers and Secretaries of State, Circular No. 002 recalls and reinforces existing rules on Cabinet staffing and management. Citing the decree of 17 May 2005 on the organization of the Central State Administration and the 29 March 2017 order on the state's cost of living (train de vie de l'État), the Prime Minister fixes the ceiling on Cabinet members at twelve for a Minister and five for a Secretary of State, unless the Prime Minister grants an express exception.

Cabinet members remain subject to the requirements of article 54 of the 29 March 2017 order and the specifications of a 20 February 2018 circular letter (ref. PM/JGL/500). Service contracts for Cabinet members must be approved by the Prime Minister and forwarded to the Cour Supérieure des Comptes et du Contentieux Administratif (CSCCA) after review by the Office of Management and Human Resources (OMRH). Any civil servant appointed to a Cabinet post outside their home administration is placed on secondment (détachement) under article 57 of the 17 May 2005 decree, triggering articles 130 and 131 of the same decree on the General Statute of the Civil Service, with notice of the secondment sent to OMRH.

All Cabinet members are further required to file asset declarations within the forms and deadlines set by law. The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and OMRH are tasked with ensuring strict compliance with the circular, each within its legal competence.