Haitian President, Jovenel Moïse, began his current five-day visit to Taiwan with a 30-member delegation, and the Minister of Economy and Finance, Jude Alix Patrick Salomon, announced that Taiwan has granted a loan of US$ 150 million to build an extensive electric grid in Haiti. Haiti remains one of the Taiwan’s last Caribbean allies as neighbors in recent weeks have switched allegiance to China, and the island is looking to shift away from charity and make a move towards long-term economic development. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Andrew Lee said that President Moïse is prioritizing the improvement of the power supply in Haiti, but specifics on the mode of Taiwan’s assistance will require further discussions with the Haitian government.
In June of last year, Moïse pledged to build a new energy network to provide electricity to the country 24 hours a day within the next 18 to 24 months. The planned grid would cover 600 kilometers and supply power to 16 major cities and ten departments.
