Construction of an electricity grid in Caribbean ally Haiti is expected to begin before the end of this year, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said on Thursday.
The deal is now in the final stage as an on-site investigative team from Taiwan is making final checks in Haiti, Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Director-General Alexander Yui (俞大雷) told a media briefing in Taipei.
The government is also helping Haiti secure a US$150 million loan from the Export-Import Bank of the Republic of China, a government-funded bank that offers credit insurance for foreign investments originating in Taiwan, to pay for the project.
Once the deal is signed, the project would officially begin, Yui added.
The project is to be the responsibility of Taiwanese firm Overseas Engineering and Construction and could take about two years to complete, he said.
The deal is to help Haiti build new or upgrade existing electrical substations, electricity distribution networks and transmission towers, and help train people who would be responsible for maintaining the grid, the ministry said.