CASTRIES, St. Lucia – Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre says his government will use a US$5.5 million US dollar grant from Taiwan to undertake projects that will be beneficial to St. Lucians.
Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre and Taiwanese Ambassador to St. Lucia, Peter Chia-yen Chen, shae hands at the signing cermony“When you ask us, how do we use the Taiwanese grant funds, we can tell you exactly what we do with it,” Pierre told the signing ceremony, “adding that the “five million dollars that we are getting today, compliments the government of Taiwan, we are going to be using it to benefit the people of St. Lucia,” Pierre said.
The Taiwanese Ambassador to St. Lucia, Peter Chia-yen Chen, said he is pleased that during the budget address in April “many of the vital initiatives mentioned in the Prime Minister’s speech are included in the bilateral cooperation proposals submitted to my embassy by the Department of Economic Development.
“The funds we are providing today encompass six projects in several critical areas, including trade, small scale infrastructure, social security and youth innovation. By empowering both the government and civil society, we aim to enhance national development and foster economic growth,” the diplomat said, adding “together, we are not just building infrastructure, but also laying the foundation for a resilient and prosperous future for our people”.
Castries and Taipei officially announced several initiatives that will improve the resiliency of community infrastructure against climate hazards, enhance the capacity of first responders and provide targeted social interventions that develop human capital.
Taiwan is providing US$5.5 million towards the bilateral cooperation projects with the St. Lucia government identifying six projects for funding.
These projects include the Castries East drainage project, the construction of community centers in the Castries north and east constituencies, a local government community project as well as the West Coast Sub Fire Station and the Youth Economy Agency – Innovation Hub.
Permanent Secretary in the Department of Economic Development and the Youth Economy,
Paul Hilaire, said the funding is not just financial a contribution “but a symbol of the deep rooted friendship and mutual respect for our two countries.
“The projects are cross-cutting and it impacts that work of the programs of several ministries. They are specifically designed to improve the lives and social resilience of these groups. And that is the important thing. And this is our mantra to help the safety net and the whole, foundation of which we could elevate persons from where they are today,” he added.
