BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, July 17, 2020 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – The Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) today, Friday, July 17, reaffirmed its commitment to assisting in the overall infrastructural development of St. Kitts and Nevis by making a substantial financial injection into two major capital projects.
Resident Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the Federation, His Excellency Tom Lee, made the presentation of two checks to Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris during a brief ceremony at the Ministry of Finance Conference Room.
One cheque, valued at US$2 million will go towards the continuation of the Old Road Bay Road Rehabilitation Project, while the second cheque, valued at US$370,000 will go towards the completion of Lodge/Ottley’s Multi-purpose Community Center.
In his remarks, Ambassador Lee stated that as a strong ally of St. Kitts and Nevis, “Taiwan is very pleased to make some contributions to those two projects, and we are also very happy to know that both projects are progressing very well.”
His Excellency continued by saying, “Taiwan cherishes the relationship with St. Kitts and Nevis, and our government will continue to work with the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis to further deepen the relationship for the benefit of our two great peoples.”
In accepting the generous donation, Prime Minister Harris hailed the strong bonds of friendship that exist between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis “that has grown stronger and has withstood the test of time.”
Dr. Harris further noted that the two projects for which the financial assistance will go towards fall well within the Team Unity administration’s mandate to deliver a stronger and safer future.
“The road project is about road safety, but equally it is about the investment in the economic life of the country because a good and strong road network improves the efficiency of economic operations. It gets workers to and from their workplaces, it facilitates the engagement in a range of socio-economic activities that could advance the country. And certainly, by bringing this road to completion we would have delivered one more tangible item in the context of the mandate for the stronger, safer future,” the prime minister said.
Additionally, Prime Minister Harris stated that the Lodge/Ottley’s Community Center will become an important edifice within those communities that will bring residents even closer together.
The prime minister said, “The multipurpose community center serves dual purposes: helping the community to come together by providing a space in which community life could be enhanced through corporate action, and importantly…we have made provision in the design to accommodate services being provided in the event there is a hurricane.”
Friday morning’s handing over ceremony was attended by Cabinet Secretary, Mrs. Josephine Huggins and Financial Secretary, Mrs. Hilary Hazel.
-30-
