Taiwan cancels interest on Haiti loans

Taiwan on Friday said it will cancel 12 million US dollars’ interests on its loan to Haiti, in order to help the Caribbean nation in its post-earthquake re-construction.

President Ma Ying-jeou made the announcement before a Taiwan delegation left for the Dominican Republic to attend a donors’ conference for Haiti.

The global conference on the future of Haiti will be held next week in the Dominican Republic.

Ma said that Taiwan’s donation to Haiti has hit 16 million dollars, and Taiwan aid groups were supporting 8,000-1,200 Haitian children who became orphans after the quake.

Although Taiwan did not follow some Western nations’ example of canceling Haiti’s debts, it plans to cancel five years’ interests – about 12 million US dollars – and postpone Haiti’s payment of debts by five years, Foreign Minister Timothy Yang said.

Yang said Taipei cannot cancel Haiti’s debts because Taiwan’s loans to Haiti “are our people’s money.”

Haiti is one of the 23 countries that recognize Taiwan.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/326082,taiwan-cancels-interest-on-haiti-loans.html

 

Category: Taiwan