Haiti: WB Approves US$5 Million Grant for Electricity Services

The World Bank’s Board of Directors today approved a US$5 million grant to improve the quality of electricity services in Haiti and strengthen the financial and operational performance of Electricité d’Haïti (EDH), the public electricity utility. 

The additional financing will support the objectives of the Electricity Loss Reduction Project, originally supported by a US$6 million World Bank grant approved in August 2006, which sought to lay the foundation for improving electricity services and enhancing revenue collection in urban centers.

“This project will contribute to providing better and more reliable electricity services to Haitian communities,” said Eustache Ouayoro, World Bank Country Manager for Haiti. “In addition, it will finance a program of technical assistance to support the sustainability of the improvements.”

The objective of the additional financing is threefold:

 Improve the management of the utility by providing a two-year program of technical assistance to EDH;

Finance cost overruns for the commercial, technical management and remote metering systems procured under the original project, and  

Help strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Public Works to oversee the energy sector and cover additional project management costs.  

The Bank’s grant financing is an integral part of a multi-donor coordinated strategy of support to the energy sector.

This project was made possible by an International Development Association (IDA)-funded grant of US$5 million and a contribution of EDH in the amount of US$830,000.