811.516 Export-Import Bank/5–2848
Memorandum by Mr. Charles C. Hauch of the Division of Caribbean Affairs to the Assistant Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Armour)
Pursuant to your request for information on the present status on Haitian requests for Export-Import Bank credits, the situation is as follows:
The Haitian request of February 7, submitted via our Embassy in Port-au-Prince, solicited credits for five projects totalling sixteen and one-half million dollars. These include: (1) the Artibonite Valley development project; (2) three small irrigation projects in other areas; (3) sanitary and hospital equipment; (4) a road building project in the Artibonite; and (5) a tourist development project. The Bank’s reply forwarded by airgram to Port-au-Prince on May 3 stated in essence that it would be willing to give further consideration to the Artibonite and road projects, but felt that consideration of loan requests for the others should be deferred. The Bank suggested certain additional information which it must have in order to give further consideration to the Artibonite project. The next move, therefore, is up to the Haitians.
A separate request for a loan of $4,000,000 was sent the Embassy in Port-au-Prince by note of May 4. This requested $2,000,000 each for a water supply project for Port-au-Prince and Cap Haitien and for slum clearance and new housing in Port-au-Prince. These projects had originally been part of the tourism loan request, but were detached and submitted as independent projects on May 4. The Export-Import Bank has been considering this most recent request and it is my understanding it will shortly send the Department at least a preliminary reply for transmission to our Embassy.