China provides a 10 million XCD grant via ETCA for 1,572 Street Lights Construction Project

On January 9, 2008, the Chinese Ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda, Chen Ligang, and the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Spencer, signed the Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement on behalf of their respective governments at the Prime Minister's Office. According to the agreement, the Chinese government will provide free assistance to the Antigua and Barbuda government to start the street lighting project in Antigua. In December 2008, the Government of China granted EC$10 million to Antigua and Barbuda for 1,572 street lights as part of the larger Antiguan Street Lighting Project. APUA's General Manager Esworth Martin, along with representatives from the government of Antigua & Barbuda and the People's Republic of China, signed the final construction agreement, paving the way for the installation of the street lights. The Chinese name for this project is "街道照明工程." The signing ceremony for the technical inspection memorandum occurred on January 22, 2008. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on January 8, 2009 in St. John. The street lights were installed by the Jiangsu Provincial Construction Group Co in October 2010. The handover ceremony was held on October 22, 2010. The areas that have been illuminated by the new street lights are as follows: Sir Vivian Richards Stadium to Parham, Cassada Gardens to the Woods Centre, Multipurpose Road to Five Islands, Falmouth to English Harbour, Shirley Heights Road, Swetes to Old Road, Urlings to Bolans, Friars Hill Road, Cedar Valley Main Road, Potworks Dam Main Road, Powells, Green Castle Road, Hodges Bay to Airport Road, Queen Elizabeth Highway, Anchorage Road, American Road and Hawksbill Drive.

Additional details

A source described a lighting ceremony for the streetlights held on March 23, 2007. They lit the first section of the project, which was between the cricket ground and the airport. The timing of this ceremony is odd because it occurred a year before the ETCA for the project was signed. (See: 中国驻安巴大使任小萍参加我援建安巴路灯项目亮灯仪式)

Number of official sources

20

Number of total sources

20