Above: construction on the park earlier this year

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Haiti is officially inaugurating the Caracol Industrial Park Monday, the opening of what is hoped to become a job creator in the country.

Haiti resident Michel Martelly is leading the inauguration of the park, which is in Haiti’s northeastern region, along with Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe and Commerce Minister Wilson Laleau.

Headlining the ceremony will be US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her husband, former US President Bill Clinton, along with Inter-American Development Bank President Luis Alberto Moreno.

US Labour Secretary Hilda Solis is also attending Monday’s ceremony.

The park is a joint project between Haiti’s government, the Inter-American Development Bank and the US government. The US is providing $124 million in grants for the project, which covers 246 hectares of land.

While it will likely take some time to reach that number, several tenants have already signed on board, including South Korean firm Sae-a and Haitian company Peintures Caribes. The latter has expanded its plans to 300 workers at Caracol.

Last month, the IDB announced approval for a $50 million grant. The bank expects to provide as much as $180 million in grants to Caracol’s park over the next six years. An estimate by the IDB last month projected as many as 40,000 jobs, although a government estimate projected as many as 65,000.

The park is owned by Haiti’s Societe Nationale des Parcs Industriels.