The World Bank Country Director for Mauritius, Mozambique, Madagascar, Comoros, and Seychelles, Mrs Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough, paid a courtesy call, yesterday, on the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, at the New Treasury Building, Port Louis. She was accompanied by the Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Dr Renganaden Padayachy.
In a statement after the meeting, Mrs Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough highlighted that discussions with the Prime Minister were very fruitful and pertained mainly on the follow-up actions discussed last time during her visit to Mauritius and issues in Rodrigues.
She said that the World Bank will work with the Government as regards the extension of the runway at the Plaine Corail airport which, she said, is an important asset for the island. It is important to make this important asset viable for Rodrigues and ensure that the project adds value for the population as well as for tourists who will be coming to the island, she underlined.
She observed that at present, only an ATR aircraft can land there representing some 65 people only per flight as well as a small amount of cargo which can be carried at one time. She added that by end of June, the project will be approved by the World Bank’s administration. As regards financing of the extension of the airport runway, she pointed out that the Government is working with the World Bank to make it viable and to try to find a niche for several other sectors such as fisheries, agriculture and tourism.
Other issues on the agenda, highlighted Mrs Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough, included the water issue, agriculture, and green tourism. The main objective, she stated, is to achieve lower footprint with more people and less plastic.
She also stated that the Prime Minister was informed that a person who will take over the role of Resident Representative has been selected and the latter will join office on 01 July. She further renewed the World’s Bank commitment and engagement with the Government of Mauritius.
Furthermore, she underlined that discussions pertained to the Country Partnership Framework and added that it will be approved on the same day as the Rodrigues airport extension project which is on 29 June 2023. She pointed out that discussions focused on its implementation and on several other thematic areas such as water and tourism.
Mrs Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough, a Zimbawean national, is the Country Director for Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, Comoros and Seychelles in the Eastern and Southern Africa Region.
Since joining the Bank in 1995 as a Young Professional, Pswarayi-Riddihough has worked in four different regions, namely South Asia, East Asia, the Middle East and North and Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. Her most recent appointment was in South Asia as Country Director for Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives.
Prior to that, she served as the Director of Operational Services from 2012 to 2014, where she also supervised teams covering operations in financial management and procurement. She has also held various operational and corporate management positions, including Director of Strategy and Operations, in the Human Resources Vice Presidency.
