‘One of Government’s priorities remains the construction of social housing units and we will spare no effort to ensure the timely completion of the first phase of the project’.
The Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, made this statement, yesterday afternoon, during the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of some 224 housing units by the New Social Living Development Ltd (NSLD), in La Brasserie.
The Deputy-Prime Minister, Minister of Housing and Land Use Planning, Minister of Tourism, Mr Louis Steven Obeegadoo; the Minister of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity, Mrs Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo; Members of Parliament; the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Mauritius, Mr Liying Zhu; representatives of the NSLD; and other eminent personalities were also present on this occasion.
In a statement, Prime Minister Jugnauth highlighted that Government had previously announced that the NSLD would build 12,000 housing units at an affordable price for the needy and the less fortunate. However, he indicated, due to unforeseen circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the project will now be implemented in two phases as follows: a first phase with the construction of 8,000 housing units; and a second phase consisting of 4,000 units.
The Prime Minister informed that the 224 housing units at La Brasserie will be built on a plot of land of some 10 arpents, to the tune of around Rs 612 million, and are expected to be completed by September 2024. He underscored that, in addition to facilities including green spaces, parking lots, a mini market, drains and a children’s playground, the project includes several innovative features such as rainwater harvesting, solar energy panels and appropriate waste disposal systems. Out of these 224 housing units, 10% will be allocated to those people on the Social Register of Mauritius, he added.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Jugnauth underlined that construction works can start on 34 out of the 39 sites identified so far. He observed that the construction of these housing units will be undertaken in all 20 constituencies in an equitable manner, and expressed satisfaction with regard to works accomplished so far by the Ministry of Housing and Land Use Planning together with other Departments and stakeholders.
