Africa-Press – Mauritius. The National Housing Development Company (NHDC) Ltd had disbursed Rs 24 625 930 for some 331 families from the Western Region of the island under the Roof Slab Grant Scheme.
In that context and due to COVID-19 sanitary protocols, a symbolic cheque remitting ceremony to some 25 families was held, this afternoon, at the Multi-Purpose Complex of the District Council of Black River in Bambous.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Housing and Land Use Planning, and Minister of Tourism, Mr Louis Steven Obeegadoo; the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Alan Ganoo; the Parliamentary Private Secretary, Mr Nand Prakash Ramchurrun; the Member of Parliament, Mrs Marie Sandra Monia Mayotte; and other personalities attended the ceremony.
The Deputy Prime Minister, in his speech, expounded the human right to adequate housing, and highlighted Government’s efforts to recognise and help citizens fulfil this right.
On that note, he explained that there were two ways in which Government strive to aid citizens: either through the provision of a fully constructed housing unit or by offering financial facilities for families to complete the building of their home.
Regarding the Roof Slab Grant Scheme, Mr Obeegadoo indicated that since November 2019, the NHDC had spent more than Rs 236 million to support hard working families in their objective to construct their home.
He recalled that the Roof Slab Grant Scheme, introduced in 1997, had been improved throughout the years: from catering to households earning less than Rs 7,500, the scheme is now available to families whose monthly income is not higher than Rs 20,000.
He thanked the beneficiaries for their sacrifice which, he said, enabled Government to save on the construction of houses. The Deputy Prime Minister listed also the housing projects for inhabitants of the western region of Mauritius, namely the 100 houses handed over in Bassin and the upcoming 223 housing units in La Valette.
He mentioned, too, the construction of 12,000 social houses across Mauritius, with 600 units per constituencies. Regions targeted in the West for the project include Bambous, Beaux Songes, Résidence Kennedy and Surinam, among others.
On the health front, Mr Obeegadoo urged the population to get their booster dose. He stated that it was worrying that some 250,000 people, eligible for their booster dose, had yet to take the jab.
He stressed that the protection provided by the first shots decreased over time, and that an additional dose of vaccine was key to maintain strong protection against COVID-19.
For his part, Minister Ganoo saluted the vigorous determination of the beneficiaries to build their home, and commended them for contributing to solving the housing problem by getting help in the forms of grants, instead of waiting for a housing unit.
He pointed out that the home ownership rate in Mauritius was among the highest in the world and that Government would pursue its aim to ensure that every family had a roof over its head.
The Minister, moreover, underlined that the country would progress despite the consequences of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as was the case amid the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequential lock-downs and restrictions.
For More News And Analysis About Mauritius Follow Africa-Press
