Africa-Press – Mozambique. A Chinese group is building a condominium with 6,000 flats on the outskirts of Maputo, a housing project for young people launched on Wednesday by the Mozambican president, valued at US$2, billion (€1,850 million).
Located next to the Costa do Sol neighbourhood, the project has already started to be built by the Chinese company Phoenix International Group, based in Hong Kong, as the result of a strategic partnership between the Government of Mozambique and the private sector, and should be completed in two and a half years.
“The project will create around 25,000 jobs in the maximum period of its implementation, contributing significantly to alleviating poverty in the families of those involved, especially in the surrounding areas, where around 1,500 have already benefited at the moment, in the phase of compensation for improvements that the company has already made, and clearing the land,” said Daniel Chapo, speaking at the launch of the Fénix housing project.
The private development, he explained, aims to “build a housing community of a conventional standard, aimed essentially at young people, and of an international and modern design”, with the head of state emphasising the contribution to the country’s housing policy.
“The main objective of this policy is to facilitate the provision of adequate housing and a healthy living environment for our young people, at a cost that is accessible to all social groups, especially young people, promoting quality housing, but at a low cost. That’s why this project involves around 6,000 houses or flats of various types, so that everyone can live in a decent home, depending on their own budget,” he said.
The President emphasised that the new government’s housing policy, which has been in place since January, “provides for the promotion and facilitation” of national and foreign investment to build affordable housing complexes for all segments of the public, “including low-income groups”.
“Our vision and goal is to make a replica of this type and level of housing, or even more suitable, for each location and the purchasing power of each location, throughout the country, throughout this five-year term [a tenure that began in January] that the Mozambican people have entrusted us to lead,” he emphasised.
Daniel Chapo emphasised that the company responsible for the project “has experience” in this type of development in Africa: “We’ve already heard about the developments in our sister country Angola, such as the condominiums in Talatona and other projects that have been carried out in this friendly and sister country. It is this company that has carried out this project. That’s why we invited them to come and do projects on the same scale, but with better quality and with all due respect for engineering and, above all, the environment here in Maputo city and throughout Mozambique.”
‘The lagoons will not be touched’
In addition to the housing component, he explained that the project includes the construction of a shopping centre, restaurants and towers, including a ” structure with a panoramic view of the entire city of Maputo”.
“The lagoons that are in this area will not be touched. They will be used for boat trips, a children’s playground, a fitness circuit (…) throughout the condominium, so that everyone, when they wake up in the morning, can walk, do their fitness work outs within this great neighbourhood, a great city. It will have a health centre, a school, a sports field, a football pitch, a community centre, among other infrastructures,” he stressed.
Daniel Chapo recalled that “decent housing” is one of the basic rights provided for in the Constitution as a guarantee to all Mozambican citizens, and is also “one of the main concerns” of society.
“Without a shadow of a doubt, this project will open up opportunities for affordable housing loans for different social groups, especially for our young people, given that the project is aimed at young people who are still looking for their first job, marriage and decent housing,” he insisted.
For More News And Analysis About Mozambique Follow Africa-Press
