24 new housing units to be built at Bel Ombre |01 August 2015

Twenty-four new housing units will be built on the ex-Kashogi estate at Bel Ombre.

The foundation stone for the project was laid on Thursday by the Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture Wallace Cosgrow, who was deputising for the Minister for Land Use and Housing Christian Lionnet, and Adel Al Hosani, a representative of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD).

The project is being financed by the government of the United Arab Emirates through a grant which is being managed by the ADFD.

Present at the stone laying ceremony were the district’s member of the National Assembly Galen Bresson and district administrator Pharisianne Lucas, the principal secretary for Policy Planning and Implementation Yves Choppy, ADFD project manager Tariy Hamza, other officials from the Ministry of Land Use and Housing and of community development, as well as the district’s inhabitants.

PS Choppy noted that the ex-Kashogy housing project started end of 2008 with the construction of one block of eight units which were completed in 2011.

He added that the project came about as a result of perfect planning and procurement process.

“The result is that today, after careful planning and procurement process, we meet to lay the foundation stone for the construction of 24 more housing units,” he said.

Mr Choppy said this project will ensure that Seychellois families have a decent living environment and a home of their own.

Mr Al Hosani pointed out that ADFD enjoys a close relationship with Seychelles which dates back to 1979 and this project articulates the importance of promoting inclusive development in Seychelles.

District administrator Lucas said: “The ex-Kashogy project is part of the government’s commitment to ensure reasonable and adequate shelter for every Seychellois family,” adding that demand for housing is high in the country.

“The demand for houses is high and the number of housing applications continues to increase. It is therefore essential for such projects to occur in the district to address those needs and also reduce the demand for houses,” she said.

The housing project, which has been awarded to contractor Mahé Design & Build, will take about 12 months to complete if everything goes according to plan.