Chinese ambassador hands over Corgat Estate housing project to Seychelles government |07 August 2020
A partial view of the newly completed blocks (Photo: Jude Morel)
New houses for thirteen families
By Marie-Anne Lepathy
Thirteen families are expected to move into their new homes soon following the official handover to the Seychelles government of the Corgat Estate Redevelopment Phase 3 housing project built through a Chinese grant.
The handover ceremony took place yesterday afternoon during which the Chinese ambassador to Seychelles, Guo Wei, and the Minister for Housing, Infrastructure and Land Transport, Pamela Charlette, signed the handover agreement pertaining to the project.
Ambassador Guo then handed over the keys of the 16 housing units of three bedrooms to Minister Charlette.
Ambassador Guo and Minister Charlette then proceeded to cut the ribbon to open the housing estate.
Funded by the Chinese government under a grant of around R50 million, the project by Top International Engineering Corporation started in 2016 and comprises 32 units of three bedrooms. 16 units had been previously delivered to the Seychelles government in October 2018.
Speaking before the handover of the units, Ambassador Guo commended the long standing friendly relations between China and Seychelles which has flourished and strengthened since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1976.
Ambassador Guo highlighted that Chinese support and assistance to Seychelles in the past 44 years, which include the construction of the national swimming pool, the National Assembly building, the Palais de Justice, the Anse Royale hospital, the Glacis primary school and crèche to name but a few, not only sympbolises the friendship between the Chinese and the Seychellois people, but it also brings real benefits to the Seychellois people.
“The Corgat Estate Residence Project in the Mont Fleuri district is the latest achievement of cooperation between the two countries in the field of people’s livelihood which is also a vivid manifestation of the deep traditional friendship between China and Seychelles,” said Ambassador Guo.
She stressed that both the Chinese and the Seychelles governments are faced with the challenge of how to provide a home for everyone. She said both governments will continue to deepen bilateral friendship and cooperation, further promote the common prosperity and development and bring more benefits to the people of both countries.
For her part Minister Charlette described the handover of the Corgat Estate Redevelopment Phase 3 as another milestone achievement.
“Today marks the completion of the 3rd phase of this re-development project which started way back in 2007. Following completion of 13 units in 2008, 20 units in 2015, we were very fortunate to receive assistance from the government of The People’s Republic of China to continue with the re-development project,” said Minister Charlette.
“The grant for the construction of another 32 units of three bedrooms has been a concrete gesture from the Chinese side and a direct benefit for improving living conditions of the people of the Mont Fleuri district. This donation is well appreciated and valued by the people of Seychelles and came at an opportune time whereby otherwise we could have lost momentum,” affirmed Minister Charlette.
She went on to note that over the past years, in terms of delivery of housing for our people we have enjoyed tangible success. But despite these achievements, she said there is still a long road ahead with many applicants yet to be assisted. She added that the government remains committed to keeping focus on the housing sector.
The principal secretary for project planning and implementation, Yves Choppy, said that the redevelopment of Corgat Estate will continue and 129 housing units remain to be built before the project is completed.
But he noted that while they have started demolition of some old buildings to make way for the next phase, the latter is yet to be finalised and construction work will start next year.
