Assurances committee meets housing heads over projects |19 September 2012

He was accompanied by acting principal secretary for Land Use and Housing Yves Choppy and the acting chief executive of the Housing Finance Company (HFC) Ronny Palmyre.

The committee’s chairperson Sheryl Vangadasamy said the minister answered questions on two assurances regarding rebuilding of units at Chetty flats at Anse aux Pins and a housing project at Anse de Genets at Cascade and the “issue of asbestos materials at Ile Perseverance”.

“We also asked him about R10 million rupees that were to be injected into the HFC funds to be disbursed for special housing loans,” she said.

“He responded to all the questions and explained why certain assurances have not yet been acted upon.

“The minister assured us he has made the necessary budgetary demands as he had done the year before for the housing project at Anse de Genets,” she said, noting the amount of money needed is very big “and according to Mr Lionnet will amount to 10% of his total budget which for now is quite substantial hence finance is an issue in the matter”.

Ms Vangadasamy said Mr Lionnet said negotiations with the insurance company regarding the units that got burned at the Chetty flats have been concluded and the project has been tendered out and will begin any time before the end of this year.

She said the committee due to oversee issues regarding asbestos materials has been set up and relevant details such as the team’s mandate will become available soon.

Last week the committee visited road projects around Mahe which the government promised to undertake, she said, but noted inspection of projects on Praslin and La Digue will be planned at a later date.

“Most of the road projects have either been completed or are about to be,” she said, expressing satisfaction with the work they reviewed.