EU forks out Rs 66.4 million for Rodrigues

The European Union (EU) is extending a grant totalling Rs 66.4 million to Rodrigues for the development of the water sector (Rs 62 million rupees) and to support actions towards poverty alleviation (Rs 4.4 million). The grant agreements were signed in Rodrigues this week by the Chief Commissioner of the Rodrigues Regional Assembly, Mr Serge Clair, and the Ambassador of the European Union to Mauritius, Mrs Marjaana Sall. Mrs Sall commended the high quality of the projects submitted by the RRA under the second call for proposals for the water sector. She expressed confidence that the commitment of the RRA to improve water distribution will enable more people to be connected to safe drinking water. “The EU reiterates its continued support in addressing poverty and in particular the problem of water shortage in Rodrigues,” she said. For his part, the Chief Commissioner, Mr Serge Clair, stated that the financial help being provided by the EU is a tangible proof of Union’s commitment towards the well-being and development of the island. “Rodrigues suffers from recurrent water shortage and improving water production and distribution is essential to enable the population to have direct access to safe drinking water. Rodrigues is investing massively to develop its economy with projects linked to sectors like tourism, agriculture, the port and the airport,” he said. The EU support will also equip at least 250 low-income families with rainwater harvesting systems. Priority will be given to those households including disabled persons and women (single mothers as head of family) and those living in regions where water distribution is irregular. Under Phase 1, four contracts to the amount of Rs 58 million were signed in March 2015 to improve water production, storage and distribution, especially for 500 low-income families. Under component 2 (Poverty alleviation), the EU is providing support under the 10th EDF Decentralised Cooperation Programme amounting to Rs 4.4 million to five NGOs.