India grants Rs 1.9 billion to Mauritius

The Government of India has allocated US $ 52.95 million, an equivalent of approximately Rs 1.9 billion representing 15 percent of the total grant of Rs 12.7 billion allocated by the Government of India for the implementation of priority projects in Mauritius.

In this context, the High Commissioner of India to Mauritius, Abhay Thakur, handed over a cheque to Pravind Jugnauth, the Minister of Finance, at the Government Centre in Port Louis on Wednesday 30 November. It will be recalled that earlier in November, Mauritius and India signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Port Louis to finalise the grant assistance to the tune of Rs 12.7 billion allocated by the Government of India for development projects in Mauritius.

The Rs 12.7 billion in the form of grants will be used to finance the following five major projects:  

• Rs 9.9 billion for the Metro Express project; 
• Rs 1.1 billion for a New Supreme Court Building; 
• Rs 500 million for the provision of Tablets to primary students; 
• Rs 700 million for the construction of some 1,000 social housing units; and
• Rs 500 million for a state-of-the–art ENT hospital.

These projects which are considered crucial for the socio-economic development of Mauritius encompass various sectors of the economy such as public transportation, education, health care, social housing and the judiciary.

India agreed to provide grant funding to the Mauritian Government during the visit of the Finance Minister Pravind Jugnauth, to India in September this year during which the Government of India responded positively in disbursing funds for several projects in Mauritius.