Transforming the Port and modernising infrastructure across the island

The Mauritius Ports Authority (MPA) will, with the participation of the private sector, invest some Rs 12 billion to construct a breakwater to reduce downtime at the port during bad weather conditions. The MPA is also investing some Rs 2.2 billion in another breakwater at Fort William so as to allow the safe mooring of some 120 ocean-going fishing vessels, thus creating a fully functional fishing port.

Furthermore, the navigational channel will be further dredged to a depth of 18 metres, which will make Port Louis the deepest port in the region. These dredged materials will then be used in order to reclaim some 60 hectares of land for the creation of an Island Terminal of containers that will more than double the actual stacking capacity. It has also been highlighted that the Cargo Handling Corporation will acquire one additional Ship-to-Shore crane along with associated equipment at a cost of Rs 750 million so as to increase crane productivity at the port.

Modernising infrastructure across the island

With regards to other infrastructure across the island, Budget 2019-2020 makes provision of Rs 1.5 billion to continue works on several projects, namely the Jumbo Phoenix roundabout and the A1M1 Bridge; the A1–A3 link road from Coromandel to Gros Cailloux; the upgrading of Pointe aux Sables Road at Petit Verger; the Cap Malheureux by-pass; and the new link road at La Croisette. Funds for financing offsite works at the Côte D’Or City as well as for the development of the Côte D’Or Industrial Park have also been earmarked.

In addition, Rs 1.5 billion will be invested, over the next three years, in the construction of a new fly-over at Hillcrest and the upgrading of the existing one at Ebene, and in road upgrading projects at Deux Frères and Palmerstone, among others, as well as for landslide stabilisation works at Montagne Ory, Chamarel and Souillac. It has also been announced that Landscope (Mauritius) Ltd will embark on the second phase of the renovation of the Port Louis Waterfront estimated to cost some Rs 200 million.

The Budget also provides for investment of some Rs 1.2 billion in other infrastructure projects across the island including, among others, six gymnasiums and open gyms, six football pitches, two health tracks, three market fairs, 25 mini football pitches, two multipurpose halls and four village halls.

Other measures comprise for the construction of six Multi User Games Area (MUGA) at Rivière du Rempart, Flacq, Moka, Port Louis, Black River and Savanne, for which an amount of Rs 72 million has been earmarked, and Rs 500 million for the construction and upgrading of secondary roads across the island.

It is recalled that since 2015, the Local Authorities and the National Development Unit have implemented some 2 900 community-based projects across the island for a total project value of Rs 3.5 billion.