Composed of Interior Minister Chakib Benmoussa and Minister of Housing, Planning and spatial planning, Mr. Ahmed Taoufiq Hejira, the ministerial delegation was accompanied on this occasion by the President of the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS), Mr. Khallihenna Ould Errachid, the Director General of the Agency for the promotion and economic and Social Development of the Kingdom’s Southern Provinces Mr. Ahmed Hajji, wali of the region of Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El-Hamra, M.M 'hammed Dryef, as well as many elected officials and local actors.
Launched three months ago, demolition works of the last vestiges of unhealthy housing have been successful in eradicating 10,989 unhealthy houses.
Each household identified under this new program and certified the certificate of demolition, was given gratis lot of land of 120 m2 in addition to the amount of 32.000 MAD. Disabled people and supervisors have received unassisted lots and the unmarried were granted unassisted lots.
In a statement to the press, Mr. Benmoussa said that households have benefited from lots of land to build new houses in the city of Laayoune, which has led to permanently eradicate all forms of unsafe housing in the city.
He pointed out that this process "will continue to meet the housing needs of different social groups through the provision of lots of land to build new homes."
Mr. Benmoussa welcomed efforts by all actors and stakeholders in the success of this operation "which takes place in an atmosphere of transparency and credibility."
For his part, Mr. Hejira welcomed the quick execution of the resettlement program, highlighting the spirit of dialogue and partnership that marked throughout these operations, relations between people, authorities, elected officials and various sectors concerned by this programme.
The minister has also stressed that the new program comes under the Royal High instructions to ensure the resettlement of people in camps al-Wahda meet the demand of people in these provinces.
For his part, Mr. Khallihenna Ould Errachid said "that the CORCAS had discussed with the government a comprehensive project on the housing sector in the southern provinces and received the approval of His Majesty the King."
"This project began in 2007 and we are now at the final stage of the resettlement of people in al-Wahda camps in Laâyoune", he said, adding that "this project is not limited to camp inhabitants only but also to those who have not previously benefited from housing."
CORCAS chairman noted that the new programme will contribute to the eradication of all forms of slums in the southern provinces and consolidate the dynamics of local development.
He paid tribute to all stakeholders in the implementation of this programme in accordance with the High Royal instructions to strengthen the development process in the southern provinces.
The ministers and the accompanying delegation went, thereafter, on the "Madinat al-Wifaq" site where they inquired about the progress of construction works carried out by self beneficiaries.
It is worth noting that the demolition operation of unhealthy houses helped liberate a land base of 80 Ha, which will upgrade this portion of urban land, part of the Moulay Rachid subdivision and strengthen the restructuring process, planning and urban renewal underway in the city of Laayoune.
This scheme is made up of representatives of Al Omrane al-Janoube, the municipality of Laayoune, ADPS, the Agency for Social Development and representatives of banking institutions for the processing of cases under Fogarim Credit. This new programme which covers, in the city of Laayoune, an area of more than 900 Ha, is part of the creation of two urban centres totalling 23,666 lots and generating 50,900 housing units and activities for an estimated population in the next 10 years to 250,000 inhabitants.
Source: MAP
- News on Western Sahara issue/ Corcas -