The financial partners of the Urban Rehabilitation and Renovation Agency (French: ARRU) in the Programme for the Rehabilitation and Integration of Residential Areas (PRIQH1) said they are ready to finance the second generation after “taking stock of the positive results” of the first phase.
The programme yielded positive results and met the hoped-for targets, notably in relation to a better quality of life in several residential areas, representatives of the European Union, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the French Development Agency (French: AFD) said during a PRIQH impact assessment seminar.
Head of the EIB representation to Tunisia Jean-Luc Revéreault said the bank had contributed to the tune of 70 million euros to the implementation of the first generation programme.TND 500 million in financial and technical support had been earmarked for this programme
The second generation of the programme “will lend particular interest to the environment dimension,” the European official said, by means of a
dopting the energy saving lighting and using solar energy in carrying out projects.
Yazid Safir, AFD Director in Tunisia, said the agency had been supporting the programme for ten years now and underpinning its efforts to improve living conditions of citizens. “We took stock of a positive impact on citizens across the country.”
ARRU Director General Ahmed Ezzedine said the Programme for the Rehabilitation and Integration of Residential Areas started in 2012 with total investments of TND 617 million. The programme, due to come to and end in 2024, helped rehabilitate 155 working-class districts across the country.
This includes road asphalting, the development of drinking water distribution systems, the installation of rainwater drainage networks and public lighting.
Fifty-two sports, cultural and youth centres were built along with 19 industrial units. The first generation targeted a total of 865,000 inhabitants and 172,000 houses.
After taking stock of the positive impact of the first phase of the progra
mme, the State embarked on the second in 2023.
The agency kicked off rehabilitation works in 160 neighbourhoods and planned action in 100 communities across the country.
The second phase (PRIQH 2) provides for the creation of fifty sports, cultural and youth centres and playing grounds. Sixteen industrial units 16 will also be built under the programme along with the development of low-price subdivisions in areas close to working-class neighbourhoopds.
Works started in several governorates such as Sousse, Monastir, Sidi Bouzid, Kébili and Tozeur; they will run till 2028, the CEO of the agency said.
Nearly TND 670 million in funding will be earmarked for the second generation, said the CEO. 35% of the funding is provided under the State budget, while the rest of the funding is brought by financial partners in the form of loans.
Source: EN – Agence Tunis Afrique Presse