President of Republic Lays First Stone for Infrastructure Projects in Rosso

His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, laid, Monday in Rosso, the first stone for several structuring projects in the capital of Trarza, as part of the inauguration and the launch of a set of major development projects in this wilaya (region). The Minister of Equipment and Transport, Mohamedou Ould M'heimid, explained that the presence of His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani to oversee the launch and inauguration of a series of development projects gives the go-ahead to a new dynamic which will make it possible to structure and strengthen the local economy, promote decentralization efforts, empower the territories, and create a reliable basis for harmonious and sustainable development. These are objectives which embody the vision and commitments of the President of the Republic and concretely reflect the general policy statement of the government, as he put it. He indicated that the projects, which were launched today are ancillary components of the Rosso bridge project, relate to the rehabilitation of 7 km of the city's urban road network and the construction of a cultural center and a municipal market. The Minister of Equipment and Transport explained that in addition to the modern urban network that will be built in Rosso, the city will soon be embellished with a bridge connecting our country and the Republic of Senegal, which will help promote regional integration and strengthen the bonds of brotherhood and convergence between the two countries. It will increase traffic on both sides of the bank of the Senegal River as well. He indicated that the Mauritania Ferry Company (SBM), which for decades has been the main means of transport and transit, has greatly contributed to facilitate the transport of people and goods between our country and the Republic of Senegal. He noted that the rapid growth of transport on this main axis connecting Europe and sub-Saharan Africa through our country has made it urgent to build an infrastructure commensurate with the acceleration of transport on this axis. He revealed that the reflection is underway to find the most suitable formula to continue the use of the two ferries within the framework of alternative activities which offer a preservation of the jobs already created to the residents of Rosso and a transfer of the ferry activities to other border areas. Mr. Mohamedou Ould M'heimid added that the sector of Equipment and Transport, in execution of the ambitious and realistic program of the President of the Republic, has worked during the past period of the current presidential term to build more than 500 km of asphalt roads, while respecting quality standards and deadlines. Likewise, he pointed out, the pace of completion of many road projects has been accelerated and the Ministry has focused on lifting all the constraints that were delaying some projects while working to complete the launching conditions of new projects. Finally, the Minister called on the executing companies to immediately start the realization of the project in accordance with the specifications agreed upon with the Department in full respect of the fixed deadlines. In turn, the mayor of the Municipality of Rosso, Mr. Bamba Ould Dormane, affirmed, in a speech that he delivered on behalf of the inhabitants that the municipality of Rosso will remain the best witness of the faithfulness of His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, to his commitments, expressing his conviction that the development that His Excellency outlines reflects a new approach which makes the citizen an end and a means of any public act. The works of the Rosso Bridge are part of an integrated development vision that makes a major infrastructure the focal point of many other projects to create multiplier effects that broaden the spectrum of the positive impact of the achievements. Thus, the Rosso Bridge not only brings proximity, exchange, mobility, and fluid and easy traffic with the Senegalese neighbor, but provides a set of services that promote the sectors of the economy, particularly agriculture. That’s why the related projects relate to the construction and rehabilitation of roads to facilitate the supply of inputs and the transfer of production, the establishment of a market infrastructure for marketing products. In addition, the construction of a socio-educational complex and a multi-sport center will promote greater social inclusion of vulnerable classes (disabled people, young victims of school dropout, etc.) The first component concerns the repair and construction of the city's road network. This project includes the repair and construction of road sections consisting of nine vital axes in the city of Rosso, with a total of 7 km. The work, which will take 10 months, consists mainly of stripping the existing road, erecting a base layer, then a recycled layer and finally a layer of reinforced concrete asphalt. The cost of the project is MRU 7,384,300, co-financed by the Mauritanian State, the Arab Development Bank, and the European Union. The second component, which will be completed in 12 months, concerns the construction in Rosso of basic social and economic infrastructure (market, bus station, community center, and mixed-use sports complex). The total cost of this component is MRU 2,975,835, co-financed by the Mauritanian State, the Arab Development Bank, and the European Union. The third component concerns the strengthening of the water supply system, and includes: - the construction and equipment of an underground reinforced concrete tank with a capacity of 1,500 cubic meters, - the construction and equipment of a reinforced concrete tank with a height of 30 meters and a capacity of 700 cubic meters, - the rehabilitation of the water collection station at the supply point and the cleaning of the water collection basin before treatment; - the construction and equipment of two decompression stations (SP1 and SP2) – the strengthening and extension of the distribution network with a length of 23 km and 15 taps; -And the rehabilitation of a wastewater treatment plant with a capacity of 100 cubic meters per hour.