Algerian Housing Minister Abdelwahid Temmar visited Béjaïa on Thursday to inspect the progress of the 16,000-unit housing project at Ighzer Ouzarif in Oued Ghir. The project, which includes various types of housing, such as social and AADL units, has encountered several technical and financial obstacles. Despite 6,000 units being completed, the site still requires viabilization of various networks, electricity, and gas connections.
Minister Temmar expressed optimism about the project's progress, emphasizing the need to accelerate the pace of work to allow families to benefit from the program by summer. He announced the allocation of five billion dinars to launch viabilization works for over 1,000 completed units. The minister plans to visit the site again in spring to assess the project's progress and ensure that several families can benefit from the housing units during the summer.
The minister's services have conducted a comprehensive diagnosis of the needs at the new urban pole, and some have been addressed by his ministry. Temmar stated that his department is aware of the financial amounts required to develop and viabilize the urban pole and has identified necessary funding for connections to electricity, gas, and water networks. He consulted with colleagues from the energy and water resources ministries to secure the necessary financing.
According to technical documents prepared by project study and monitoring bureaus, the cost of connecting the site to energy and water networks, as well as building a wastewater treatment station, is estimated at 1,600 billion centimes. Minister Temmar assured that efforts are underway between several ministries to secure this funding. He met with various stakeholders at the project site to discuss progress and challenges.
During his visit, Minister Temmar laid the foundation stone for 1,000 AADL units on a 250-hectare site at Ighzer Ouzarif. He also inspected two model units, one AADL and one LPL, expressing satisfaction with the quality of work and the consideration given to people with specific needs in the design of access to apartments.
The ministerial delegation also visited El-Kseur, where they inaugurated a regional unit of the National Laboratory for Housing and Construction (LNHC). This laboratory will provide technical support and services, including geotechnical studies, material quality analysis, and soil testing, to meet the growing needs of constructors and developers.
In El-Kseur, Minister Temmar inspected a site chosen by the local APC to build a group housing project for rural areas. The Béjaïa province has benefited from 1,000 units of this new rural housing program. The minister's visit aimed to assess the project's progress and address the challenges facing its implementation.
Key points
- The project faces significant technical and financial hurdles, including the need for viabilization of networks and connections to electricity and gas.
- Minister Temmar has allocated five billion dinars to launch viabilization works for over 1,000 completed units.
- The project aims to provide 16,000 housing units, with 6,000 already completed, and is expected to benefit several families by summer.
