The Ministry of Housing and Lands in Mauritius has released three documents, including an independent audit report on the New Social Living Development Ltd (NSLD), an accompanying action plan, and a project monitoring dashboard. The audit, conducted by the Office of Public Sector Governance (OPSG), covers the entire life of the NSLD, which was established in May 2019 to construct 8,000 social housing units. The report highlights various issues with the programme, including poor planning, poor management, and delays.
According to the audit report, the NSLD was incorporated a year late, in May 2019, and there was no pre-identified land bank. The land exercise took over two and a half years, during which 74 of 119 candidate sites had to be rejected or proved unbuildable. Geotechnical studies were only started in January 2022. The programme was redesigned four times, with each change consuming time and public money. The audit also found that Rs 496 million was paid for nothing, as eight consultancy contracts totalling Rs 919 million were awarded and then terminated.
The audit report identified several other issues with the programme, including two failed tenders, procurement without safeguards, and construction without permits. The programme's budget ballooned from Rs 12 billion for 12,000 units to nearly Rs 30 billion for only 8,000 units. The unit cost increased to up to Rs 3.74 million against a Rs 2.5 million ceiling. As of June 2025, only 23.6% of units were ready for handover, and 45.5% were delayed.
The project monitoring dashboard, which covers all 35 projects totalling 7,974 housing units, shows the current state of the programme. It reveals that 2,332 units, fully built, could only receive their keys in 2027 due to pending infrastructure connections. Eleven sites, representing 2,816 units, await water and sewage infrastructure. Ten sites remain entangled in land-acquisition issues inherited from the previous administration.
The current government has been working to rectify the issues inherited from the previous administration. The dashboard records the progress made since the government assumed office in December 2024. The government has been working to complete the pending infrastructure connections and resolve land-acquisition issues.
The Minister of Housing and Lands stated that the government is committed to providing affordable housing to the population. The government has been working to implement the recommendations of the audit report and complete the 8,000-housing-unit programme. The programme's delays and cost overruns have had a significant impact on the population, with thousands of families still waiting for their homes.
The government has urged the population to access the published documents to understand the true state of the programme. The documents provide a detailed account of the programme's history, the issues encountered, and the progress made. The government has assured the population that it is working to complete the programme and provide affordable housing to those in need.
Key points
- The audit report highlights poor planning and management of the 8,000-housing-unit programme by the previous administration.
- The programme's budget increased from Rs 12 billion to nearly Rs 30 billion, with a unit cost of up to Rs 3.74 million.
- The current government is working to complete the programme and provide affordable housing to the population.
