Olivier Masson
3 December 2007
Port Louis — New regulations have been introduced for Integrated Resorts Schemes by Deputy PM Sithanen last Friday: promoters will notably have to give a written undertaking that their benefits trickle down to local people.
Anahita did not wait the new regulations to set up a training academy for future IRS staff.
"An enhanced and equitable dimension." As Deputy Prime minister and Finance minister Rama Sithanen announced last Friday, by making provisions in the Integrated Resorts Scheme (IRS) Regulations for IRS developers to include measures for the development of the locality and the improvement of the local community, the authorities are affirming their wish to transform the IRS into "a real locomotive for socio-economic development".
Though an IRS like Anahita did not wait for the new regulations to set up a training academy, fears apparently remained about the social implications of IRS generally. As stated in the document provided when the new regulations were announced: "In a contorted manner, the IRS schemes have opened a new economic activity in Mauritius, but by its very definition and the regulations upholding the scheme, this economic activity with very attractive returns is reserved for those already having substantial capital (land)."
But the new regulations are unequivocal: "With the introduction of the social contribution mechanism in the new regulations, the IRS company shall have to provide training facilities to neighbouring inhabitants and contribute to the upliftment of social amenities in the locality up to an amount which will be directly related to the scale of the development."
In this respect, promoters of IRS projects will have to submit a written undertaking that benefits shall accrue to the local community and to small entrepreneurs generally, in terms of employment and business opportunities.
The objective is to ensure that the benefits trickle down from the developers to the local people, the small entrepreneurs supplying goods and services and all those along the supply chain of an IRS development, in terms of employment and business opportunities, development infrastructure, social amenities and community facilities: "for example, small planters or fishermen can get together to set up activities directly linked to the IRS", Rama Sithanen proposed last Friday.
The social concern translates notably in a contribution has been fixed at Rs 200,000 per residential unit. Just with the ongoing projects, the sum collected will be consequent: "the amount of social contribution to be made by the promoters of the 14 approved projects will be around Rs 711 M." It will be the Board of Investment along with the developer that will be responsible for the management of the fund. Money will go to social amenities, community development and other facilities for the benefit of the neighbouring community. The social contribution would be in the form of training, health facilities & social care, sports and leisure facilities, education, scholarships, development of market places, etc.
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