The Minister of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity (Mr A. Subron): Madam Speaker, please allow me to provide the reply to this question as the budget measure 295 concerns my Ministry.

45 From the outset, let me convey to my colleague, hon. Members, and the House the following – (i) With regard to parts (a) and (c) of the question, the scheme is expected to be implemented as from the end of this year and fully rolled out by the first quarter of 2026. In this context, provision is being made to fully cover 7,468 households and families on the SRM in both Mauritius and Rodrigues to benefit from this budget measure. (ii) With regard part (b) of the question, payment will be made to internet service providers upon provision of the internet to SRM households who applied and are provided with same. Madam Speaker, following the announcement of this budgetary measure, the National Empowerment Foundation (NEF) carried out a survey amongst its beneficiaries who consist of persons of the Social Register of Mauritius (SRM) and have signed a social contract to benefit from its services. The surveys pointed out that only around an estimated 10% of the families of the Social Register of Mauritius presently have a home-based internet connection. Around 90% have expressed interest to avail of the free internet connection. My Ministry then engaged in consultations with relevant stakeholders, namely the Ministry of Finance, the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA) and the National Empowerment Foundation to work out modalities for the implementation of this budgetary measure. Consultations were also held with the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) to understand the mechanism in place for persons to benefit from the 18-25 free mobile phone scheme. After thorough reflections emanating from these consultations, my Ministry has decided that eligible SRM beneficiaries will have the choice to select from the three available commercial packages, as per the recommendation of the ICTA, offered by the three internet service providers, that is, Mauritius Telecom, Emtel Ltd and Mahanagar Telephone Mauritius Limited (MTML). Thus, the 7,468 households will have the possibility of making their own choices and no specific ISP will be designated. So, the new provision will be a people’s choice-based system.

46 In this context, the State Informatics Limited (SIL) is working on an online platform with the assistance of the Mauritius Revenue Authority to translate this people’s choice-based system to ensure efficient implementation and monitoring of the scheme and ensure effective communication between the Ministry and the internet service providers. Once the SIL online platform is finalised, NEF will issue notices to all SRM eligible households to inform of the packages available and of the modalities to avail of same. The head of the household will have to apply for his or her chosen package directly from the selected ISP and its respective outlets, similar to any citizen applying to benefit from any given internet package. Madam Speaker, I wish to inform that the Government has provided, in fact, Rs85 million yearly over a period of three years each for this particular scheme under the National Resilience Fund. Let me reassure the hon. Member and the House that the three years’ period will start as from the date on which the measures become effective so that no prejudice is caused to any of the registered poor family of the country. My Ministry is committed, as is this caring government, to ensure the implementation of this measure to provide some 7,500 families and 27,000 people with internet connection so as to be digitally connected and avail of the facilities linked thereto, particularly for educational purposes. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, hon. Minister. Yes, hon. Rookny!

Madam Speaker, I would like to ask the hon. Minister if he could advise, of the Rs85 million earmarked per financial year, and given that the project would be fully rolled out at the end of the first quarter of 2026, how much of the said sum will be spent in the first financial year?

As I have just stated, as from the date of the implementation of the project, the three years budget will be applied, that is, the three years that have been earmarked, irrespective of the start date of the implementation. So, up to now, no money has been spent. It will be spent either in December for the first three years from next year, and then the three years will apply for all those eligible to the package.

47 RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEMS – ACCESSIBILITY & SCHEMES