Madam Speaker, Metro Express Ltd was incorporated on 26 October 2016 as a public limited company. It is wholly owned by the Government of Mauritius and responsible for the implementation of a multimodal transport system by pioneering a new sector in the local transport industry through the development, financing, construction, operation and management of the Metro Express Light Rail Transit System in Mauritius under the Metro Express project. The phase 1 and phase 2 of the Metro Express Project was financed by the Government of India, partly through a grant and partly through a Line of Credit. As part of the requirement within the funding through the Line of Credit Agreement with Government of India, the appointment of a Project Manager Consultant (PMC) was made and since this project was being financed by the Government of India, an Indian company, namely RITES, was selected by the Government of India and appointed by Government of Mauritius. The Government of Mauritius, under its G2G agreement with the Government of Singapore, enlisted the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise to provide Delivery Support and Advisory Services (DSAS) to ensure that the concept design of the project was being effectively implemented by the EPC contractor. Under the DSAS, the scope of works comprised of the design and construct delivery services, focused on design and contract management integration, issues resolution, refinements, provision of technical support and briefings and support the Metro Express Ltd (MEL) on other enabling aspects related to the development of the project and ensure that the concept design is effectively implemented. Madam Speaker, in view to operate the Light Rail Transit System, the services of consultants were enlisted by MEL to capacity build and train the required staff for operation readiness as follows – (a) Singapore Cooperation Enterprise, Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) Cooperation from September 2018 to September 2020 amounting to Rs296.5 million but paid in Singapore dollars; (b) Independent Safety Assessment (ISA) by Metro Transit Solution (MTS) for phase 1, approximately Rs4.69 million, and (c) SMRT Singapore Cooperation Enterprise and STRIDES for phase 2A, 2B, 2C for approximately Rs89.55 million.

49 Madam Speaker, for the sake of time, I am tabling the full list of contractors who have been enlisted by MEL since its setting up with the names, dates, contract amount and nature of service. Thank you.

Thank you. Yes?

Can the hon. Minister inform the House whether, proper procedures have been followed in all these activities and if not, whether an inquiry will be opened?

Time and again, we hear about the methodology used by the Metro Express Ltd but I can certainly ask the officers based on the list that I have submitted to give me a report on the processes followed for the award of these contracts.

Yes. That’s it for this morning. I will suspend the Sitting for one and a half hour! At 1.00 p.m., the Sitting was suspended. On resuming at 2.35 p.m. with the Deputy Speaker in the Chair.

Please be seated! The hon. Third Member for Port Louis North and Montagne Longue! MORC. GREEN PARK, TERRE ROUGE – DRAINS, ROAD SIGNS & GREEN SPACE AMENITIES