The second generation of the programme for the rehabilitation and integration of residential areas (PRIQH2) will cover 160 low-income neighbourhoods in various governorates of the republic at a total cost of TND 670 million, deputy director of the Urban Rehabilitation and Renovation Agency (ARRU), Mehdi Bouaziz, announced on Tuesday. The upcoming iteration of the programme will include the same components as the first generation, focusing on basic infrastructure such as roads, sewage networks, storm water drainage, public electrification, drinking water distribution network, construction of collective facilities and economic and industrial areas, as well as housing improvement, Bouaziz added. He was speaking at a meeting held in Tunis on Wednesday to valorise the first generation of the programme for the rehabilitation and integration of residential areas. PRIQH2 will include a new component on the provision of building land at favourable prices. The aim is to combat the phenomenon of unregulated urbanisat ion, he said, stressing that ARRU's interventions under the PRIQH2 will continue until 2028. He highlighted the importance of the first generation of the programme, citing the rehabilitation of 1,410 km of sewers and 60 km of storm drains, as well as the provision of almost 29,000 points of public electrification in different neighbourhoods. Furthermore, he added that the first generation of the programme saw the construction of 52 structures related to collective facilities, including multidisciplinary spaces, youth areas, sports halls, and the improvement of nearly 10,500 housing units. For her part, Samia Loussaief, Director General of Municipal Programmes, Regional Councils and District Councils at the Ministry of the Interior, said that the problem of building land is one of the main obstacles facing PRIQH1. She pointed out that this problem has led to the stagnation of numerous projects in several popular neighbourhoods and regions of the republic. The official emphasised that the PRIQH2 will includ e improvements to avoid the shortcomings of the first generation. In addition, she stressed the Ministry's support for the municipalities' efforts to achieve the objectives set, to increase the municipalities' financial resources and to provide various social services to the citizens in the neighbourhoods. Source: EN - Agence Tunis Afrique Presse