President Danny Faure chaired a meeting with members of the Rapid Response Committee at State House this morning. Comprising of representatives of various sectors, the committee came together to share updates, coordinate actions, and implement measures required to secure the well-being and social protection of citizens.
The forum provides a regular platform to address urgent matters and coordinate projects being implemented both at national and community level. During the meeting, representatives briefed the Head of State on ongoing implementation of various initiatives and also seized the opportunity to raise any issues or challenges being encountered and proposed possible solutions to improve their services and better support people in the community.
Addressing the representatives present, the President reiterated the importance of effective communication amongst all the key agencies as well as increased coordination to provide the necessary support to those in need. "We need to intensify our efforts to ensure we better support our people, consolidate the services and support mechanism in place and ensure they are more accessible at community level," said President Faure.
Following discussions, the decision was taken effective immediately to improve access to the services offered by the Agency for Social Protection, particularly on La Digue island, in order to cater for the increased number of cases of citizens requiring assistance. The committee also agreed on the necessity to reinforce psychosocial support as part of a national programme to address the various social challenges affecting citizens, particularly given the impact of the COVID-19 health crisis.
The committee will continue to meet every 2 weeks to share regular updates and monitor social protection programmes amidst the dynamic economic landscape posed by the pandemic.
Present at State House for the meeting was the Designated Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Local Government, Youth, Sports, Culture, and Risk and Disaster Management, Mrs Macsuzy Mondon, the Minister for Family Affairs, Mrs Mitcy Larue, the Principal Secretary for Infrastructure, Mr Yves Choppy, Principal Secretary for Local Government, Mrs Marie-Celine Vidot-Jeannevol, the Principal Secretary for Poverty Alleviation, Mr Alvin Laurence, Principal Secretary for Public Affairs in the Office of the President, Mrs Doreen Arnephy, the Chief Executive Officer of STC, Mrs Christine Joubert, CEO of Agency for Social Protection, Mr Marcus Simeon, the Economic Advisor to the President, Mr Bertrand Belle and Communication Advisor, Mrs Laurie-Mae Lepathy Ansah.