The construction site of the new city of Imerintsiatosika seems frozen in time. Plans for the installation of future residents are reportedly under review.
There is no sign of activity at the Imerintsiatosika new city site. The 320-unit housing complex has yet to welcome its residents, and its courtyard is overgrown with brush. The residential buildings are gradually deteriorating, with some not even fully completed.
A kilometer or two away, in the area designated for administrative use, construction projects have come to a halt. The few administrative buildings that were erected, such as the Press House, are already showing signs of decay. Land originally reserved for businesses and public services has been converted into farmland by local villagers, and public schools remain unused.
Currently, only the main avenue is operational, serving as a route for transport vehicles connecting Imerintsiatosika to surrounding villages. It also serves as the terminus for ‘bajajs’ (motorized tricycles), the area’s primary mode of transport.
According to an official from the Ministry of Land Management and Land Services, the project is not entirely abandoned. The installation of residents in the completed units is ongoing. “Consultations have been held to define the procedures for continuing previous processes. The ministry has received requests regarding the allocation of housing for which payments have already been recorded. Other buyers have not yet paid the required amounts, so provisions have been made regarding the renewal or termination of these housing contracts,” the source explained.
Beneficiaries, selected by lottery in February 2023, cling to the hope of moving in. “Some come to check the progress. One future resident often returns, bitterly lamenting that he should have been living here by now,” a security guard at the site noted.
Some contractors are reportedly continuing work. “Recently, companies came to repaint the interiors and exteriors, which is why these buildings do not bear the orange color of the other structures,” he explained. However, these interventions are barely visible from the outside, and the site remains uninhabitable as it is still not connected to water and electricity networks.
The Imerintsiatosika new city was intended to host numerous structural projects, including water, electricity, and road networks, as well as high-power solar parks to supply Tanamasoandro. The infrastructure plan also included a university, a national stadium, the National School of Magistracy, and a ministerial city for civil servants. While the installation of residents is scheduled, the fate of the other projects remains uncertain.
Captured & Published at: 2026-07-16 05:56:39 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/07/nouvelle-ville-le-projet.html