Port-Louis, September 8th 2021 – As part of its Covid-19 Emergency Response Programme (CERP), the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB) has donated personal protective equipment (PPE) to Mauritius to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic, in collaboration with the country’s Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development and the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
The handover ceremony which took place on the 8th of September 2021 at the offices of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, was hosted by its Minister, Dr. the Hon. Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal who received the donation from Gerard Bussier, Member of the TDB Board of Directors, from the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development of Mauritius.
Donated supplies consist of 100,000 nurses’ caps, 100,000 disposable face masks, 100,000 medical overshoes and 32,000 disposable sterile gloves which were procured from local suppliers.
Dr. the Hon. Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, Minister of Health and Wellness stated: “The donation from the Trade and Development Bank comes at an opportune time where there are challenges to secure medical supplies and disposables due to disruption in supply chain, irregular availability of freight forwarders, and decrease in production worldwide due to Covid-19. The Ministry would work towards strengthening the collaboration with the TDB and we extend our thanks to the Bank for providing us with the much needed materials required to protect our frontliners.”
Mr. Gerard Bussier, Member of the TDB Board of Directors, from the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development of Mauritius, said: “As COVID-19 cases are rising once again globally with the propagation of the novel Delta variant, TDB’s donation will help ensuring that frontline workers in Mauritius effectively protect themselves against the virus whilst serving the community at large, thus limiting its spread.”
Mr. Admassu Tadesse, TDB President Emeritus and Group MD said: “TDB is delighted to donate this PPE to healthcare workers in Mauritius, where we have one of our principal offices. In addition to other financing interventions via our operations complex, we continue to assist during these difficult times by providing medical equipment, PPE and other supplies to accompany the main efforts the Governments of our region are deploying.”
Ms. Mary Kamari, TDB Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations Executive added: “CERP is part of TDB’s COVID-19 broad response plan which in addition to this type of direct assistance – emergency supplies which we procure, to the extent possible, from our Member States to support their private sector and employment – also comprises financing interventions for the region’s private sector, sovereigns and financial institutions.”
Mauritius has been a TDB Member State for three decades now, and Mauritius’ National Pension Fund and Eagle Insurance, TDB institutional shareholders since 2013. Over the years, the Bank has extended trade and project financing in Mauritius in various sectors including agribusiness, ICT, healthcare and others.
About TDB
Established in 1985, the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB) is a multilateral, treaty-based, investment-grade development finance institution, with 41 sovereign and institutional shareholders and assets of USD 7.2 bn. TDB serves 22 economies in its region, with the mandate to finance and foster trade, regional economic integration, and sustainable development.
TDB is part of the TDB Group, which also comprises TDF (the Trade and Development Fund), ESATF (the Eastern and Southern African Trade Fund), TCI (TDB Captive Insurance), and the TDB Academy.
www.tdbgroup.org
Media Contacts
Anne-Marie Iskandar, Senior Communications Officer
Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations
Trade and Development Bank
Anne-Marie.Iskandar@tdbgroup.org
