Chinese Government provides RMB 77.3 million for Prime Minister Housing Project

Project narrative

The new Prime Minister's Office project aided by China（中国援莱新首相府项目）is one of the important cooperation between China and Lesotho under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. On November 18, 2013, Anhui Construction Engineering Overseas Co., Ltd. （安徽建工海外公司) was awarded the contract for constructing the Prime Minister's Office of the Kingdom of Lesotho by the Bureau of International Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce of Lesotho. The project is located in Maseru, the capital of the Kingdom of Lesotho. The total contract price is about 77.3 million RMB, and the total project duration was targeted within18 months. The implementation of the project includes the new Prime Minister's official residence, office building, gymnasium, guard building, 10 staff residences and equipment rooms, etc.; the new Prime Minister's Palace fence, outdoor swimming pool, tennis court, apron and related interior decoration (excluding activities furniture), fire protection, security and other supporting facilities. The total construction area of the project is about 5,330 square meters. Construction started in October 2014. On February 14, 2018, the Chinese Embassy in Lesotho and the Lesotho government jointly held a handover ceremony for the new Prime Minister's Office. A total of 150 people attended the ceremony, including a number of important cabinet officials, foreign envoys in Lesotho, and local media reporters. At the handover ceremony, Ambassador Sun Xianghua signed the handover certificate with the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations of Lesotho.