Interco 976 formed after a disaster

Representatives of the five intercommunalities of Mayotte gathered on Thursday, October 22, at the headquarters of the Communauté de Communes de Petite-Terre (CCPT), in Pamandzi, to present the outlines of their joint work, with the objective of better coordinating projects, pooling resources, and finding the necessary funding for their implementation. The association, known as Interco 976, was formed in response to the Chido disaster and brings together the five intercommunalities of Mayotte. According to its president, Charaffoudine Ramadani Toto, elected on October 7, this is unique in the Republic, as no other French department has an association of intercommunalities.

Shared priorities for Mayotte

The five intercommunalities often work on similar subjects but have not always coordinated their actions. Transport, mobility, waste, and the environment are areas where needs and difficulties are similar across different territories. Transport is one of the priorities to allow residents to move without having to deal with completely independent networks. The idea is also to allow territories to benefit from the experience of others without having to fund the same studies individually. The environment is another important subject, with waste and pollution affecting the entire island.

Challenges in funding and support

However, the municipalities and even the Department today have difficulties in obtaining certain state aids for insertion jobs, while the needs remain significant. The president wants to particularly rely on the association Naïma to develop actions that combine professional insertion and environmental protection. The total amount presented reaches 10 billion euros for more than 430 projects, distributed between the CADEMA, the CAGNM, the 3CO, the CCPT, and the CCSUD. The challenge is to work together so that the projects can find the necessary funding.

Funding allocation by priority

The most important needs concern the vital functions, which represent 44 % of the announced investments, or 4.4 billion euros. This envelope covers, among other things, housing, water, health, and electricity. 1.9 billion euros are allocated for digital, mobility, and transitions. The strengthening of local capacities and training represent 1.2 billion euros. The reconstruction of roads, streets, and sanitation networks amounts to 930 million euros, or 9 %. The geostrategic development represents 910 million euros, as well as the prevention of natural risks mobilizing 670 million euros, or 7 %.

Distributing funds based on project size

These amounts correspond to a programming of projects and not to sums already spent. The joint work must therefore allow seeking funding while taking into account the specific needs of each intercommunality. These 10 billion euros are not distributed by dividing by five. They are distributed according to the volume and importance of the project carried by each territory. CADEMA concentrates the largest envelope with 2.9 billion euros, or 29 % of the total. It plans, among other things, 500 million euros for the widening of the national road and an emergency lane, 150 million euros for the continuation of the Caribus and the construction of 4,000 social housing units.

Specific projects and challenges ahead

CAGNM has 2.2 billion euros, for the bypass of the North towards Mamoudzou, estimated at 400 million euros, the continuation of the emergency road for 220 million euros and the creation of 3,850 housing units. The center of the island, on the other hand, plans 2 billion euros in investments. Among the main projects: the bypass of Combani, at 430 million euros, a purification station at 100 million euros and 3,850 housing units. In Petite-Terre, the envelope reaches 1.5 billion euros, or 15 %. The coastal embankment project alone represents 400 million euros, to which are added notably 2,300 housing units. Finally, CCSUD has 1.4 billion euros oriented towards securing inhabited areas, including 250 million euros intended for the relocation of housing located in high-risk areas, as well as the management of water and the construction of 2,000 housing units.

Next steps and planning

But presenting projects is not enough, the challenge is now to determine which ones can move forward quickly, how to finance them, and with what means to realize them. The 2026 action plan is therefore structured around five axes: from the model to operational programming; develop a mutualized engineering; build a multi-fund financial strategy; consolidate the SAR and trigger synergies between EPCI; and finally secure governance and manage risks. Among these axes, there are concrete actions such as: the prioritization of the 430 projects identified; the search for funding from the European Union, development banks and the private sector; the anticipation of land needs by 2050; as well as the consideration of difficulties related to reconstruction, such as the lack of qualified labor and the financing of the maintenance of infrastructure.