1. Government has decided that, in accordance with the Civil Aviation (Transfer of Undertaking) Act, certain government assets not to be used by the Department of Civil Aviation be transferred to Airports of Mauritius Co. Ltd. (AML), the company which has taken over responsibility for the management and development of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, in the place of Airport Management Services Limited (AMS) and Airport Development Corporation Limited (ADCO). The shareholders of the new Company are Government of Mauritius, the Development Bank of Mauritius Ltd., the State Investment Corporation Ltd. and Air Mauritius Ltd.
The assets, comprising buildings, engineering installations and movables will be transferred against issue of shares to Government and the payment to Government of a sum of Rs 500 M before the end of June 1999 and of Rs 500 M in financial year 1999/2000 as well as a minimum annual dividend of Rs 100 M.
AML started its operations on 1 April 1999 and has embarked upon the implementation of a revised version of the programme initiated by ADCO for the refurbishment of the Passenger Terminal Building.
The new company has entered into a Strategic Alliance agreement with the British Airports Authority (BAA) to assist in the management and development of the airport. With BAA expertise, the new company will meet the costs of airport development work out of its own funds. This had led to the cancellation of a loan of Rs 600 million from the European Investment Bank for which Government had already started negotiations.
2. Cabinet has agreed to the Minister of Housing and Lands amending the Town and Country Planning Act with a view to ensure better representation on the Town and Country Planning Board. In this respect the Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Bill will soon be introduced into the National Assembly.
3. Cabinet has agreed to the setting up of a State Owned Company for the organisation of a national on-line "Lotto" Lottery.
4. Government has agreed to the proposals of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Technology and Natural Resources for the timely completion of the Derocking project in the Northern Plains.
The project which covers an area of about 3500 ha will improve the productivity of the land and will be carried out at zero cost to the planting community. It is scheduled for completion before the coming into operation of the Midlands Dam.
To ensure that the project is completed within this given time frame the Sugar Planters Mechanical Pool Corporation has been entrusted with part of the work. The bulk of derocking works, however, will be carried out by United Basalt Product Ltd.
5. Cabinet has taken note that some 2,000 projects relating to improvement of basic infrastructure have been implemented by the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development in all localities over the past three years.
Since financial year 1997/1998, MURD projects are implemented from an allocation of Rs 500 M made available under the Privatization Fund and in accordance with two development plans, each carrying a provision of Rs 250 M as follows –
(i) the Normal MURD Plan covering the 20 Constituencies; and
(ii) the Marshall Plan focussing on 53 deprived localities and Rodrigues.
With the speed in the implementation of projects, it is expected that the entire amount of Rs 500 M will be used up by the end of this financial year. It is noted that a yearly provision of Rs 10 M is earmarked for MURD projects in Rodrigues.
6. Cabinet has taken note that the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life will grant a Health Development Certificate to Medisave Company Ltd. to operate a clinic at 29, St. Jean Road, Quatre Bornes.
7. Cabinet has been apprised of the Terms of Reference of the Task Force set up under the Chairmanship of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and
Sports, which will be responsible for the formulation of the National Youth Policy.
8. Cabinet has taken note of the participation of the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Trade in the 69th Ordinary Session of the OAU Council of Ministers held from 19 to 23 March 1999 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The 69th Ordinary Session focussed mainly on the Financial, Budgetary and Administrative matters. However, socio-economic and political issues including the situation in the Comoros, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia/Eritrea were also debated.
The Deputy Prime Minister also attended the following two meetings –
(i) meeting of Foreign Ministers of the countries of the region and the OAU Troika to consider the political situation in the Comoros; and
(ii) meeting of the SADC Foreign Ministers to discuss the crisis in Angola and to find ways and means to ease the Zambia/Angola tension.