1. Cabinet has agreed to the Road Development Authority implementing the South East Highway Project. The project which covers a total length of 41.7 km will link Plaine Magnien highway to Belle Mare via Ferney, Kewal Nagar and Bel Air. It also includes the construction of a 600m tunnel across the Bambous Mountain. The construction of this new road will provide a shorter alternative route from the airport to the East Coast where the industrial and touristic sectors have developed intensively during the past years and at the same time the distance of the journey from Belle Mare to the airport will be reduced by about 12 kms and hence the travelling time by some 20 minutes. The project is estimated to cost around Rs 700 m.
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2. A football stadium with a seating capacity of 3,000 to 5,000 is being constructed at Bambous. Cabinet has agreed that the stadium be also provided with a synthetic track.
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3. Cabinet has taken note of arrangements being made for the holding of the Fifth Session of the Sino-Mauritian Joint Commission in Mauritius on 19 and 20 October 1999. The Chinese delegation will be headed by the Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation, and will comprise government officials and representatives of the Chinese business community. The two sides will consider development projects on Government to Government level, and explore possibilities of investments and regional joint ventures at private sector level.
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4. Cabinet has approved seven applications for registration as Small and Medium Enterprises. These 7 new enterprises will be engaged inter alia in the manufacture of wooden furniture, ship models, pastries, agro-based products and the assembly of air-conditioners, cold rooms and refrigeration\display equipment. These projects will give rise to investment in production equipment of approximately Rs 613,000 and create around 52 new jobs.
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5. Cabinet has agreed to the holding in Mauritius of the third Subex-Fair in August 2000. The Subex-Fair concept is an initiative of UNDP and UNIDO in collaboration with the national authorities of the five neighbouring islands, namely Seychelles, Comoros, Reunion, Madagascar and Mauritius to promote the growth and expansion of small and medium enterprises through industrial subcontracting and partnerships.
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6. Cabinet has agreed to Mauritius hosting the Southern African Telecommunications Administrations (SATA) Chief Executive Officers (CEO’s) Meeting and the Southern Africa Transport and Communications Commission (SATCC) Telecommunications Committee in December next.
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7. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the Special Meeting of SADC Ministers of Industry and Trade which met on 3 September 1999 in Cape Town South Africa to prepare common negotiating objectives for the 3rd WTO Ministerial Conference to be held in Seattle, USA in November/December of this year. The meeting re-affirmed the principles of special and differential treatment in favour of developing countries and small economies. The recommendations of the SADC Ministers will be submitted to the meeting of African Ministers of Trade to be held in Algiers from 20 to 24 September 1999.
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8. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the participation of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Corporate Affairs at the Fourth OAU Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government held in the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya on 8 and 9 September, 1999.
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9. Cabinet has taken note of the proposal of the Minister of Industry & Commerce to amend the Third Schedule of the Industrial Expansion Act 1993 with a view to include new activities which will qualify for a Pioneer Status Enterprise Certificate. This amendment will enable to attract new technology in Mauritius and widen our technological base. As a result film production on an industrial scale will qualify for the certificate.
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10. Cabinet has taken note of the Draft Protocol for Culture, Information and Sport which will be discussed at a Regional Workshop organised by the SADC Center for Culture, Information and Sport from 27 September to 1 October, 1999 in Lusaka, Zambia.
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11. Cabinet has taken note of the course of action to be adopted during the forthcoming negotiations which will lead to the signing of the Fourth Protocol attached to the Fishing Agreement between EU and Mauritius.
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