1. Cabinet has agreed to the introduction into the National Assembly of -
(i) the Additional Remuneration Bill 2001 and the End-of-the-Year Gratuity Bill 2001 which provide respectively for the payment of salary compensation and a yearly payment of an end-of-the-year gratuity to employees of the private sector; and
(ii) the Agricultural Products Export Promotion Authority (Repeal) Bill 2001 which provides for the repeal of the Agricultural Products Export Promotion Authority Act 1996 and the winding up of the Authority which ceased operations since January 2001.
2. Cabinet has agreed to the holding of a National Seminar from 12 to 15 September 2001 with a view to evolving an action plan, through a consultative process, for the development of the youth.
3. Cabinet has taken note of the proposed scheme to sponsor senior public officers for undergraduate and postgraduate studies dispensed through distance learning mode with a view to building capacity in the Public Service by providing facilities and incentives to those officers who wish to pursue higher studies on their own.
4. Cabinet has taken note of the award to Mauritius of a Certificate of Status of Freedom from Foot and Mouth Disease by the “Office Internationale des Epizooties”.
5. Cabinet has taken note of the nomination of –
(i) Mr Suresh Ratacharen as Chairman of the Rose Belle Sugar Estate Board and as Director of the Rose Belle Milling Co.; and
(ii) Mrs Brinda Hazareesing as Chairperson of the President’s Fund for Creative Writing in English.
6. Cabinet has taken note of the National Pensions (Amendment of Schedules) Regulations, 2001 and the National Pensions (Collection of Contributions) (Amendment) Regulations, 2001 which will be made to provide for an increase in the minimum and maximum salaries on which contributions are payable to the National Pensions Fund.
7. Cabinet has taken note of the setting up of a Committee of Officials to review the boundaries of those villages affected by the new constituency boundaries which came into force in August 2000.
8. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the mission of:-
(i) the Minister of Industry, Commerce and International Trade to Washington and New York from 31 May to 7 June 2001 in the context of the Southern African Apparel and Textile Exhibition (SAATEX) and discussions with the US Authorities on issues related to the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act.
(ii) the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Co-operation to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 13 June 2001 where he had discussions with the Secretariat of the OAU regarding preparations for the Donor’s Conference on the Comoros which Mauritius has agreed to host; and
(iii) the Minister of Arts and Culture to Cotonou, Benin from 14 to 15 June 2001 where he attended the “3ème Conférence Ministerielle de la Francophonie sur la Culture”.
9. Cabinet has taken note of the reconstitution of:-
(i) the Sugar Planters’ Mechanical Pool Corporation Board for the years 2001-2002; and
(ii) the Mauritius Accounting and Auditing Standards Committee for period 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002, with Miss C. Ah Hen as Chairperson.
10. Cabinet has taken note of –
(i) the status of the study for the rationalisation of fiscal incentives schemes conducted by a team of Consultants from UNCTAD; and
(ii) the progress on the second phase of the ?Study on an ACP/EU Economic Partnership Agreement for Mauritius’ carried out by the Institute of Development Studies of Sussex.
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