· 1. Cabinet has approved of the grant of 11 Export Enterprise Certificates, six Pioneer Status Enterprise Certificates, and one Modernisation and Expansion Enterprise Certificate under the Industrial Expansion Act, 1993.
Investments will be made inter alia in the following fields:
manufacture of Poly Tetra Fluoro Ethylene (PTPE) compound, industrial electronic packaging and bottling machines and printed circuit boards (PCBS), leather products, metallic and twisted yarns, reconditioning of earthmoving machinery, recycling of textile waste, processing of calls via call centre, pre-press activities, provision of information technology services and modernisation and expansion of a bottling plant.
· The implementation of these 18 projects would create about 640 job opportunities and would entail investment amounting to around Rs 398 million.
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2. Cabinet has agreed that the regional stadium at Bambous be upgraded to international standard in view of the forthcoming All Africa Junior Championship scheduled for August 2001 and the Indian Ocean Island Games, 2003.
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3. Cabinet has approved of the programme of activities to mark the 33rd Anniversary of the Independence of Mauritius and the 9th Anniversary of the Republic.
The theme for this year’s celebration is "Nou Pays Avan Tou".
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4. Cabinet has agreed to the Ministry of Women’s Rights, Child Development and Family Welfare submitting to the United Nations a Country Report on the follow up to the World Summit for Children prepared in collaboration with Non Governmental Organisations and the UNICEF.
The report reviews achievements since the adoption of the World Declaration and Plan of Action for the Survival, Development and Protection of Children and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990.
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5. Cabinet has decided that the Hon. S. Soodhun, Minister of Labour and Industrial Relations, be responsible for Hadj matters vis-à-vis the Islamic Cultural Centre.
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6. Cabinet has taken note of the report of the official visit of the Prime Minister to India from 15 to 24 January 2001. Cabinet has also noted that the two countries have agreed to enter into a strategic partnership so as to develop IT infrastructure and training facilities in Mauritius, including the construction of the first cybercity.
In this connection a Ministerial Committee under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister and comprising -
a. the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance;
b. the Minister of Public Utilities;
c. the Minister of Tourism;
d. the Minister of Education and Scientific Research;
e. the Minister of Economic Development, Financial Services and Corporate Affairs;
f. the Minister of Housing and Lands;
g. the Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunications; and
h. the Minister of Training, Skills Development and Productivity
has been set up to -
i. monitor progress as regards the development of the New Economy in particular the implementation of the Cybercity Project;
ii. follow up and coordinate action on the strategic partnership entered between India and Mauritius regarding IT development in Mauritius; and
iii. monitor the utilisation of the line of credit of US$ 100 Million approved in principle by the Indian Authorities.
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7. Cabinet has noted that the United Nations has proclaimed the year 2001 as the International Year of Volunteers to mark the significant contribution by volunteers to improve the economic and social well-being of nations. In this connection, a National Organising Committee has been set up to prepare a programme of activities.
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8. Cabinet has taken note of the reconstitution of the National Women Entrepreneur Council for the year 2001 with Mrs Mireille Cornell as Chairperson.
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9. Cabinet has taken note of the programme of activities to mark the International Women’s Day on 8 March 2001.
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10. Cabinet has noted that the State Sports Administration of China and the Ministry of Youth and Sports would enter into an agreement with a view to promoting and strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation in the field of sports.
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11. Cabinet has taken note of developments regarding the setting up of the World Hindi Secretariat in Mauritius.
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12. Cabinet has taken note of the problems relating to water supply in Rodrigues and to remedial action taken.
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13. Cabinet has noted that Mr Louis René France has been appointed Chairman of the Ilois Welfare Fund Board.
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