1.Cabinet has agreed to the introduction into the National Assembly of -
(i) the Rabindranath Tagore Institute Bill which provides for the establishment and management of the Rabindranath Tagore Institute, a centre of studies of Indian culture and traditions;
(ii) the Mahatma Gandhi Institute (Amendment) Bill which provides for the setting up of a Council which will manage and administer both the Mahatma Gandhi Institute and the Rabindranath Tagore Institute; and
(iii) the Education (Amendment) Bill and the Private Secondary Schools Authority (Amendment) Bill which provide for changes arising from the reforms in the secondary education sector.
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2.Cabinet has agreed to the proposals contained in the White Paper on Health Sector Development & Reform, which will be made public.
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3.Cabinet has agreed to the 'Festival Culturel de l’Ocean Indien’ being held in Mauritius from 29 April to 4 May 2003. The Festival, organised by the Indian Ocean Commission and the European Union, in collaboration with the Ministry of Arts and Culture, aims inter alia at promoting artists of the region and at providing a common platform for regional professional artists.
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4.Cabinet has taken note that an agreement has been signed between Air Mauritius and the Emirates on commercial cooperation on the route Dubai/Mauritius.
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5.Cabinet has taken note that during the period 29 October to 10 December 2002, the BOI has approved 16 new projects in the industrial, hotel and ICT sectors. These projects are expected to generate investment of an aggregate amount of Rs 599 million with FDI estimated at Rs 333.3 million and to create 673 new jobs.
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6.Cabinet has taken note of the reconstitution of the Mauritius Ex-Services Trust Fund Board under the chairmanship of Mr Cyril Hubert.
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7.Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the missions of -
(i) the Minister of Environment to France and Belgium from 25 to 28 November 2002, where he familiarised himself with the environmental management mechanism set in place and to Rome on 29 November where he participated in the 14th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer;
(ii) the Minister of Health and Quality of Life to Uganda from 18 to 22 November 2002, where he attended the 36th Commonwealth Regional Health Ministers’ Conference, and to Reunion Island from 27 to 29 November 2002, where he attended a Conference on HIV organised by the 'Association Reunion Immuno-Déprimé, Vivre et Ecouter’; and
(iii) the Minister of Commerce and Cooperatives to Rodrigues from 5 to 8 December 2002, where he discussed the modalities of the working arrangement between the Rodrigues Regional Assembly and his Ministry within the framework of the Rodrigues Regional Assembly Act.
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8.Cabinet has taken note that the Export Processing Zone Labour Welfare Fund, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour & Industrial Relations, will organise a series of activities on 22 December at Belle Mare Water Park to mark the International Migrants Day.
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9.Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the 21st Meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of the Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) held in Tasmania, Australia from 21 October to 1 November 2002.
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10.Cabinet has taken note that the World Bank proposes to carry out a study on Unemployment in Mauritius with a view to assessing and analysing the extent and causes of unemployment in order to formulate appropriate policy responses.
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