1. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the Tripartite Committee on Salaries Compensation for 2002/2003 and agreed to the payment of a compensation of 6.5% (compared to an inflation rate of 6.4%)for the lowest income bracket with a minimum of Rs 130 a month and Rs 230 to Rs 280 monthly to higher income brackets as follows:-
Monthly wage or salary Rs per month
In respect of employees whose 6.5% rounded up to the next
basic wage or salary is Rs 3,500 rupee or Rs 130 which ever is
per month or less the higher
Above Rs 3,500 up to Rs 4,000 230
Above Rs 4,000 up to Rs 5,000 240
Above Rs 5,000 up to Rs 6,000 250
Above Rs 6,000 up to Rs 7,000 260
Above Rs 7,000 up to Rs 8,000 270
Above Rs 8,000 280
The estimated cost of the increase to the economy will be Rs 1,955m.
2. Cabinet has taken note of arrangements being made for the holding of the Second Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)Trade and Economic Forum in Mauritius in December 2002, and the organisation of associated events/programmes. Cabinet has also agreed that -
(a) the Conference Centre at Grand Baie should be refurbished to enable the holding of the Forum in the best possible way. An extension would also be made to the Conference Centre to provide for two additional Meeting Rooms; and
(b) Mr Peter Graig should be appointed Trade Commissioner to enable him to better coordinate the organisation of the Forum with the American Authorities in Washington.
3. Cabinet has agreed to requests for technical assistance being submitted to the European Union for:
(i) a capacity building programme for the training of negotiators, both from public and private sectors, for the new Economic Partnership Agreements between the ACP and the EU; and
(ii) an impact assessment of the capacity of Mauritius to assume obligations arising from the EPA.
4. Cabinet has agreed to the Ministry ofAgriculture, Food Technology & Natural Resources preparing the Genetically Modified Organism Bill to provide for measures to promote the responsible planning development, production, use, marketing and application of Genetically Modified Organisms in the food and agricultural sector and to ensure that all activities involving the use of Genetically Modified Organisms and products derived thereof, including importation, exportation, production, release anddistribution, shall be carried out in such a way as to limit possible harmful consequences to the environment and risk to human health.
5. Cabinet has agreed to
(a) Mauritius ratifying the latest amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer adopted at the Meeting of the Parties held in Montreal and Beijing in 1997 and 1999, respectively; and
(b) the early phasing out of the use of Chlorofluorocarbons in Mauritius by the year 2005.
6. Cabinet has taken note of developments in the implementation of the School IT Project, and has agreed to the recruitment of Consultants to make recommendations on the hardware and software requirements and networking environments, and draft tender documents.
7. Cabinet has taken note that the Ministryof Youth and Sports will soon start the construction of a Youth Centre, withancillary sports facilities, at Rivière du Rempart.
8. Cabinet has taken note of the main achievements of the Port Development and Environment Project which include -
(i) the construction of a new container terminal adjacent to the harbour of Port Louis;
(ii) the commissioning of three container-handling cranes;
(iii) the construction of the terminal buildings at Mer Rouge and the Custom Verification Centre; and
(iv) the renovation of the Passenger Terminal Building.
9. Cabinet has agreed, on the recommendationof the Gaming Control Board, to the issue of a bookmaker's licence to Bookmakers Loisir Ltd and Bet On Line Ltd to organise fixed-odd betting on horse races through the telephone.
10. Cabinet has taken note -
(i) that certain sections of the Beach Authority Act would be proclaimed to come into operation on 1 June 2002; and
(ii) of the constitution of the Beach Authority Board under the chairmanship of Mr Gopalakrishna Naidu Pyndiah.
11. Cabinet has taken note of the report of the survey of fishing vessels carried out by the Shipping Division of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Land Transport and Shipping and of actioninitiated to enforce security measures/norms to protect bank fishermen from risks inherent to their occupation.
12. Cabinet has taken note of developments in the setting up of a Development Centre and a Learning Centre by Satyam Computer Services Ltd and Satyam Infoway respectively.
13. Cabinet has taken note that the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional
Co-operation and the Ambassador of Japan will sign an "Exchange of Notes" for the funding of the construction of a Fisheries Training and Extension Centre at Pointe aux Sables, which will comprise a Training Centre for fishermen, an Exhibition Hall and an Information and Documentation Centre.
14. Cabinet has taken note that the Indian Authorities has taken the following measures to better protect Indian workers -
(i) employment of Indian labourers will be carried out only through employment agencies registered with the Ministry of Labour, Government of India;
(ii) employment contracts of Indian workers shall have to be vetted by the Protector General of the Emigrants Office in India and employers shall ensure full compliance with the terms and conditions of the contracts; and
(iii) employers shall register Indian labourers employed by them with the High Commission of India in Mauritius.
15. Cabinet has taken note of the missions of -
(i) the Minister of Environment to Jamaica from 8 to 10 May 2002, where he attended the Global Round-table for the World Summit on Sustainable Development; and
(ii) the Minister of Commerce and Co-operatives to Rodrigues from
10 to 13 May 2002, where he, inter-alia, launched a Co-operative Entrepreneurship Development Programme and opened three Workshops related to co-operative entrepreneurship.
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