2.Cabinet has taken note of arrangements being made for the administration of oaths of office to elected members of the Rodrigues Regional Assembly on 12 October 2002. The Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance will attend the function.
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3.Cabinet has agreed to the introduction into the National Assembly of the Occupational Safety, Health and Welfare (Amendment) Bill which aims at amending the principal Act with a view to increasing penalties for offences under the Act.
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4.Cabinet has taken note of the list of public holidays for the year 2003.
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5. Cabinet has agreed to a financial contribution being made to the Commonwealth Partnership for Technology Management which, through public/private partnerships, provides advisory services to Governments on matters relating to science, technology, economic development and wealth creation through sound management of technology.
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6. Cabinet has agreed to Infosys Ltd, a world leader in consulting and information technology based in Bangalore, India, setting up an ICT Software Development Centre/Disaster Recovery Centre in Mauritius. The total project value is about US$30M and about 1,500 to 2,000 IT professionals will be employed by the firm.
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7.Following representations made by the Mauritius Bar Association, Cabinet has agreed that all barristers having less than two years at the Bar will, as from 1 October 2002, be exempted from payment of VAT. The Value Added Tax Act will be amended accordingly.
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8.Cabinet has agreed to the realignment of the road leading to Shandrani Hotel to enable the Airports of Mauritius Ltd to set up a new aviation fuel depot at SSR International Airport.
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9.Cabinet has agreed to the request of the Board of the Sugar Insurance Fund for the determination of salaries and conditions of service of its employees being brought under the purview of the Pay Research Bureau.
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10.Cabinet has agreed to the Ministry of Public Utilities entering into a Financial Advisory Services Agreement with the International Finance Corporation to advise Government on the best option for the reform of water and wastewater sectors, including their bundling as well as the structuring and implementation of the eventual retained option.
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11.Cabinet has taken note of the status of the project on environmental management of the Vacoas-Phoenix Industrial Estate at Valentina and Petit Camp and of measures taken to significantly reduce the pollution problems in the area.
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12.Cabinet has taken note of arrangements being made for the celebration of Divali Festival at national level at St Pierre on Sunday 3 November 2002.
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13.Cabinet has taken note that the City Council of Ilha de Moçambique and the Mahebourg Village Council will be twinned with a view to consolidating historical and cultural ties between the two countries.
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14.Cabinet has taken note that funds standing to the credit of the Cooperative Assistance Fund and the Audit and Development Account will be transferred from the State Bank of Mauritius Ltd to the New Cooperative Bank Ltd on 1 October 2002, as the latter cater mainly for the cooperative sector.
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15.Cabinet has taken note of the holding of Infotech 2002 from 10 to 13 October 2002 at the International Exhibition Centre, Freeport of Mauritius, Mer Rouge.
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16.Cabinet has agreed to the Minister of Labour & Industrial Relations amending the Occupational Safety, Health and Welfare (Fees and Registration) Regulations 1989 with a view to increasing the fees for the various registration permits provided for under the Occupational Safety, Health and Welfare Act to ensure parity with registration fees paid for other permits.
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17.Cabinet has agreed to the recommendations made by the Ministerial Committee set up to consider the development and embellishment of La Citadelle and Signal Mountain as tourist resorts. La Citadelle will be transformed into a major tourist attraction and used for cultural, artistic and commercial activities whereas the slopes of Signal Mountain will be reforested and the access road up the mountain repaired.
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18.Cabinet has taken note that NATReSA, in collaboration with the Centre for Drug Abuse Research of the Howard University of USA, will implement the drug demand reduction programme during a period of three years. The programme aims at conducting comprehensive needs assessment of existing substance abuse programmes/services/research, strengthening and expanding existing programmes and training professionals in substance abuse.
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19.Cabinet took note of the constitution of:-
(i) the Tourism Authority under the chairmanship of Mr P. Goldsmith;
(ii) the Tourism Advisory Council under the chairmanship of Mr R. Makoond; and
(iii) the Tourism Employees Welfare Fund Board under the chairmanship of Mr L. Gopaul.
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20.Cabinet has taken note that the Dockers Village project at Riche Terre is scheduled to be completed and be ready for occupation by December 2003
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21.Cabinet has taken note that the Minister of Industry & International Trade has, under section 38 of the Industrial Expansion Act 1993, approved 18 applications for registration as Small and Medium Enterprises. These projects involve inter alia in the processing and packing of meat and chicken products, frozen food items, grinding and packing of spices and foodstuffs, manufacture of aluminium openings, ready-made garments, cosmetics and handicraft products. The projects which will involve investment to the tune of Rs 12.4 m, will create some 84 new employment and sustain 44 existing jobs.
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22.Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the missions of –
(i) the Rt Hon Prime Minister -
(a) to Johannesburg from 26 August to 4 September 2002, where he led a delegation, comprising inter alia the Minister of Environment and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation, and participated in the World Summit on Sustainable Development;
(b) to New York from 9 to 20 September 2002, where he led a delegation comprising, inter alia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation and attended the 57th Session of the United Nations General Assembly;
(ii) the Minister of Social Security, National Solidarity and Senior Citizens Welfare and Reform Institutions to Reunion Island from 4 to 7 September 2002, where he attended the International Symposium on “Les Réseaux de santé au delà des Frontières’ and visited several centres and institutions dealing with the elderly, disabled persons including children and youngster at risk; and
(iii) the Minister of Arts and Culture to Istanbul, Turkey from 16 to 17 September 2002 where he participated in the UNESCO Third Round Table of Ministers of Culture.
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PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 2003
New Year Wednesday 1 January
New Year Thursday 2 January
Thaipoosam Cavadee Sunday 19 January
Chinese Spring Festival Saturday 1 February
Abolition of Slavery Saturday 1 February
Maha Shivratree Saturday 1 March
National Day Wednesday 12 March
Ougadi Wednesday 2 April
Labour Day Thursday 1 May
Ganesh Chathurthi Monday 1 September
Divali Saturday 25 October
All Saints Day Saturday 1 November
Arrival of Indentured Labourers Sunday 2 November
*Eid-Ul-Fitr Tuesday 25 November or
Wednesday 26 November
Christmas Thursday 25 December
* The exact date of this festival is subject to confirmation as its celebration depends on the visibility of the moon.