1.Cabinet has taken note of the programme of activities of events organized in the context of the 2nd US Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum from 13 to 17 January 2003. 250 delegates, including 56 Ministers, have confirmed their participation in the Official Government Forum. Over 600 delegates from 28 countries will be attending the Private Sector Session which will be held at Radisson Plaza Hotel. The 180 booths at the Trade Exhibition have already been taken up.
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2.Cabinet has taken note that a bilateral trade agreement between Mauritius and Kenya will be signed next week.
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3.Cabinet has taken note that –
(a) the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research has made necessary arrangements for the resumption of studies in the secondary education sector in January 2003;
(b) following the admission exercise carried out in December 2002, out of 18,079 successful candidates, a total of 17,148 (16,598 in Mauritius and 550 in Rodrigues) had been admitted to Form I. As a number of vacancies still exist in some schools, both in State Secondary Schools, and private colleges, the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research has put in place a customer care mechanism to assist parents whose wards have not been allocated a school or are not satisfied with the school allocated;
(c) 2,755 pupils have registered for admission in a pre-vocational class; and
(d) the Cambridge OL results will be received electronically at the Mauritius Examinations Syndicate on 21 January and distributed to students on 23 January. Allocation of seats to Lower VI will be effected on 30 January and registration of students in State Form VI colleges carried out on 31 January.
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4.Cabinet has taken note that each disabled child, aged between five and 15 years and attending fee-paying special needs schools run by NGOs and recognized by the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research, will be given a grant of Rs 500 monthly.
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5.Cabinet has taken note that the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life has set up a Secretariat to receive and examine comments on the White Paper on Health Sector Development and Reform. Cabinet has further taken note of the Health Statistics Annual Report for Mauritius and the Digest of Vital and Health Statistics for Rodrigues for the year 2001 published by the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life. In Mauritius, the Crude Birth Rate in 2001 was 16.2 per thousand mid-year resident population as compared to 16.9 in 2000 and the Infant Mortality Rate 13.9 per thousand live births (the lowest ever recorded) as compared to 15.8 in 2000.
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6.Cabinet has reviewed arrangements made for pilgrims to proceed to Haj in the best possible conditions. Cabinet has also taken note that according to Saudi requirements, visas to Haj pilgrims will not be issued in the absence of a document proving that the pilgrim has inter alia a confirmed return ticket and accommodation in Makkah and Madinah as specified by the Saudi Authorities. Cabinet has further taken note that no application for landing permission has yet been received from Jordan Aviation. The 510 Haj pilgrims who have not yet been issued with a visa, are invited to contact the Islamic Cultural Centre.
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7.Cabinet has taken note of the status of the rehabilitation of sewerage infrastructure on Low Cost Housing Estates, including the Vallée Pitot Squatter Area, La Caverne CHA Estates and Quartier Shell Housing Estates.
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8.Cabinet has taken note that, as from January 2003, the teaching staff of the Primary Education Sector will receive a monthly allowance equivalent to 12% of their basic salary and all other Civil Servants a special allowance equivalent to 5% of their basic salary subject to a maximum of Rs 750 until the implementation of the 2003 PRB Report.
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9.Cabinet has taken note of the report of a Study on the Golf Development Strategy for Mauritius carried out by the Sustainable Golf Developments. The report will be made public.
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10.In the light of the recent increase in the price of petrol, road tax and insurance premium for cars, Cabinet has agreed to a revision of travelling and petrol allowances applicable in the Public Sector with effect from 1 January 2003.
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11.Cabinet has agreed to the Minister of Environment making regulations under the Environment Protection Act in order to set standards and to control the discharge of effluents through the issue of Effluent Discharge Permits.
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12.Cabinet has taken note of the programme of activities organized in the context of the 168th Anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery in Mauritius on 1 February 2003.
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13.Cabinet has taken note of the reconstitution of:-
(i) the Export Processing Zones Development Authority under the chairmanship of Mr Oliver Lew Kew Lin;
(ii) the Opticians Registration Board under the chairmanship of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life; and
(iii) the Central Probation Committee and the District Probation Committees.
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14. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the missions of:-
(i) the Minister of Tourism to Brazil where he attended the swearing-in ceremony of H E Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as President of Brazil. He also had discussions with the Brazilian authorities on Brazil’s Challenge of the EU Sugar Regime. They confirmed their solidarity with the ACP States and that they were challenging the re-export of their sugar with subsidies on the World Market and not the acquired rights of the ACP States;
(ii) the Minister of Arts and Culture to Luxembourg where he had discussions on technical assistance programmes; and
(iii) the Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunications to Washington where he participated in the Conference of the ?Association for Computer Operations Managers’.
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