1. Cabinet has agreed to the introduction into the National Assembly of the Residential Care Homes Bill which provides inter alia for the setting up of a regulatory body to be responsible for the licensing, control and discipline of residential care homes.
_______________________________
2. Cabinet has agreed to the Minister of Health and Quality of Life making the Quarantine Regulations with a view to empowering his Ministry to place in isolation any person suspected of being infected with SARS. Cabinet has also noted that a Committee comprising representatives of the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation and the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research, has been set up to look into measures to be taken in respect of Mauritian nationals, particularly students, in countries affected by SARS.
_______________________________
3. Cabinet has agreed to Mauritius signing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control at the Annual General Meeting of the WHO to be held in May 2003 and to the setting up of a Steering Committee to study the provisions in the Convention and make recommendations for the preparation of an Action Plan.
_______________________________
4. Cabinet has taken note that a representative of “Vivre Plus” will serve as member on the National AIDS Committee.
_______________________________
5. Cabinet has taken note of the publication of the “Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes” (ROSC) Assessment of Accounting and Auditing Practices in Mauritius prepared by the World Bank. The main objective of the Assessment is to strengthen the financial structure in the country by reviewing the existing institutional framework and make recommendations on how to bring accounting and auditing services in Mauritius closer to prevailing international best practices.
_______________________________
6. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the missions of –
(a) the Prime Minister to Senegal from 1 to 7 April. He was the Guest of Honour to the National Day Celebrations of Senegal. He also had discussions with President Wade, Prime Minister Idrissa Seck and other dignitaries on inter alia investment there and on bilateral exchanges in various fields; and
(b) the Minister of Labour & Industrial Relations to Tanzania from 24 to 28 March where he participated in the SADC Employment and Labour Sector Committee of Ministers and Social Partners.
_______________________________
7. Cabinet has taken note that 20 applications for registration as Small and Medium Enterprises have been approved. The enterprises will be involved inter alia in the manufacture of rubber stamps, nappies, ready-made garments, metal and aluminium openings, processing of meat products, digital photo processing and manufacture of fresh fruit juice. The projects are expected to give rise to investment in production equipment to the tune of Rs 15,051,583, create 157 new employment and sustain 51 existing jobs.
_______________________________
8.Cabinet has taken note of the request of the Royal Thai Government for consultations with the European Union on certain elements of the EU Sugar Regime and that a Committee, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Agriculture, Food Technology & Natural Resources, has been set up to follow up on and monitor developments on the matter.
_______________________________
9. Cabinet has taken note of the reconstitution of –
(a) the National Agency for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Substance Abusers under the chairmanship of Mr Lindsay Réginald Morvan;
(b) the Medical Council of Mauritius;
(c) the Dental Council of Mauritius; and
(d) the Statistics Advisory Council.
_______________________________
10. Cabinet has taken note that the Regional Ministerial Conference on ICT held in Mauritius from 3 to 5 April 2003, came out with a Mauritius Declaration, setting out the African position on access to ICT, which would be circulated to Heads of State at the World Summit on Information Society to be held in Geneva in December next.
_______________________________
11. Cabinet has taken note of the result of a survey on “ICT Penetration with the Mauritian Society” conducted by the National Computer Board.
_______________________________
12. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture held from 24 to 31 March 2003 to discuss the establishment of the modalities for further commitments in agriculture.
_______________________________
13. Cabinet has taken note that the Internet Management Committee will be chaired by Mr Didier Samfat.
_______________________________