1. Cabinet has taken note of the Report of a Team of Experts from the National Institute of Small Industry Extension Training of India entitled “Policy and Vision Document on the Empowerment of Women through Enterprise Development in Mauritius” and has agreed to the setting up of a committee under the chairmanship of the Minister of Women’s Rights, Child Development and Family Welfare to look into the implementation of -
(a) measures proposed in the Report; and
(b) recommendations made at the 51st World Congress of “Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises Mondiales”, which was held in Mauritius from 1 to 4 October 2003.
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2. Cabinet has taken note of the formulation of a National Blood Policy by the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life to regulate all activities related to the collection, testing, storage, distribution and transfusion of blood in Mauritius. Further, the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life in collaboration with the Blood Donors Association is organizing a mega blood collection on the esplanade of the Emmanuel Anquetil Building, Port Louis on 17 December 2003 from 0800 hours to 1800 hours. The target is to collect at least 1,000 pints of blood.
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3. Cabinet has agreed to the setting up of the Le Morne Heritage Trust Fund for the management of Le Morne and other sites associated with slavery and maroonage, with a view to preserving and promoting the historical, cultural, environmental and ecological aspects of these sites.
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4. Cabinet has reviewed the situation regarding the regularization of operators of “Taxis Marrons” and has noted that the NTA Board has to date examined 215 applications for PSV (taxi) licences, in respect of 7 localities. It is expected that the NTA Board will complete the exercise for the remaining localities by the end of March 2004. Cabinet has further noted that Regulations governing the classification of public service vehicles will be reviewed. In the meantime, owners of contract buses licensed for the transport of school children or industrial workers have been allowed to perform leisure trips on weekends.
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5. Cabinet has reviewed the situation regarding the National Housing Development Corporation Syndics and has taken note that the Prime Minister will chair a Committee with Ministers and stakeholders concerned to look into outstanding issues before the end of the year.
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6. Cabinet has taken note of the preparations for the International Meeting for the comprehensive review of the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Conference scheduled for August 2004. A UN Planning Mission will visit Mauritius from 12 to 14 January 2004 to discuss organizational aspects. A Host Country Agreement will be signed with the UN in the light of discussions with the Planning Mission. Further, a dedicated website for the International Meeting has been activated as from 11 December 2003 and the address is www.sidsmauritius2004.mu.
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7. Cabinet has reviewed the situation regarding the operation of hawkers during the end-of-year period and has taken note that satisfactory arrangements have been made in all municipal areas. However, a problem regarding the allocation of space to some hawkers in Rose Hill is being looked into.
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8. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the mission of the Prime Minister at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Abuja, Nigeria from 5 to 8 December 2003. The Zimbabwe Issue largely dominated the discussions at the Meeting. However, in spite of extensive efforts made to facilitate the early return of Zimbabwe to the Councils of the Commonwealth, the President of Zimbabwe decided to withdraw from the Commonwealth.
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9. Cabinet has taken note that an African Union Troika of Countries of the Region will be held in Moroni on 18 and 19 December 2003 to review the situation in Comoros and to work out a solution to the political crisis. Further, President Mbeki proposes to meet the four Presidents on 20 December 2003.
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10. Cabinet has taken note that the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan will send a delegation of four persons from the Interim Afghan Electoral Commission to Mauritius on an educational visit in the context of the by-election in Constituency No. 7.
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11. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the mission of –
(i) the Minister of Labour and Industrial Relations to Addis Ababa from 2 to 5 December 2003 where he attended the 10th African Regional Meeting of the International Labour Organisation; and
(ii) the Minister of Economic Development, Financial Services and Corporate Affairs to Mumbai, India from 5 to 6 December 2003 where he attended the 9th International Tax Planning Conference.
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