1. Cabinet has reviewed the situation in the Prisons Department and has taken note of the progress achieved. Cabinet has also taken note of the positive meeting which the Prime Minister had with some 200 Senior Prisons Officers, including officers of the Prisons Special Squad, on 30 October, 2003.
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2. Cabinet has agreed to the introduction of the Genetically Modified Organisms Bill into the National Assembly. The Bill makes provision, inter alia, for measures to regulate the responsible planning, development, production, use, marketing and application of genetically modified organisms in the food and agricultural sector. The first reading of the Bill has been scheduled for Tuesday 4th November 2003. The second reading will take place after resumption of the National Assembly in early 2004.
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3. Cabinet has taken note that the first report of the Textile Emergency Support Team, based on the assessment of some 40 enterprises has been submitted, and the proposals contained therein will be examined at the first meeting of the Policy Intervention Committee on Textile to be held on 5 November 2003, under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister.
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4. Cabinet has reviewed the situation at the CEB and has noted with concern the statements by representatives of the Union of Employees of the CEB (UECEB). The CEB has, in the light of threats of sabotage, initiated a series of actions to tighten security measures at its different power stations, and the Police will start an enquiry into the matter.
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5. Cabinet has taken note that the National Transport Authority was currently working on a new tariff structure in respect of the use of taxi-metres. The new tariff structure would form part of a package including, inter alia, the setting up of a desk at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport for taxi operators and a new system of operation in hotels.
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6. Cabinet has taken note that preliminary works on the Conference Centre at Domaine les Pailles have started and that in the context of the holding in Mauritius of the International Meeting on the Review of Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Development States, to be held at the Conference Centre in August 2004, a team from UNTV was in Mauritius from 23 to 30 October 2003. They propose to produce three short films, one projecting Mauritius as host country of the International Meeting, showing its challenges and success in the field of Sustainable Development, the other two on UN projects and the Marine environment respectively. The films which will be ready in March 2004 will be shown on international TV channels.
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7. Cabinet has taken note that the Court case entered by the Consortium Grinaker LTA/Ondeo-Degremont/Itoshu against Government in the case of the Water Treatment Plant – Montagne Jacquot project which was initially fixed for 25 November has now been brought forward to 18 November.
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8. Cabinet has reviewed progress on the Le Morne Peninsula IRS project and taken note of a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister on 30 October 2003 with all stakeholders, at which the different components of the project were discussed as well as a proposal from the promoters to set up a Cultural Centre.
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9. Cabinet has taken note of the study tour of some 40 senior officials from Customs, Tax and Police Departments of the Malagasy Republic from 3 to 8 November 2003. The delegation will be accompanied by the “Vice-Premier Ministre chargé du Programme Economique, Ministre des Transports, Travaux Publics et Aménagement du Territoire” and the “Ministre de l’Economie, des Finances et du Budget”. The study tour will be launched by the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Minister of Agriculture, Food Technology and Natural Resources.
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10. Cabinet has taken note that the Prime Minister has during the course of the week had consultations with Dr. Nathan Shamuyarira, Secretary for Information and Publicity of ZANU-PF. Further, Cabinet has taken note, with concern, of the difficult situation faced by the Maromeu Sugar Factory in Mozambique, as reportedly the sale of sugar has gone down by 60% since the beginning of the year, following the illegal sale of sugar by Zimbabwean farmers.
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11. Cabinet has taken note that the Power Purchase Agreement between CEB and Compagnie Centrale Thermique du Sud(CTDS) was signed on 17 October 2003. The power plant is expected to be in operation by mid-October 2005. A feasibility study is being carried out by the CEB in respect of the re-engine project of St Louis. These projects would meet the demand up to 2005. As regards the demand for 2006, a Committee is being set up under the chairmanship of the Minister of Public Utilities to initiate action for the setting up of a bagasse-coal plant project.
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12. Cabinet has agreed to the introduction into the National Assembly of the following Bills:
(i) the control of Stray Dogs (Amendment) Bill, which makes better provision for the control and disposal of stray dogs;
(ii) the Mauritius Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Amendment) Bill which provides for a change in the composition of the Council of the Society; and
(iii) the Mauritius Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Officers’ Powers and Protection) (Amendment) Bill which provides for an efficient system of registration of dogs and will enable registered dogs to be identified by means of an electronic tag or a tattoo.
(iv) the Radiation Protection Bill which makes provision, inter alia, for compliance with the requirements of the International Basic Safety Standards (BSS) for protection against ionizing radiation, and for the setting up of a Radiation Protection Authority.
The first reading has been scheduled for Tuesday 4 November 2003 and the second reading for Tuesday 11 November 2003.
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13. Cabinet has agreed to the implementation of the Action Plan on Gender Responsive Budgeting, the main objective of which is to mainstream gender issues in all sectors of the national budgetary process in Mauritius.
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14. Cabinet has agreed to the Mauritius Turf Club being allowed to replace a foreign jockey by another foreign jockey, employed by a different stable, in cases of “force majeure” i.e. accident, sudden illness or physical incapacity.
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15. Cabinet has taken note of the programme of activities to be organised in the context of the International Civil Aviation Day on 7 Dec, 2003, and throughout the year 2004.
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16. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the mission of the Minister of Economic Development, Financial Services and Corporate Affairs in Paris, where he attended the Second Conference of the ?Amis de Madagascar’.
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17. Cabinet has taken note of the programme for the ICT week/Infotech scheduled from 10 to 14 November 2003.
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18. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the following missions of the Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunications:
(i) the third meeting of the Preparatory Committee (Prepcom3) of the World Summit on Information Society in Geneva, from 15 to 20 September 2003;
(ii) the Microsoft African Leaders Forum in Johannesburg, on 22 and 23 September 2003;
(iii) the Commonwealth Network Society Summit in London, UK on 6 and 7 October, 2003; and
(iv) the UNESCO Roundtable meeting “Towards Knowledge Societies” in Paris, on 9 and 10 October 2003.
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