1. Cabinet has reviewed arrangements made for the official visit of the Prime Minister to Madagascar from 4 to 7 April 2004, and has taken note that the following Ministers will form part of his delegation -
(i) Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Regional Cooperation;
(ii) Minister of Agriculture, Food Technology and Natural Resources;
(iii) Minister of Tourism and Leisure;
(iv) Minister of Arts and Culture;
(v) Minister of Industry, Financial Services and Corporate Affairs; and
(vi) Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunications.
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2. Cabinet has reviewed progress with regard to the use of creole as a medium of instruction and has taken note that in this connection, the University of Mauritius and the Mauritius Institute of Education, under the responsibility of Professor V. Hookoomsing, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Mauritius have been entrusted the task of proposing, in the shortest possible time, a harmonized way of writing Mauritian creole.
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3. Cabinet has agreed to the introduction into the National Assembly of the Agalega Island Council Bill which provides for the establishment of an Agalega Island Council to address problems affecting the local population.
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4. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the visit of the delegation led by the Prime Minister to St Brandon from 19 to 22 March 2004. The Prime Minister will call a meeting shortly for follow-up action.
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5. Cabinet has reviewed the situation in Comoros and has taken note that the legislative elections which were held on 14 and 21 March 2004, have generally been fair and free, except on the island of Anjouan, where incidents have been reported.
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6. Cabinet has agreed to the introduction of the Private Security Service Bill into the National Assembly which provides inter alia for the licensing of private security services, the registration of security guards and the training of licensed persons.
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7. Cabinet has agreed to the arrangements and modalities for the setting up of a one-stop shop in Port Louis Harbour in the context of the seafood hub initiative. An "open all-hours" policy will be adopted with a view to reducing the time vessels usually stay in the Port.
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8. Cabinet has agreed to -
(i) the implementation of the National Plan of Action which is based on the National Children's Policy for Children; and
(ii) the submission of the Second National Report on the Convention of the Rights of the Child to the United Nations.
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9. Cabinet has agreed to a proposal for the sale of two second hand fibreglass fishing vessels the "Marragon" and "Dame Berri" to professional fishermen in Rodrigues.
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10. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the mission of -
(i) the Minister of Tourism and Leisure to Paris and Berlin from 9 to 15 March 2004 where he had a meeting with the President of 'Société Nationale des Agences de Voyage in France', and attended the International Tourism Exchange Fair respectively; and
(ii) the Minister of Women's Rights, Child Development and Family Welfare in India from 15 to 18 March 2004 where she visited the National Institute of Small Industry Extension Training in Hyderabad and had a meeting with the Chairman of the National Small Industries Corporation.
Cabinet has also taken note of the outcome of the participation of the Secretary for Foreign Affairs -
(a) in the following Meetings held in Sirte, Libya -
(i) the Second Meeting of African Union Ministers of Defence and Security held from 22-23 February 2004;
(ii) the Fourth Extraordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union held from 25 to 26 February 2004;
(iii) the Second Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union held from 27 to 28 February 2004;
(b) at the 4th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union held in Addis Ababa from 15 to 18 March 2004.
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11. Cabinet has taken note of the activities being organised by the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life with the collaboration of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Land Transport and Shipping in the context of the World Health Day 2004. The theme chosen by the World Health Organisation this year is 'Road Safety is No Accident'.
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