1. Cabinet has taken note that the meetings of the Tripartite Committee on salary compensation for Financial Year 2004/2005 had been held in a very cordial atmosphere and that the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Economic Development as a special effort to improve the standard of living of those who are at the lower rungs of the income ladder had agreed to a fixed salary compensation of Rs 170 for employees earning up to Rs 4,300. The salary compensation will cost about Rs 2,510 million to the economy, of which Rs 950 million for the public sector.
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2. Cabinet has taken note that the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Economic Development has agreed to advance the pay day for the month of March from 29 to 25 in view of the Easter Festival which will be celebrated on 27 March 2005. Further, parastatal organizations will, as far as possible, follow suit.
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3. Cabinet has taken note of the various reactions following the circulation to parliamentarians of the Draft Constitution (Amendment) Bill on the proposed electoral reform to introduce a dose of proportional representation in favour of women and that the Prime Minister will officially write to the Leader of the Opposition to obtain his views on the proposed amendment.
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4. Cabinet has taken note that in order to give to the Minister of Small Enterprises, Cooperatives, Handicraft and the Informal Sector time to -
(a) examine a number of comments and observations from some cooperative societies which have been received belatedly; and
(b) meet with their representatives during the week-end,
the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Economic Development will intervene on the Bill at the sitting of the National Assembly of Tuesday 22 March 2005 and the Minister of Small Enterprises, Cooperatives, Handicraft and the Informal Sector will make his summing-up at that sitting.
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5. Cabinet has agreed to the implementation of a Code of Practice on Employees' Participation in enterprises employing at least 50 full-time employees. The Code is meant to provide practical guidance for the promotion of employees' participation in the enterprise and for the setting-up of employees' financial participation schemes. The Federations of Trade Unions, the Mauritius Employers' Federation and the National Economic and Social Council have examined the code and expressed their agreement with the principles therein.
Cabinet has further taken note of the progress regarding the implementation of the Employee Participation Scheme in Mauritius Telecom.
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6. Cabinet has reviewed the situation at Terre Rouge following the heavy rainfalls on Thursday 17 March and has taken note that flooding had occurred as a result of works carried out at Ruisseau Terre Rouge a few years back and which were not according to engineering norms. The Ministry of Environment and National Development Unit has already taken steps to redesign the project and to carry out remedial works.
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7. Cabinet has taken note of the recommendations contained in the Feasibility Report on the setting-up of a Waste Complex submitted by the Consultant Carl Bro in the context of the Environmental Solid Waste Management Project and has agreed that the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Economic Development will meet the representatives of the Forces Vives of Mare Chicose. A copy of the executive summary of the Report will be handed over to the President of the Forces Vives at the meeting and a final decision as regards the landfill site would be taken after in the light of the Report and of the EIA Study Report on the extension of Mare Chicose landfill which is expected by mid August 2005.
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8. Cabinet has taken note that as a follow-up on a request of the Prime Minister to President Chirac during his official visit to Paris last year, the French Authorities have proposed that the Third Meeting of Experts on the Tromelin be held in Paris on 17 May 2005. In that connexion, preparatory meetings will be held with all concerned.
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9. Cabinet has taken note with satisfaction that the Republic of India has indicated its support in favour of the candidature of Hon. J. Cuttaree to the post of Director-General of the World Trade Organisation.
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10. Cabinet has taken note that following the decision to hold the second High Level Coordination Tsunami Warning Meeting in Mauritius from 14 to 16 April, the Prime Minister had chaired a Meeting on 16 March to coordinate arrangements of the Meeting which will be held at the International Conference Centre in Grand'Baie.
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11. Cabinet has reviewed the situation in Zimbabwe and has taken note that President M'beki as Chair of the SADC Organ on Politics and Security has given strict instructions to the Leader of the SADC team of observers, Mrs P. Mhlambo-Ngcuk, the South African Minister of Minerals and Energy Affairs to ensure that the parliamentary elections of 31 March are conducted in a fair and free manner. Further, the Mauritian Electoral Commissioner has been elected Deputy Leader of the SADC team of observers.
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12. Cabinet has agreed to the introduction in the National Assembly of the Insurance Bill which will repeal the Insurance Act 1987 and aims at inter alia establishing the regulatory and supervisory framework of the insurance business, providing for the licensing of insurers and other insurance operators and enhancing the protection of policyholders.
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13. Cabinet has agreed to Mauritius submitting its candidature for membership on the World Heritage Committee during the 15th General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention to he held in Paris in October 2005. Cabinet has further agreed to extend an official invitation to Ambassador Hans Heinrich Wrede, Chairperson of the Executive Board of UNESCO to visit Mauritius from 8 to 10 July 2005.
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14. Cabinet has agreed that the services of an Expert from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre should be enlisted to assist the Le Morne Heritage Trust Fund Board in the preparation of the Nomination Dossier of Le Morne for its inscription on the World Heritage List.
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15. Cabinet has agreed to Mauritius supporting the candidature of Mr Gaêtan Siew to the position of President of the Union Internationale des Architectes (UIA). The UIA groups over 1,400,000 Architects of more than 100 countries.
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16. Cabinet has agreed to the setting-up of a National Biosafety Committee under the Chair of Professor I. Fagoonee in accordance with section 4 of the Genetically Modified Organisms Act 2004. The objectives of the Committee are to inter alia advise the Minister of Agriculture, Food Technology and Natural Resources on all aspects concerning the implementation, exportation, transit, development, research, production, use, application, marketing, sale and release of genetically modified organisms.
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17. Cabinet has also taken note of the outcome of the mission of -
(i) the Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment to Luxembourg from 8 to 11 March where he attended an International Conference on the theme " Unity beyond differences : the need for an integrated labour inspection system";
(ii) the Minister of Small Enterprises, Cooperatives, Handicraft and the Informal Sector to India from 27 February to 5 March where he attended a meeting organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry on the theme "India-Africa Project Partnership 2005"; and
(iii) the Minister of Training, Skills Development, Productivity and External Communications to Europe from 5 to 12 March 2005 where he had meetings and consultations on port matters with the representatives of the three major shipping lines engaged in container trade at Port Louis Harbour.
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