1. Cabinet has taken note that the Vice President of the Republic of Mauritius , HE Mr Raouf Bundhun will represent Mauritius at the COMESA Summit which will be held from 7 to 8 June 2005 in Rwanda .
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2. Cabinet has taken note of the Supreme Court judgment in favour of
Mr R. Bhadain, Mr H. Ghoora and Mr D. Halkaree
against the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) which has ruled that the decision of the ICAC to dismiss the three applicants was ultra vires.
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3. Cabinet has taken note of the setting-up of a Committee under the chair of Mr S. Bhaukaurally, Assistant Solicitor-General, to consider whether there is need for further regulations to be made under the Civil Status Act to better regulate the Muslim Family Council or whether there is need to amend the Civil Code. The Committee comprises the following members -
(i) Mr A.R. Hajee Abdoula;
(ii) Mr N. Iqbal Maghooa;
(iii) Mr Omar Bahemia;
(iv) Mr Aboobaker Atchia;
(v) Mawlana Ahmad Bashir Keenoo;
(vi) Mawlana Addool Haye Mohamed Chooramun;
(vii) Mawlana Abdool Haroon Assen;
(viii) Mufti Meerun;
(ix) Mawlana Kazi; and
(x) Mawlana B.M.N. Jeeawody.
The first meeting of the Committee will be held shortly.
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4. Cabinet has reviewed the situation regarding the Chicungunya disease and has taken note that following measures taken by the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life to control the spread of the disease, a substantial decrease had been noted in the number of cases reported.
Further, Cabinet had taken note that with regard to the Marburg disease, no new cases have been reported outside the Uige Province in Angola for the past five weeks.
However, the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life was continuing with its surveillance programme at the Port and Airport.
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5. Cabinet has taken note that the election of Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of District Councils and village Councils would be held during the period 5 to 7 July 2005 in order not to clash with the General Elections.
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6. Cabinet has taken note that following a telephone conversation between the Prime Minister and President Azali Assoumani of Comoros , the latter has proposed that a lenders' meeting for Comoros be held in Mauritius in November 2005 and that President T. Mbeki of South Africa and other regional Heads of State/ Government be eventually invited to that meeting.
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7. Cabinet has taken note that the Ministry of Local Government and Solid Waste Management has on 17 May 2005 awarded the contract for the consultancy services for the EIA Study of the proposed extension of the Mare Chicose Landfill, including a study on compensation, to International Development Partners Ltd. in association with MOTT McDonald and Squire, Sanders and Dempsey. The report on compensation is expected in ten weeks' time whereas the EIA Report would be ready within three months.
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8. Cabinet has agreed to the commissioning of a feasibility study on the use of ethanol as an additive to gasoline in motor vehicles and which would also define an implementation strategy for the setting-up of an ethanol hub in the region of Vieux Grand Port.
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9. Cabinet has taken note that the Prime Minister has on humanitarian ground written to the Haitian Prime Minister, Mr G. Latortue, in favour of Mr Ivon Neptune, former Prime Minister. The latter who is in detention and on a prolonged hunger strike since 17 April 2005 is reported to be in a near-death condition.
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10. Cabinet has taken note of the Meeting of the African Ministers Responsible for Air Transport held from 16 to 19 May 2005 in Sun City , South Africa . The objective of the meeting was to address critical issues and challenges facing the Air Transport Industry in Africa .
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11. Cabinet has taken note of the status of oil spill at St Louis River and has taken note that due to the concerted efforts of the Ministry of Fisheries, the Ministry of Environment and National Development Unit, the Ministry of Local Government and Solid Waste Management as well as the Central Electricity Board, the National Coast Guard, the Special Mobile Force, the Mauritius Port Authority, the Municipal Council of Port Louis, the Beach Authority and Shell/AEL-DDS, the spill had been contained, and most of the oil upstream of Canal Dayot had been collected. Further, the Ministry of Environment and National Development Unit has under section 7(c) of the Environment Protection Act 2002 appointed Mr Christian Fournier, Marine Engineer to enquire into the exact cause of the spill.
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12. Cabinet has agreed to the setting-up of a National Health Accounts Committee which would provide a framework to determine the total health expenditure patterns of the country by measuring all expenditure incurred by both the public and private sectors and which would enable policy makers inter alia to assess the efficiency of the current resource use and evaluate the impact of health reforms.
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13. Cabinet has taken note of activities organized by the "Mouvement Alternatif pour la Transmission des Oeuvres et des Idées" in collaboration with the Ministry of Arts and Culture, in the context of the "Rétrospective Hervé Masson, from 15 June to 3 July 2005 . The purpose of the event is to raise awareness among the public on the works of the renowned Mauritian Painter and Writer and to give an insight into his contribution to modern Mauritian painting. Activities would include inter alia
(i) exhibition on the works of artist at the Mahama Gandhi Institute from 15 June to 3 July 2005 ;
(ii) publication of a catalogue of paintings of Hervé Masson;
(iii) publication of the artist's biography; and
(iv) a sensitization campaign.
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14. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the first meeting of the Joint Working Group of Officials from the public and private sectors from Mauritius and Pakistan which was held in Islamabad from 4 to 5 May 2005 . The objective of the Joint Working Group is to identify areas for potential investment and trade between Mauritius and Pakistan and eventually pave the way for the establishment of a free Trade Area.
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15. Cabinet has taken note of activities to mark the World No Tobacco Day on 31 May 2005 , which has as theme this year "Health Professionals and Tobacco Control".
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16. Cabinet has taken note of the activities to be organized by the Nelson Mandela Centre for African Culture, in collaboration with the Ministry of Arts and Culture to celebrate Africa Day on 25 May 2005 .
Activities would include inter alia
(i) a display of flags of the 54 Member States of the African Union in front of the New Government Centre; and
(ii) a one-day programme at Chamarel on 29 May 2005 from 930 to 1730 hours.
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