1.In line with Government Programme 2005-2010, Cabinet has agreed to the setting up of a Fishermen Investment Trust which aims at democratizing access to capital, support services, and to the fisheries resources of Mauritius in favour of fishers and to boost the expansion of small scale operators to the fishing zones not previously accessible to them. The Trust will target, amongst others, artisanal and bank fishermen in order to promote the development and diversification of fishing operations around St Brandon, Agalega and the associated Banks._______________________________
2.Cabinet has taken note that the Minister of Public Utilities has made arrangements with the CWA and the CEB so that there is no disruption in the supply of water and electricity during Divali and Eid festivals.
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3.Cabinet has taken note of arrangements made by the Central Cyclone and Other Natural Disasters Committee for the Cyclone Season 2005-2006, the list of Cyclone Refugee Centres, and the list of names of cyclones for the season. Cabinet has also agreed to a Committee being set up under the chairmanship of the Acting Prime Minister to review precautionary measures during torrential rains in flood prone areas and monitor the cleaning of drains, rivulets, rivers, etc.
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4. With a view to regulating the importation and quality of Residual Current Devices (RCDS) on the local market, Cabinet has agreed to include these devices on the list of controlled products under the Supplies and Control Act and to adopt the British Standard as well as that of the International Electrotechnical Commission. Cabinet has also agreed to postpone the coming into operation of the Electricity (Safety of Low- Voltage and Medium-Voltage Electrical Installations) Regulations 2004 in respect of existing CEB customers from 1 January to 1 July 2006 so as to give more time for compliant devices to be imported and for the public to be sensitized on the need to install the RCD on their premises. Existing CEB customers have, therefore, up to 1 July 2006 to install the Residual Current Devices.
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5.Cabinet has taken note that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on ‘La Coopération dans le domaine de la lutte contre le Traffic Illicite de Stupéfiants, de Substances Psychotropes et de Précurseurs’ would be signed by the Government of Mauritius and that of the Republic of Madagascar.
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6. Cabinet has taken note of the programme of activities to be organized by the Ministry of Arts and Culture in the context of the celebration of Eid festival this year.
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7. Cabinet has agreed to the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicle Examination Fees) Regulations being amended with a view to revising the rate of fees charged for the examination of vehicles at the Vehicle Examination Centres.
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8. Cabinet has agreed to a Household Budget Survey being conducted from July 2006 to June 2007 aiming at studying the consumption pattern of the population with a view to updating the basket of goods and services used to compute the Consumer Price Index.
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9. Cabinet has agreed to Mauritius adhering to the Africa Institute for the Environmentally Sound Management of Hazardous Wastes for African English Speaking Countries, a regional Centre to help countries implement the Basel Convention. The core functions of the African Institute are to enhance capacity building in the field of environmentally sound management of hazardous and other wastes and to work on the transfer of environmentally sound technologies and the minimization of the generation of hazardous and other wastes. By adhering to the Institute, Mauritius would benefit from the expertise and training facilities of the Centre.
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10. Cabinet has taken note of the "2005 Report on Statistics in Mauritius from a Gender Approach" which has been prepared by the Central Statistics Office. The report which provides gender-segregated data for the last five years, highlights inter-alia the following –
(i) the female population representing 50.5% of the total population of 1,233,386 stood at 623,278 as at 1 July 2004;
(ii) the total fertility rate as regards the average number of children born per women has decreased from 1.94 in 2002 to 1.89 in 2003;
(iii) the number of divorces was 1,190 in 2003; and
(iv) in 2004, about 27% of the labour force in the Government Services were female.
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11. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the missions of –
(i) the Minister of Health and Quality of Life to Gaborone, Botswana from 13 to 14 October 2005 where he attended the Second Ordinary Session of the Conference of African Ministers of Health. The central theme of the Conference was “Sustainable Access and Treatment and Care for the Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals”. The African Union Ministers approved the Gaborone Declaration to draw a Road Map towards Universal Access to treatment and care for Member States to achieve the Millennium Development Goals within the set time frame; and
(ii) the Minister of Arts and Culture to Paris where he attended the 15th General Assembly of the State Parties to the World Heritage Convention held on 10 and 11 October 2005. Mauritius was elected member of the World Heritage Committee. In the margin of the Assembly, the Minister met Dr G. Abungo, UNESCO Consultant and Mr K. Matsuura, Director General of UNESCO.
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12. Cabinet has taken note of the reconstitution of the Boards of –
(a) the National Transport Authority with Mr Zaredhin M.N.S. Jaunbaccus as Chairperson; and
(b) the Road Development Authority with Mr K. Ponnusamy, Senior Chief Executive of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Land Transport & Shipping as Chairperson.
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APPROVED LIST OF NAMES OF CYCLONES
FOR SEASON 2005-2006
| ALVIN |
NADETY |
| BOLOETSE |
OTILE |
| CARINA |
PINDILE |
| DIWA |
QUINCY |
| ELIA |
RUGARE |
| FARDA |
SEBINAI |
| GUDUZA |
TIMBA |
| HELIO |
USTA |
| ISABELLA |
VELO |
| JAONE |
WILBY |
| KUNDAI |
XANDA |
| LINDSAY |
YURI |
| MARINDA |
ZOELLE |