1. Cabinet has taken note of a request from the Federation of Civil Service and other Unions (FCSU) for all Government Offices to close down at 1100 hours on Monday 4 July 2005. In the past, Government Offices were closed at 1400 hours on the day of counting following General Elections. Cabinet has agreed that Public Officers would be released at 1200 hours on 4 July 2005.
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2. Cabinet has taken note that a Special Meeting of the outgoing Cabinet would be held on Tuesday 5 July 2005 at 1030 hours.
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3. Cabinet has taken note that the European Union has transferred an amount of EURO 7.1 Million which is equivalent to Rs 243.6 Million, to the Bank of Mauritius on Friday 24 June, 2005. This amount represents the second tranche payable under the ninth European Development Fund Budget Support for the Wastewater Section Support Programme (WSSP).
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4. Cabinet has reviewed follow-up action regarding the European Commission's proposal on the reform of the EU sugar regime and has taken note that-
(a) Mrs M. Beckett, UK Minister of Agriculture has informed the Minister of Agriculture, Food Technology and Natural Resources that she will arrange for a meeting with ACP Agriculture Ministers under the UK Presidency in September 2005;
(b) the ACP Sugar Ambassadorial consultative Group will meet on 5 July to decide on the future course of action; and
c) at the local level, meetings have been held between the Mauritius Chamber of Agriculture (MCA), the Mauritius Sugar Syndicate (MSS), the producer stakeholders of the Industry and
Mr G. Govinden and J.C. Tyack, overseas representatives of the MCA and MSS respectively to discuss lobbying action and strategies to be adopted vis à vis the EU.
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5. Cabinet has reviewed the situation regarding the Reform of the UN Security Council and has taken note that the Head of Mauritian Delegation to the AU Summit which will be held in Sirte, Libya on 4 to 5 July has been briefed on the stand of Mauritius on the draft resolution of the G4 (India, Brazil, Japan, Germany) countries on the enlargement of the UN Security Council.
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6. Cabinet has taken note that the downward trend as regards the number of cases of Chikungunya being reported is being maintained. 56 cases have been reported during the week ending 26 June 2005 as compared to 88 cases reported in the previous week.
With regard to the avian flu, Cabinet has taken note that as a precautionary measure, action has been initiated for the purchase of an additional stock of 10,000 capsules of 'Tamiflu' for treatment against infection with the H5N1 virus.
Cabinet has noted that a WHO-coordinated international team of experts, after spending a week in Vietnam studying any mutation of the virus, have detected little change in the virus strain H5N1. The team has also concluded that there are no indications of transmission of the virus from human to human and that there is no immediate risk of an avian flu pandemic.
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7. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the second round of negotiations for the conclusion of a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement and an Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (IPPA) between Mauritius and the United Arab Emirates which was held in Abu Dhabi from 28 to 31 May 2005.
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8. Cabinet has taken note of amendments being made to Regulation 15 of the Social Aid Regulations 1984 to enlarge the list of disabling diseases covered by social aid and to review the eligibility criteria for children under 15 suffering from any such disease to benefit therefrom.
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