1.Cabinet has agreed to corned beef, corned mutton, pilchards and other canned fish being brought under the maximum mark-up regime, i.e., 19% mark-up + 1% special allowance, which would result in the reduction of their retail prices with immediate effect. Moreover, importers of infant milk have agreed to reduce their mark-up from 20% to 17% with immediate effect.
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2. Cabinet has agreed to the Ministry of Housing & Lands exploring the possibility of selling the ex-CHA houses to the lessees thereof.
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3. Cabinet has taken note of the launching of six free Digital Terestrial Television channels by the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation on 30 September 2005. In order to view these channels on the analogue TV set, the viewer would require a set-top box. Viewers possessing a digital TV would not be required to acquire the set-top box. It is recalled that action was initiated in 1998.
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4. Cabinet has agreed to the draft Credit Facilities Bill which makes provision for the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry on Sale by Levy, being disseminated prior to its introduction into the National Assembly with a view to enabling stakeholders to take cognizance thereof and make comments. The draft Bill makes provision, inter alia, for the setting up of a Commission on Indebtedness for the purpose of overviewing and, where appropriate, regulating the drawing up and implementation of contracts for the grant of credit facilities, and for a change in the judicial process for the sale of property given as security to guarantee the repayment of a credit facility in case of default from a system of public adjudication by auction to a Court controlled system of sealed offers to purchase. The cases of victims identified by the Commission of Inquiry on Sale by Levy would be examined on a case to case basis and appropriate action taken accordingly.
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5. Cabinet has taken note of the launching of the Day Care Centre and Women Centre at Cité Florida, Baie du Tombeau. 30 children coming from Cité Florida and St. Malo would benefit from the day care facilities. The Women Centre would be equipped and made fully operational to provide inter alia training courses in dress-making, beauty care, hair-dressing, handicraft and entrepreneurship development.
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6. In line with Government's Action Plan, Cabinet has taken note of the implementation of a poverty alleviation project at Richelieu, under the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) – Rural Diversification Programme (RDP), as from October 2005. The project would involve training in serigraphy, catering, patchwork, agriculture and other related activities.
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7. Cabinet has agreed to the setting up of a pilot project on Integrated Farming System on Pig Rearing at Palmar. The project would include a full treatment of all wastes in the system, using biological and biochemical means with input from the sun, water and microorganisms in the tropical conditions of Mauritius, to have maximum biomass and other benefits at minimum costs. The pilot project is expected to improve farming techniques, ensure environmental protection, encourage commercial agriculture and agribusiness, as well as create greater awareness of animal health and welfare standards. A Coordinating Committee would be set up to monitor the implementation of the project.
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8. Cabinet has taken note that Mauritius should avail of a strategic stock of petroleum products in view of developments taking place with the sea-food hub, the liberalisation of air traffic and the continuing increase in the number of flights as well as the increase in the number of vehicles, and has agreed to Indian Oil (Mtius) Ltd constructing a 6,000-metric tons storage capacity for petroleum products within its premises at Mer Rouge. It is expected that the additional storage capacity would enable the country to increase the gas oil reserves from 18 to 23 days.
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9. Cabinet has agreed to the recommendations made by the High Powered Scholarships Committee for the State of Mauritius Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme being reviewed to accommodate, as priorities, fields of study, such as Computer Security, Biomedical Engineering, Modern Digital and Radio Frequency Wireless Communication and Multimedia Technology, which are crucial for the economic development of the country.
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10. Cabinet has taken note that the revised Laws of Mauritius was last published in the year 2000 and that since then over 250 legislation have been enacted by the National Assembly, and has agreed to the publication of a revised edition of the Laws, in loose format, to contain laws enacted as at 31 December 2005.
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11. Cabinet has agreed to the Ministry of Industry, Small & Medium Enterprises, Commerce & Cooperatives charging a fee on organisers for the holding of trade fairs. This measure, apart from contributing to Government's revenue, would enable control to be exercised over the participation in trade fairs and, at the same time, encourage organizers to be more professionally oriented.
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12. Cabinet has taken note of the status of laboratory accreditation in Mauritius and that the WTO recognises accreditation as a tool to facilitating trade, and has agreed to public sector laboratories sustaining action for the eventual accreditation to international standards by MAURITAS within the coming year. Accreditation by MAURITAS would benefit Government, regulators and the public at large by increasing confidence in data generated by the laboratories and by reducing the uncertainties associated with decisions that affect the protection of human health and the environment.
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13. Cabinet has taken note of the programme of activities to be organized in the context of the National Divali Celebrations on Saturday 29 October 2005 at Anjalay Stadium, Mapou. The programme would comprise inter alia –
(i) a dance drama by local artists on the theme of Divali;
(ii) a popular/cultural programme by the famous Indian Star singer Sonu Nigam and Group; and
(iii) a fireworks display.
Besides the programme at Anjalay Stadium, the Ramilia Group of India would perform at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Indian Culture (IGCIC), Phoenix and the "Association Réunionaise des Relations et Créations Culturelles" would present a dance ballet "Shingara" on the incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
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14.Cabinet has taken note that a delegation from the Ministry of Health and Social Services of the Government of Namibia led by the Chief Central Rehabilitation Officer would be on a study tour in Mauritius in October 2005. The members of the Namibian delegation would acquaint themselves of the modus-operandi of our National Council for the Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons and avail of the opportunity to learn about our training and employment programme for persons with disabilities, social benefits, the Community Based Rehabilitation approach and self-help projects run by disabled people.
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15.Cabinet has taken note that the British Council (Mtius) would mount an exhibition in Mauritius, entitled "Upfront and Personal" consisting of three decades of political and social graphics in Mauritius, South Africa and the U.K. The Exhibition which would be held from 26 October to 12 November 2005, would highlight the challenges and the important role civil society plays to articulate creative and numerous political expressions, and encourage some reflection on the role everyone can play in actively strengthening democracy in our country.
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16.Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the missions of:
(i) the Prime Minister to New York where he attended the 60th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, and had meetings with a number of Heads of States and the UN Secretary General, attended an informal interactive meeting of the Francophone Heads of State or Government, and participated in the Clinton Global initiative;
(ii) the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Tourism, Leisure & External Communications to Paris in the context of the TOP RESA Fair 2005, the most important event for the travel and tourism industry in France, which gives an opportunity to maintain and establish contacts with the different stakeholders in the tourism industry and to discuss tourism and tourism-related topics, analyse trends and formulate strategies for the next session. During his visit in France, the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Tourism, Leisure & External Communications met, inter alia, Mr Léon Bertrand, "Ministre Délégué au Tourisme", who agreed that possibilities be explored on how Mauritius and Réunion could be promoted and sold as a combined tourist destination on the French Market, especially during the low season. In London, he met inter alia the Officer in charge of MTPA Office in London and discussed with him ways and means of enhancing the visibility of Mauritius as a tourist destination in U.K. He also met Mr Vincent Potrugal, Manager of Sailing at Mauritius High Commission, in London and explored the possibilities of including Mauritius to the world of sailing;
(iii) the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade & Cooperation in New York from 13 to 22 September 2005 where he attended inter alia a meeting of the ACP Group of Select Sugar exporting States, the interactive Round-table sessions on Poverty, the Commonwealth Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the NAM Foreign Ministers' Meeting and had bilateral meetings at the UN with the foreign Ministers of Egypt, Uganda, Peru, Belarus, Denmark, Brazil, Libya and Trinidad and Tobago. In Washington, the Minister lobbied for the extension of the Third Country Fabric derogation to Mauritius until 2007; and
(iv) the Minister of Agro Industry & Fisheries to Brussels where he participated in the ACP Consultative Group on Sugar, the LDC Sugar Group, the London Sugar Group, chaired the meeting of the ACP/LDC Ministers and attended the 9th African Carribean and Pacific (ACP) Ministerial Conference on Sugar in Kenya which had for theme "Promoting the Sustainable Development of ACP Sugar Sector.
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17.Cabinet took note of the outcome of the following SADC meetings held in Cape Town, South Africa:-
(i) 6th TNF on Trade in Services held on 19 and 20 September 2005;
(ii) SADC Senior Officials' Meeting on the WTO Doha Development Agenda Negotiations from 21 to 23 September 2005; and
(iii) SADC Ministers' Meeting on the WTO Doha Development Agenda Negotiations held on 23 September 2005.