CABINET DECISIONS – 12 SEPTEMBER 2008
1. Cabinet has taken note of developments in the finalisation of the Agreement on the Framework for a joint submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf for an Extended Continental Shelf which would be signed between the Government of the Republic of Mauritius and the Government of the Republic of the Seychelles. As an interim arrangement, a Mauritius/Seychelles High-Level Joint Management Committee has been set up to co-manage the common area of the Extended Continental Shelf, which both States intend to claim through the joint submission. Moreover, the Commonwealth Secretariat has agreed to provide the services of three Consultants to assist both Mauritius and the Seychelles in working out and presenting the joint submission before the Commission.
2. Cabinet has taken note of the trade disputes existing at the Mauritius Telecom and Air Mauritius and that the Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations & Employment has taken up the matter at the level of the Conciliation and Mediation Division of his Ministry to ensure that international Conventions to which Mauritius has adhered, are respected.
3. In line with Government’s policy to curb feminization of poverty through economic empowerment of women, Cabinet has taken note that, in the context of the International Literacy Day 2008, the Ministry of Women’s Rights, Child Development, Family Welfare & Consumer Protection, in collaboration with the National Women’s Council, has, on 8 September 2008, launched a new module of the Adult Literacy Programme, viz., the Adult Literacy for Entrepreneurship Development for Women. The objectives of the Programme are to enhance the self-confidence of women to enable them to engage in income generating activities, and to provide them with basic skills in bookkeeping, budgeting and filling of appropriate forms. The rationale of the Programme is to facilitate women’s participation in the labour market by enhancing their employability and their capacity to set up small enterprises. The duration of the module is four months and will be run on a pilot basis.
4. Cabinet has taken note of developments in the reconstruction project of St. François Xavier Stadium in Port Louis. The renovated stadium would have a seating capacity of 2000 persons, an artificial turf and parking facilities.
5. Cabinet has taken note that, in the context of an exchange programme between the Senior Citizens Association of Mauritius and similar Associations in India, a delegation of Respect Age International, India, an NGO which groups Senior Citizens Associations in India and works for the welfare of the elderly and the vulnerable groups, would visit Mauritius from 14 to 21 September 2008. During the visit, a new Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral cooperation would be signed between the Senior Citizens Council of Mauritius and Respect Age International, India with a view to further strengthening the cultural ties existing between the two organisations.
6. Cabinet has taken note of the promulgation of the Port (Fees) Regulations which provide for a new tariff scheme for marine services, such as pilotage, anchorage, dockage, quay and tug services, provided by the Mauritius Ports Authority. The Regulations have taken into account the recommendations contained in a study conducted by Messrs International Development Partners Ltd (IDP)/Baxter Eadie Ltd to determine the competitiveness of port tariffs at Port Louis Harbour compared to other ports in the region.
7. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the mission of the Minister of Arts and Culture to Madagascar and Reunion Island from 31 August to 4 September 2008 in the context of the UNESCO Slave Route Project.
The Slave Route project has the following three major objectives:-
(i) break the silence surrounding the slave trade and slavery through the historical study of the causes and dynamics of the transatlantic slave trade;
(ii) clarify the consequences and interactions resulting from the slave trade; and
(iii) contribute to the establishment of a culture of tolerance and peaceful coexistence between races and peoples.
During his mission, the Minister of Arts and Culture visited Slave Route Monuments and had working sessions on cultural matters with:
(i) His Excellency Mr Robinson Jean Louis, Minister of Youth & Sports and Culture of Madagascar;
(ii) Mr Jean Marc Boyer, Director of the “Direction Regionale des Affaires Culturelles de La Réunion”; and
(iii) Mr Gilbert Annette, Mayor of St Denis and Mrs Huguette Bello, Deputy Mayor of St Paul, Reunion Island.
8. Cabinet has taken note –
(a) that Mr Abdool Rashid Hossen, presently holding the post of Vice-President, Permanent Arbitration Tribunal, has been appointed President of the Permanent Arbitration Tribunal;
(b) that the contract of Mr Patrick Gervais Assirvaden, Chairperson of the Central Electricity Board, has been renewed for a period of three years; and
(c) of the reconstitution of the Residential Care Homes Board with the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity and Senior Citizens Welfare & Reform Institutions as Chairperson.
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