CABINET DECISIONS – 01 OCTOBER 2010 |
 1. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the official visit of Dr the Hon Navinchandra Ramgoolam, GCSK, FRCP, Prime Minister to Singapore at the invitation of HE Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore. The main objective of the visit was to develop a strategic partnership between the two countries.
2. Cabinet has taken note that, in view of the high demand of qualified staff on board ocean liners, the Mauritius Maritime Training Academy and Sir Gaëtan Duval Hotel School would conduct training courses for those wishing to be employed on board liners as cook, waiter, bartender, house-keeper and receptionist. The first training session for a batch of 500 trainees would start shortly.
3. Following the success of the National Campaign for the protection of fruits against bats launched in 2009 and with a view to giving a further boost to the availability of local fruits, particularly litchis, on the market, Cabinet has agreed to the grant scheme for the purchase of nets to protect fruits against bats being extended to the 2010 crop season. Fruit growers would, on the recommendation of AREU, be allowed to purchase a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 10 nets at 25% of the cost thereof.
Cabinet has further taken note that the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security, in collaboration with the National Parks Conservation Service, would conduct a survey of the bat population in Mauritius with a view to devising measures to prohibit the species to reach a pest status.
4. Cabinet has taken note that the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life would, on 9 and 23 October 2010, carry out vaccination against meningitis and A(H1N1) in the five regional hospitals for Hadj Pilgrims.
 5. Cabinet has taken note that Her Excellency Mrs Bian Yanhua, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, visited the Shelter La Colombe at Pointe aux Sables and the National Women’s Development Centre at Phoenix in September last. Cabinet has further taken note that HE Mrs Bian Yanhua donated an amount of Rs200,000 to, each, the National Children’s Council and the National Women's Council for the purchase of equipment and furniture.
6. Cabinet has taken note that, in line with the Child Safety Online Action Plan, a Centralized Content Filtering System is being put in place by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA) to curtail harmful and illegal contents on the Internet with a view to restricting access to inappropriate websites by children using computer.
7. Cabinet has taken note of the status in the digitisation of the National Archives so that the archived documents could be easily searched, viewed and printed, as well as made accessible on the Internet. The first phase of the project, which started in February 2009, would be completed in July 2011.
8. Cabinet has taken note of progress in the setting up of Gender Cells in Ministries/ Departments in order to mainstream gender in policy formulation and implementation. The Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare would hold a workshop on 5 and 6 October 2010 to sensitize the members of Cells on the formulation of policy, bearing gender in mind. Mrs Edda Collier, International Consultant with wide experience on policy formulation at the regional and international levels, would facilitate the workshop.
9. Cabinet has taken note that Hon Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, India, would effect an official visit to Mauritius from 10 to 13 October 2010. During the visit, the Minister of Industry and Commerce and the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas would discuss new areas of cooperation in the petroleum sector.
10. Cabinet has taken note of the report of the Ombudsperson for Children on the case of the deceased child, victim of sexual violence. Cabinet has further taken note that many of the recommendations contained therein are already being implemented by the Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare, along with the measures taken to strengthen and restructure the existing framework and mechanism dealing with child violence cases.
11. Cabinet has taken note that the US Embassy has set up an American Centre at the Carnegie Library of the Municipal Council of Curepipe. In this connection, the Municipal Council of Curepipe and the US Embassy would sign a Memorandum of Understanding on the operation and maintenance of the Centre.
12. Cabinet has taken note of a proposal for the twinning of the Municipal Council of Port Louis with Kuwait City. The objectives of the proposal are to -
(a) develop exchanges and provide assistance and training in economic, commercial, technical, scientific, educational and sports fields;
(b) promote investment opportunities for urban development; and
(c) further strengthen relationship between Mauritius and Kuwait.
13. Cabinet has taken note that the WHO Regional Office for Africa, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life, would hold a regional meeting of the Viral Hepatitis Working Group in Mauritius on 14 and 15 October 2010 to finalize a policy document for the Africa Region to ensure that health systems can adequately accommodate the implementation of strategies for the prevention and control of viral hepatitis. This policy document would enable countries in the Africa Region to review their vaccination strategies pertaining to Hepatitis B treatment.
14. Cabinet has taken note that the Ministry of Housing and Lands would distribute posters in Schools, Youth Centres, Social Welfare Centres, Women Centres, Citizens' Advice Bureaux, Post Offices and Farmers' Service Centres on the occasion of the World Habitat Day, commemorated on the first Monday of October. The object of the Day is to reflect on the state of human settlements and the basic right to adequate shelter for all and to alert the world to its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat. The theme chosen this year by the UN is Better City, Better Life.
15. Cabinet has taken note of the activities that would be organised by the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, on the occasion of the World Mental Health Day, which is observed on 10 October 2010, viz.,
(a) a cultural programme and an exhibition of creative activities by inmates of Brown Sequard Mental Health Care Centre;
(b) an Open Day at the Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital;
(c) continuous medical education sessions on mental health in Regional Hospitals; and
(d) a workshop at the Brown Sequard Mental Health Care Centre on Communication Skills While Dealing with Psychiatric Patients.
The theme chosen for this year is Mental Health and Chronic Physical Illnesses.
16. Cabinet has taken note of measures taken by the Consumer Protection Unit of the Ministry of Business, Enterprise, Cooperatives and Consumer Protection to better protect consumers, viz., the operation of a new hotline service; regular checks at sales outlets, as well as bakeries; and organisation of a workshop to sensitise bakers of their obligations towards consumers.
Cabinet has further taken note that the Ministry of Business, Enterprise, Cooperatives and Consumer Protection is developing a web-based Management Information System to effectively monitor the price movement of essential commodities across the country.
17. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the recent mission of the Attorney General to Beijing, China, where he participated in the Second Legal Forum on China-Africa Cooperation organized by the China Law Society on the theme Rule of Law. The object of the Forum was to review the traditional friendship between China and Africa and look into how future cooperation between the Chinese and African legal circles could be strengthened.
In the margins of the Forum, the Attorney General had a bilateral meeting with Mr Cao Jianming, Prosecutor General of the People’s Republic of China. He also had meetings with the following personalities in Hong Kong: Mr Wong Yan Lung, SC, JP, Secretary for Justice; Dr Timothy Tong, ICAC Commissioner; Hon Justice Aarif Barma, Judge of the Court of the First Instance of the High Court; and Hon Jasper Tsang Yok Sing, GBS, JP, President of the Legislative Council.
18. Cabinet has taken note of the reconstitution of the National Committee of the National Women’s Council with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare as Chairperson.
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