CABINET DECISIONS – 26 FEBRUARY 2010 |
1. Cabinet has agreed to the official ceremony for the National Day Celebrations on 12 March 2010 being held at Champ de Mars from 17 30 hours to 19 15 hours. The theme of the Celebrations would be "Nou Pays Nou Fierté". The programme would comprise, inter alia, march past by disciplined forces and uniformed organisations, display of floats, the flag raising ceremony, helicopter fly-past, music/dance fusion items and fireworks display.Cabinet has also taken note of other activities that would be organized in the context of the National Day Celebrations, viz. -
(a) a Festival Mauricien from 5 to 12 March to showcase the rich creative Mauritian skills in the various artistic and cultural fields;
(b) cultural shows by the local authorities; and
(c) a ceremony to honour Mauritians who have won recognition at international level.
Cabinet has further taken note that the National Transport Authority has made arrangements for those travelling by bus to Port Louis two hours before and from Port Louis two hours after the official celebrations as follows -
(a) all fare paying passengers to pay half the normal rate; and
(b) all beneficiaries of the free travel scheme, i.e., old-aged persons and disabled persons, and children aged less than 13 years to travel free of charge.
Cabinet has also taken note of the programme of the Flag Raising Ceremony to be held in Rodrigues and Agalega.
2. Cabinet has taken note of activities which would be organized by the Ministry of Women’s Rights, Child Development and Family Welfare in the context of the International Women’s Day to be observed on 8 March 2010, viz. -
(a) a clip on opportunities and challenges for women;
(b) launching of a Magazine - “Speeding up Change for an Inclusive Development”, a booklet - “Landmarks in Women’s History” - and a Directory/Product Catalogue;
(c) workshops on drug abuse and teenage pregnancy;
(d) opening of the Notre Dame Women Centre; and
(e) a cultural programme by women artists.
The theme chosen for this year by the UN is “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All”.
3. Cabinet has taken note that, according to the last statistical bulletin, 91,857 tourists visited Mauritius in the month of January 2010, as compared to 88,591 for the corresponding period of 2009, i.e., an increase of 3.7%. Our main tourist markets have registered growth as follows –
• France +12.1%
• Italy +15.3%
• United Kingdom +1.3%
• Reunion Island +12.1%
• India +31.8%
4. Cabinet has taken note that the Tertiary Education Commission has reviewed the guidelines for the grant of awarding powers to, and the use of the title "University" by private institutions offering post-secondary education in Mauritius with a view to enhancing their capability to develop into trustworthy institutions with awarding powers at sub-degree and degree levels and subsequently to fully-fledged universities. The guidelines have been updated and the criteria are in line with the general principle of the Business Facilitation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2006 to lay down clear-cut norms without compromising on quality and standards.
5. In line with the “Maurice Ile Durable” concept, Cabinet has agreed to Enterprise Mauritius hosting the Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production Programme, which aims at promoting the adoption of a cleaner production technology and processes in the manufacturing sector.
6. Cabinet has taken note that the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life would, in line with the National Multisectoral HIV and AIDS Strategic Framework, implement a number of activities in 2010 to prevent new cases of HIV infections and to provide a gamut of comprehensive care to people living with HIV and AIDS with a view to mitigating the impact of the disease on individuals, the family and the society at large.
7. Cabinet has taken note of the Stamp Issue Programme for the year 2010. Besides an Embossed Gold Stamp of Dr the Rt. Hon Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, Father of the Nation, stamps would be issued on the following themes: FIFA World Cup 2010, Shanghai Expo 2010, Coats of Arm (District Councils) and the Battle of Grand Port.
8. Cabinet has taken note that, in the context of popularizing science and technology, a memorial lecture on the theme "The Amazing World of Astronomy" and a one-day seminar on the theme "Modern Developments in Astronomy" would be held at the Rajiv Gandhi Science Centre on 2 and 3 March 2010 respectively, with the participation of Prof. J.V. Narlikar, Indian Astrophysicist, for the benefit of students, local scientists and the academia. Prof. J.V. Narlikar, internationally known for his work on cosmology, was President of the Cosmology Commission of the International Astronomical Union from 1994 to 1997 and is an Associate of the Royal Astronomical Society of London. He has received several national and international awards and honorary doctorates, viz., the M.P. Birla Award, the “Prix Janssen” of the French Astronomical Society.
9. Cabinet has taken note that the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology and the National Informatics Centre Services Inc., a Government of India enterprise, would sign a Memorandum of Understanding providing for -
(a) capacity building in e-Government strategic planning, security, design and implementation of systems;
(b) sharing of applications used in Government bodies in India/Mauritius; and
(c) collaboration on best practices in the use of IT in government and in research areas of mutual interest.
10. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the mission of the Minister of Agro Industry, Food Production and Security on 17 and 18 February 2010 to Rome, Italy, where he participated in the 33rd Session of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) which discussed, amongst others, the implication of the recent international summits for long term global food security and agricultural growth.
In the margins of the Meeting, the Minister of Agro Industry, Food Production and Security had discussions with Mr Kanayo Nwanze, President of IFAD, and Mr Jacques Diouf, Director General of Food and Agricultural Organisation.
11. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the mission of the Minister of Information and Communication Technology from 15 to 18 February 2010 to Spain, where he participated in the Global System for Mobile Communications Association Ministerial Programme in the context of the Mobile World Congress. The theme of the meeting was "Vision in Action". The following issues were discussed at the meeting –
(a) challenges and opportunities for the Information and Communication Technology sector;
(b) the future of mobile internet;
(c) Consumer Empowerment via the Mobile Internet;
(d) Mobile’s role as an Enabler for cross-sector Growth and innovation; and
(e) Spectrum policies and management for Mobile Broadband Regulators.
In the margins of the meeting, the Minister of Information and Communication Technology met Mr Stephen Balkham, Chief Executive, Family Online Safety Institute and Dr H. Touré, General Secretary, International Telecommunication Union.