CABINET DECISIONS – 3 DECEMBER 2010 |
1. Cabinet has taken note of activities organized by the Ministry of Arts and Culture, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Leisure, from 10 to 12 December 2010 in the context of the Festival International Kreol, viz., -(a) a Swaré Tipik at Le Morne Public Beach;
(b) a lespas kreol at Caudan Waterfront, Port Louis;
(c) a Konser Teatral on the theme REKIEM at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute; and
(d) an All Night Concert at Domaines Les Pailles with the participation of the well known international group “Diana King” from Jamaica and artists from the Seychelles, Reunion Island, Rodrigues and Mauritius.
2. Cabinet has taken note that, following the interface organized by the Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity and Reform Institutions in connection with the placement and employment of disabled persons at the Freeport Operations Mauritius, Mer Rouge, on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, 27 companies have taken commitments to recruit some 40 persons with disabilities.
3. Cabinet has agreed to the introduction into the National Assembly of the Additional Remuneration (2011) Bill which provides for the payment of salary compensation with effect from 1 January 2011 to employees of the private sector, as announced in Budget Speech 2011, i.e. –
Basic Wage or Salary Additional Remuneration
per month per month
Up to Rs 5,000 3.2% rounded up to the next rupee
Above Rs5,000 up to Rs12,000 Rs175
Above Rs12,000 up to Rs30,000 Rs190
4. Cabinet has taken note that the Central Electricity Board, in collaboration with Mauritius Telecom Ltd., would introduce prepaid meters for electricity to enable, particularly, low income households to exercise better control on their electricity consumption and expenses related thereto. The project would be implemented on a pilot basis in some 200 households in two regions of the country and, upon satisfactory response, extended to customers benefiting from social-aid tariffs.
5. Cabinet has taken note that, in the context of the cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and Mauritius, a delegation from the All-China Women’s Federation visited Mauritius from 27 to 30 November 2010. The delegation paid courtesy calls on high dignitaries and visited two women entrepreneurs, the National Women Development Centre, the Shelter La Colombe, the Centre de Solidarité pour une Nouvelle Vie and the Triolet Women Empowerment Centre. Working sessions were also held with officers of the Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare and members of the Chinese Women Association.
Cabinet has further taken note that the All-China Women’s Federation proposes to donate equipment, viz., computers, fax machines, laptops and projectors, worth Rs1.5m.
6. Cabinet has agreed to the introduction into the National Assembly of the Professional Architects' Council Bill which provides for a modern legislative framework to cater for development in the construction sector, the implementation of new building concepts, the advancement of architecture and a code of practice for Architects. The Bill also provides for the setting up of a Professional Architects' Council which would be responsible, amongst others, for the registration of professional architects and maintaining discipline in the profession.
7. Cabinet has taken note that the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science, Research and Technology is organizing the National Science, Engineering and Technology Week from 2 to 4 December 2010 at the Cyber Tower, Ebène with a view to, inter alia, sensitizing the public on the application in daily activities, teaching and learning, and the contribution of science, engineering and technology to the country’s social and economic development. The theme chosen for the National Science, Engineering and Technology Week is Biodiversity in line with the UN year on Biodiversity.
8. Cabinet has taken note that the draft Green Paper on Equal Access to Justice: Reform on the Legal Aid in Mauritius, would be circulated for the views and comments of all stakeholders and the public. The Green Paper is available on the website of the Attorney General’s Office for consultation.
9. Cabinet has taken note of the performance of Mauritius at the World Expo 2010 held in Shanghai, China from 1 May to 31 October 2010. Cabinet has further taken note that Mauritius received three Awards at the Expo, namely:
(a) Best Bazaar in the Africa Joint Pavilion;
(b) Award for Inter-cultural Exchange; and
(c) Special Award to the Mauritius Pavilion Director.
10. Cabinet has taken note of the Strategic Plan for 2011-2013 of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, which outlines the principles underpinning the foreign policy of Government in line with Government Programme 2010-2015 to, inter alia, -
(a) safeguard and promote our sovereignty and territorial integrity;
(b) enhance the visibility of Mauritius on the world scene;
(c) further the process of regional and continental integration;
(d) create better opportunities for trade and investment; and
(e) collaborate with the international community to promote sustainable development and strengthen international solidarity, peace and security.
11. Cabinet has taken note of the status in the review of the Code Civil Mauricien, the Code de Procédure Civile and the Code de Commerce to reflect the socio-economic changes and development in the legal field.
12. Cabinet has taken note of activities that would be organized by the Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity and Reform Institutions to mark the International Volunteer Day commemorated on 5 December 2010, viz., -
(a) launching of the Mauritius National Volunteer Programme at Octave Wiehe Auditorium, Reduit;
(b) award of certificates to volunteers who have been trained under the Mauritius National Volunteer Programme;
(c) exhibition on the services provided by institutions, like MACOSS, the NGO Trust Fund, the Non-State Actor Unit; and
(d) holding of a Salon des ONGs at Plaza, Rose Hill.
The theme chosen for this year by the UN General Assembly is Volunteering for the Millennium Development Goals.
13. Cabinet has taken note of the status in the implementation of the restructuring programme of the Child Development Unit of the Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare.
14. Cabinet has taken note that, in line with Government strategy to position Mauritius as a regional ICT hub, the State Informatics Ltd (SIL) would, as from January 2011, open an office in the Republic of Botswana after the Republic of Namibia. SIL is working with partners to prospect market opportunities in Ghana, Rwanda, Mozambique and Uganda and is negotiating with banks in Luxembourg to provide IT services in the financial services sector.