CABINET DECISIONS – 18 DECEMBER 2009
1. Cabinet has agreed to a National Maurice Ile Durable Policy being developed to provide for a framework, with clear guiding principles and mechanisms, for the achievement of the goals of the Maurice Ile Durable Concept, which encompasses all sectors of the economy, society and environment. In this context, consultations with economic partners and the civil society would be organised and an awareness campaign mounted as from January 2010. It is expected that a White Paper would be ready by June 2010.Cabinet has further taken note that Professor F. Odendaal has been appointed by the UNDP to act as General Facilitator for the formulation of the National Policy and the Agence Française de Développement has expressed its interest in supporting the project.
2. Cabinet has taken note of developments in the implementation of the scheme to support musical groups performing in hotels as announced in the 2009 Budget Speech. Under the scheme, financial support would be provided by the Human Resource, Knowledge and Arts Development Fund to musical groups who could suffer from the drastic fall in demand for their services in hotels.
3. Cabinet has taken note that, according to the last statistical bulletin, 78,544 tourists visited Mauritius in the month of November 2009 as compared to 75,380 in November 2008, i.e., an increase of (4.2%). Positive growth rates have been registered in our main tourist markets, viz. France (12.5%), United Kingdom (0.8%), Reunion Island (10.8%), South Africa (9.1%) and India (64.8%). Moreover, the trend indicates that a positive growth rate would be achieved in December 2009, as well as in the first quarter of 2010.
4. Cabinet has taken note that, in line with the National Policy on Ageing and the announcement made in Budget Speech 2010, an Observatory on Ageing would be set up at the Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity and Senior Citizens Welfare & Reform Institutions. The project aims at carrying out a broader study on the dynamics of ageing, the environment of the elderly and how their quality of life could be improved.
5. Cabinet has taken note that the Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment would amend the Sugar Industry (Agricultural Workers) (Remuneration Order) Regulations and the Sugar Industry (Non-Agricultural Workers) (Remuneration Order) Regulations to incorporate the recommendations of the National Remuneration Board on the implementation of the 40-hour week in the Sugar Industry during crop season in relation to the computation of hours of work and the notional computation of the hourly rate, as well as the payment for extra work.
6. Cabinet has taken note of developments in the construction of the New Passenger Terminal at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport.
7. Cabinet has taken note that 1,515 pints of blood have been collected during the Mega Blood Donation organized by the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life, in collaboration with the Blood Donors’ Association, on 17 December 2009 at the Esplanade of Emmanuel Anquetil Building. The stock of blood would help cater the demand of blood during the festive period of December 2009 and January 2010 and the forthcoming cyclonic season.
8. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of -
(a) the Seventh WTO Ministerial Conference held in Geneva from 29 November to 2 December 2009, which, inter alia, considered the Doha Development Agenda, duty-free quota-free market access, and Aid- for-Trade; and
(b) the Eastern and Southern African Council Meeting held in Lusaka on 7 December 2009, which discussed the way-forward regarding the Economic Partnership Agreement Negotiations.