1. Cabinet has agreed to the Official Ceremony of the National Day Celebrations on 12 March 2011 being held at Champ de Mars. The programme would comprise,
inter alia, the flag raising ceremony, march past by disciplined forces and uniformed organizations, helicopter fly-past, music/dance fusion items, fireworks and display of floats. A popular show would be held immediately after the Official Ceremony.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 during the month of March to showcase the rich creative Mauritian skills in the artistic and cultural fields;
(b) cultural shows by local and foreign artists and artistic fairs around the country; and
(c) distribution of bookmarks and stickers to students of primary and secondary schools.
Cabinet has further taken note that the National Transport Authority has made arrangements for reduced bus fares 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, 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 organized by the Rodrigues Regional Assembly and the Outer Islands Development Corporation.
2. Cabinet has agreed to the setting up of a Price Observatory to favour transparency in the evolution of prices of commodities and protect consumers. The Price Observatory would not only encourage competition amongst the players but also be a source of information on the region practising the lowest or the highest pricing policy.
3. Cabinet has taken note of arrangements being made by the CEB, in the context of the Maurice Ile Durable Project, to boost the development of renewable energy projects, particularly wind, solar and photovoltaic energy, by private promoters.
4. Cabinet has agreed to the introduction into the National Assembly of the Courts (Amendment) Bill which aims at amending the Courts Act to enable the Supreme Court to make an appropriate order to declare a person a vexatious litigant, where it is satisfied that the person has persistently started vexatious proceedings or made similar applications in any Court, and restrain the start of such proceedings or the making of such applications.
5. Cabinet has agreed to a proposal of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to establish a Resident Mission in Mauritius to further strengthen the existing bilateral relations between the two countries.
6. Cabinet has taken note that the Mauritius Football Association has submitted a bid for Mauritius to host the Fédération Internationale de Football Associations (FIFA) Congress in 2013.
7. Cabinet has taken note of the Report of KPMG Advisory Services on the restructuring of the Mauritius Shipping Corporation Ltd. The Report has, inter alia, recommended -
(a) a revision of tariff structures for both passenger and cargo on the Rodrigues route every two years to adjust for inflation;
(b) the introduction of a Bunker Adjustment Factor mechanism on the Rodrigues Route;
(c) the merging of the Mauritius Shipping Corporation Ltd and the MSC Coraline Ship Agency Ltd to ensure efficiency gains; and
(d) the acquisition of a third vessel to replace the Mauritius Pride.
8. Cabinet has taken note of the report of a study on rock reserves in the country with a view to identifying potential quarry sites to secure long term sources of aggregates. The study has revealed that there are 21 potential sites that can be developed.
9. Cabinet has taken note of the holding of the Sixth Annual Technical Conference of the Commonwealth Public Procurement Network in September 2011 in Mauritius. The aim of the Conference is to enhance the sharing of experiences, emerging practices and innovations in the regulation and management of public procurement through the strengthening of the network of procurement practitioners within the Commonwealth. Some 35 delegates from African Commonwealth countries are expected to attend the Conference.
10. Cabinet has taken note of the holding of a Regional Training Course on Nuclear Cardiology, Targeted Therapy and Infection from 5 to 9 December 2011 in Mauritius. The objective of the training course is to familiarize participants with modern evidence-based applications of nuclear medicine techniques, particularly in the field of non-invasive application of diagnostic nuclear medicine in cardiology. Some 15 participants from the African region are expected to attend the training course.
11. Cabinet has taken note of the promulgation by the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Energy and Public Utilities of the Waste Water (Cesspit and Septic Tank Emptying Service) (Fees) Regulations prescribing the fees for the provision of cesspit and septic tank emptying services by the Wastewater Management Authority.
12. Cabinet has taken note of the promulgation by the Minister of Health and Quality of Life of the Dangerous Chemicals Control (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations, the Pharmacy (Amendment) Regulations, the Quarantine (Charges for Services) (Amendment) Rules, and the Public Health (Control of Places of Entertainment) (Amendment) Regulations reviewing the fees charged by the different organizations for the provision of services.
13. Cabinet has taken note of the promulgation by the Minister of Health and Quality of Life of the Medical Council (Medical Institutions) (Amendment) Regulations to include The Colleges of Medicine of South Africa in the list of medical institutions recognized by the Medical Council of Mauritius for the purpose of registration.
14. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the recent mission of the Minister of Business, Enterprise, Cooperatives and Consumer Protection to South Africa. The main objective of the mission was to take stock of the strategies and operations of the South African Department of Trade and Industry with regard to their relevance in the establishment of the Unified Business Enterprise Board. He had working sessions with the various institutions dealing with industrial and rural development; small, medium and micro-enterprises; export promotion; consumer policy and legislation; gender and women empowerment and intellectual property enforcement. It is proposed to develop linkages and establish technical assistance programmes for industrial and enterprise development, capacity building, and the modernization of the SME and the Cooperative Sectors.
15. Cabinet has taken note of the reconstitution of –
(a) the Board of the Mauritius Society of Authors with Mr Gerard Telot, as Chairperson.