 1. Cabinet has taken note that the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, in collaboration with the Road Safety Management Unit of the Prime Minister’s Office and the Police Department, would implement the Third Eye Project to strengthen existing traffic surveillance systems and promote safe and responsible driving. Under the Project, the Police would use mobile technology, i.e., smartphones equipped with a specialized and secure software, to capture evidence of violations of traffic rules and regulations, such as dangerous overtaking, jumping a red traffic signal, not following zebra crossing rules, and upload the photographs to a secure central server for eventual transmission to the Police for appropriate action.
2. Cabinet has taken note of the status in the setting up of the Institute for Women’s Health that would provide specialized service for specific health and medical needs of women with the support of the state-of-the-art technology.
3. Cabinet has agreed to the preparation of a Climate Change Bill, in line with the Africa Adaptation Programme and the Maurice Ile Durable vision, to provide for a legal framework to facilitate the development and implementation of policies, strategies and programmes to address climate change adaptation and make Mauritius climate change resilient.
4. Cabinet has taken note that, between 2010 and 2011, the incoming and outgoing capacity of internet access has increased by 71.3%, i.e., from 3,900.0 Megabits per second to 5,806.0 Megabits per second and the number of internet subscriptions increased by 30%, i.e., from 284,200 to 370,000. The total number of mobile cellular subscriptions also rose from 1,190,900 to 1,294,100. The contribution of the ICT Sector to the GDP increased from 6.4% in 2010 to 6.7% in 2011.
5. Cabinet has taken note that, as enunciated in Government Programme 2012-2015, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, in collaboration with the private sector, is implementing the Intelligent Mauritius Partnership Programme which aims at democratizing internet access and, in the long term, carpeting the country with broadband internet access to facilitate the delivery of enhanced e-Government services and deployment of Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) Network across Mauritius and Rodrigues.
6. Cabinet has taken note that, since the implementation of the Service to Mauritius Programme for skilled professionals, researchers and outstanding university students in 2008, some 75 interns have been enlisted. The main objectives of the Programme are, inter alia, to –
(a) attract the best and brightest young minds to spend some time in and contribute to the betterment of the public service;
(b) attract resources for a well-defined task to deal with the shortage of skills where no established post is filled; and
(c) provide an opportunity to young graduates to get work experience.
7. Cabinet has taken note of the results of the 14th pricing survey, the first of the third round, conducted by the Price Observatory on 30 July 2012. The third round covers a new list of 23 outlets and 67 products. The pricing survey has revealed that the price differential between the cheapest and the highest-priced outlet was Rs1,432, and the price differential between the cheapest district (Grand Port) and the highest-priced district (Moka) was Rs641.
8. Cabinet has taken note of arrangements being made for the holding of the 18th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers from 28 to 31 August 2012 at the Swami Vivekananda International Convention Centre, Pailles. The theme of the Conference is Education in the Commonwealth: bridging the gap as we accelerate towards achieving internationally agreed goals. Dr the Hon Kenny Davis Anthony, Prime Minister of St. Lucia, would be the Key Note Speaker and HE Mr Kamalesh Sharma, Secretary General of the Commonwealth would also be present. The topics that would be discussed include –
(a) Bridging the gap to the 2015 internationally agreed goals;
(b) Bridging the development framework gap: Commonwealth contribution to the Post-2015 Development framework; and
(c) Building respect and understanding through education: the role of language in bridging the inclusion gap.
Cabinet has further taken note that an exhibition would be organized in the Atrium of the Swami Vivekananda International Convention Centre by the Commonwealth Foundation and Nexus Strategic Partnership Ltd.
9. Cabinet has taken note that the 27th Ordinary Session of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights would be held in Mauritius from 26 November to 7 December 2012. The mission of the Court is to complement and reinforce the functions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in promoting and protecting human and peoples’ rights, freedoms and duties in African Union Member States.
10. Cabinet has taken note that the University of Mauritius, in collaboration with the Amabhubesi Training, South Africa, would hold the International Seminar on Rapid e-Learning Development from 21 to 23 August 2012 at the Octave Wiehe Auditorium, Réduit. The main objective of the Seminar is to enable participants to acquire the ability to develop and deploy high quality interactive multimedia e-learning courses. Some 40 participants from Africa would attend the Seminar.
11. Cabinet has agreed to the Attorney General’s Office and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of the People’s Republic of China signing a Memorandum of Understanding to provide for the strengthening of cooperation and links in law, legal institutions, legal training, and legal services and promote a greater understanding in each country of the other country’s laws and legal systems. It will also promote the open exchange of information on legal cooperation activities between the Parties by providing a forum through which officials of both Parties could meet to identify challenges, opportunities and impediments to legal cooperation activities in each country, and to cooperate to identify solutions.
12. Cabinet has taken note of the reconstitution of the Board of Le Morne Heritage Trust Fund with Mr Jean Claude Edley Chimon as Chairperson.
13. Cabinet has taken note that Mrs Vedalini Phoolchund-Bhadain and Mrs Jayshree Ramful-Jhowry have been appointed Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson respectively of the Environment and Land Use Tribunal. |
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