1. Cabinet has discussed the situation of water supply as a result of prolonged drought. A number of administrative measures to reinforce management capability at the Central Water Authority has been decided upon and are being implemented.
2. Cabinet has approved the grant of 8 Export Enterprise Certificates, 5 Pioneer Status Enterprise Certificates, 1 Industrial Building Enterprise Certificate and 2 Modernisation and Expansion Enterprise Certificates.
Investment will be made inter alia in the fields of dyeing of yarn, assembly of quartz watches, manufacture of light engineering products, manufacture of Plastic products, manufacture and repairs of sails and yachts, catamarans and windsurf boards, marine buoys and navigation lights; the provision of consultancy services in quality control and quality management, modernisation and expansion of Les Moulins de la Concorde Ltee and Quality Beverages Ltd. and the construction of an industrial building at Phoenix.
The implementation of these projects would create some 760 job opportunities and would entail investment amounting to around Rs390 million.
3. Cabinet has considered the recommendations of the Ministerial Committee set up under the Chairmanship of the Minister of Public Utilities to look at the Management and cost reduction at the CEB and has agreed to the implementation thereof. Among the recommendations, the stock policy as well as the Fuel purchase policy would be reviewed with a view to reducing the cost. These measures will result in savings which can obviate the need for increase in electricity tariff in the present circumstances.
4. Cabinet has agreed to a scheme from the Ministry of Education & Scientific Research to distribute a pack of fortified and pasteurised milk instead of loaves to primary school children in the island of Mauritius. Such a measure will help to improve the health standards of our school children.
5. Cabinet has given its agreement to the participation of Mauritius Telecom in the South Africa Far East (SAFE) Optical Fibre Submarine Cable Project and its extension to a second phase linking South Africa to Portugal along the West African Coast.
This extension Project, linking South Africa to Portugal will reinforce the SAFE Optical Fibre Submarine Cable Project which proposes to link South Africa to Penang, Malaysia.
6. Cabinet has agreed to the Ministry of Land Transport, Shipping & Port Development proceeding ahead with the invitation of proposals from International firms for a Light Rail Transit System between Curepipe and Port Louis on a BOT basis.
7. Cabinet has agreed to the proposals of the Ministry of Land Transport , Shipping & Port Development regarding appointment of national delegations to the Sub-Sectoral Committees of the Southern African Transport and Communication Commission.
8. Cabinet has approved the draft text of an Agreement between Mauritius and the Russian Federation to promote co-operation in tourism.
9. Cabinet has agreed to a Public Sector Initiatives for Excellence project being launched on Monday 12 April, 1999 under the aegis of the Ministry for Civil Service Affairs and Administrative Reform. The purpose of the programme is to improve the quality of service in the Public Sector.
10. Following Government decision to introduce Health and Safety Standards within the Civil Service, Cabinet has taken note that a special Unit has been created at the Ministry for Civil Service Affairs and Administrative Reform to implement the measure.
The following Ministries have been identified as priority for Health and Safety measures:
(i) Agriculture, Food Technology and Natural Resources;
(ii) Public Infrastructure and Public Safety; and
(iii) Environment, Human Resource Development and Employment (Waste Water Authority).
11. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the participation of the Attorney-General & Minister of Justice, Human Rights & Corporate Affairs and Minister of Labour & Industrial Relations at —
(i) the 274th Session of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation; and
(ii) the 55th Session of the Commission on Human Rights, held in Geneva in March, 1999.