HIGHLIGHTS OF CABINET MEETING – FRIDAY 14 JULY 2023

The Cabinet met today under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister, the Hon. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth. The highlights of the deliberations are as follows:

Cabinet has agreed to the introduction of the Private Recruitment Agencies Bill into the National Assembly. The main object of the Bill is to repeal the Recruitment of Workers Act and replace it with a new and more appropriate legislative framework. The new legislation consolidates and strengthens the law with regard to the recruitment of citizens of Mauritius for employment locally and abroad, and for the recruitment of non-citizens for employment in Mauritius.

The Bill also reflects ethical recruitment standards in line with the recommendations of the International Labour Organization and the International Organization for Migration.

• Cabinet has agreed to instructions being conveyed to the Attorney General’s Office for the drafting of a new legislation to replace the existing Protection from Domestic Violence Act, with a view to, inter alia, protecting spouses from acts of domestic violence.

The new legislation would be a comprehensive and multidisciplinary one, criminalising all forms of violence, and encompassing issues of prevention, protection, survivor empowerment and support (health, economic, social, psychological), aiming at reinforcing the legal parameters to protect victims of domestic violence, making the perpetrator of domestic violence accountable for his or her behaviour or acts. The new Bill would also make provisions for support and rehabilitative services to deter perpetrators from committing further acts of domestic violence. The powers of Enforcing Officers, Police Officers, amongst others, would be reinforced.

• Cabinet has agreed to review the following criteria for the provision of a water tank and a domestic water pump under the Water Tank Grant Scheme, as announced in the 2023/2024 Budget:

(a) an increase in the provision of the water tank storage from “at least 400 litres” to “1,000 litres or more” for a quantum of Rs 10,000;

(b) an increase in the grant for the purchase of domestic water pump from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000;

(c) the supplier for the water tanks would now be required to provide the beneficiary under the Water Tank Grant Scheme with some essential fittings for an amount of Rs 1,000;

(d) households which had already benefitted from a grant for the purchase of a water tank under the existing scheme would not be eligible under the new scheme; and

(e) applications which had already been processed and approved under the existing Scheme by the Development Bank of Mauritius, and in respect of which applicants had been informed, would not be eligible to apply under the new Scheme.

• Cabinet has taken note of the activities being carried out to commemorate World Day against Trafficking in Persons on 30 July 2023. The theme for this year is “Reach every victim of trafficking, leave no one behind”.
• The campaign for World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2023 aims to raise awareness of the population regarding the disturbing developments and trends identified by the latest UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons. The following activities would, inter alia, be conducted:

(a) sensitisation campaigns by the Crime Prevention Unit and “Brigade Pour la Protection de la Famille” of the Police Department;

(b) organisation of a workshop by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to raise awareness on Trafficking in Persons, in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration; and

(c) mass awareness campaigns on commercial sexual exploitation of children as well as other activities by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare; and

(d) organisation of a dissemination workshop on a “Code of Conduct for the Recruitment and Employment of Migrant Workers in Mauritius”, by the Prime Minister’s Office in collaboration with Mauritius Export Association and the Ministry of Labour, Human Resource Development and Training.

• Cabinet has taken note that the Indian Ocean Commission has informed of a case of avian flu in  a poultry farm in Reunion Island. New disinfection mats were being used at the airport in  Mauritius and Rodrigues and precautionary measures put in place since October 2022 were still  being maintained. The Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security and the Ministry of Health  and Wellness were monitoring the situation closely in Mauritius and Rodrigues.
• Cabinet has taken note of the list of public holidays for the year 2024, which is as follows:

** The exact date of this festival is subject to confirmation as its celebration depends on the  visibility of the moon