HIGHLIGHTS OF CABINET MEETING – FRIDAY 03 JUNE 2022: The Cabinet met today under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister, the Hon. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth. The highlights of the deliberations are as follows:…

in Politique

Cabinet has agreed to the promulgation of the Maritime Zones (Economic Activities)
(Amendment) Regulations 2022. Any activity involving the use of marine renewable energy
would be prescribed in the list of economic activities under the Maritime Zones (Economic
Activities) Regulations. The terms “deep sea water energy conservation and production
technologies” would be replaced by “technologies for energy conversion and production from
marine renewable energy resources”. This would allow an activity that uses proven
innovative technologies and contribute to energy conversion using thermal and other
properties of the sea water as well as production of energy from tides, waves, winds and
currents.

  1. Cabinet has taken note that the Social Contribution and Social Benefits (Industrial Injuries)
    Regulations 2022 would be promulgated. The Regulations would provide for:
    (a) the employee and/or employer, including self-employed individuals, to furnish to the
    National Pensions Officer, information and relevant documents, related to industrial
    injuries sustained and circumstances of these injuries;
    (b) the terms and conditions to effect payment of benefits; and
    (c) the rates of benefits payable in respect of:
    (i) expenses incurred – transport, first aid required;
    (ii) Constant Personal Attendance Allowance;
    (iii) Dependent’s Benefit; and
    (iv) other benefits incurred – medical, surgical attendances, physiotherapy.
    The Regulations shall be deemed to have come into operation as from
    01 September 2020 and on 01 September 2021 insofar as it relates to a self-employed person.
  2. Cabinet has taken note of the performance of the Export-Oriented Enterprises (EOE) Sector
    over the period January to March 2022, as compared to the corresponding period in 2021.
    With regard to the performance of the EOE sector over the year 2021, EOE exports stood at
    around Rs42.66 billion, as compared to some Rs37.29 billion in 2020. Currently, over the
    period January to March 2022, EOE exports revolved at around Rs10.93 billion, as compared
    to some Rs9.38 billion during the corresponding period in 2021.
  3. Cabinet has taken note that a Ministerial Committee chaired by the Prime Minister has been
    set up to look into the development of a High-Tech Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology
    Industry in Mauritius. The Committee would address all technical and regulatory issues.
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  4. Cabinet has agreed to the draft Schedule of Commitments of Mauritius in the context of the
    ongoing Trade in Services negotiations under the African Continental Free Trade Area
    (AfCFTA). The AfCFTA Council of Ministers agreed in January 2022 to extend the deadline
    to complete the negotiations in the five priority sectors, namely business services,
    communication services, financial services, transport services and tourism services to 30 June
  5. Mauritius has scheduled commitments in new sub-sectors including Legal Services,
    Taxation Services, Medical and Dental Services.
    The draft Schedule of Commitments would be verified by the AfCFTA Secretariat prior to
    submission to the 9th meeting of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers scheduled on 01 and 02
    July 2022.
  6. Cabinet has agreed to Mauritius adhering to the Declaration on International Investment and
    Multinational Enterprises of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
    (OECD). The aims of the Declaration are to ensure an open and transparent environment for
    international investment and to encourage the positive contribution multinational enterprises
    can make to economic, social and environmental progress. The benefits for Mauritius to
    adhere to the Declaration include the following:
    (a) improved transparency of its investment regimes, which would give comfort to both
    domestic and foreign investors;
    (b) entitlement to participate along with other adherent countries and the European
    Commission in the work of the OECD Investment Committee;
    (c) taking advantage of the OECD diagnosis and benchmarking exercises in the course of
    the review process of the investment climate of Mauritius; and
    (d) improved access to global supply chains.
  7. Cabinet has taken note that Mauritius would host the 27th Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna
    Commission during the second week of May 2023.
  8. Cabinet has taken note that the forthcoming joint re-evaluation of the Mauritius Accreditation
    Service (MAURITAS) by the African Accreditation Cooperation and the Southern African
    Development Community Cooperation in Accreditation would be carried out from 13 to 17
    June 2022 in Mauritius. The first evaluation exercise was carried out in May 2018 and
    enabled MAURITAS to achieve international recognition by becoming a signatory member
    of the Multilateral Recognition Arrangement of the International Accreditation Forum and of
    the Mutual Recognition Arrangement of the International Laboratory Accreditation
    Cooperation in October 2018.
    The exercise would be conducted in the presence of international organisations such as the
    International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation and the International Accreditation
    Forum which are the two supreme authorities in accreditation at the global level.
  9. Cabinet has taken note of actions being taken with regard to the implementation of a Strategy
    and Action Plan for a New Solid Waste Management and Resource Recovery system in
    Mauritius, following the feasibility study funded by the Agence Française de Développement.
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    The Strategy includes, among others, the setting-up of source segregation of wastes and the
    setting-up of the regional composting plants and sorting units to be carried out on a PublicPrivate Partnership basis.
    A Request For Proposal is expected to be launched in September 2022 to invite potential
    project proponents to submit their bids for the setting-up and operation of composting plants
    and sorting units in the Western and Northern regions of Mauritius on a Design-Build-OwnOperate basis.
  10. Cabinet has taken note that in the context of the Metro Express Project Phase 3 from Rose
    Hill to Reduit, major construction works would be undertaken near the Ebène Recreational
    Park Roundabout. Consequently, a traffic diversion scheme would be put in place as follows:
    (a) the Rose Hill – Trianon Road (A14) would be closed daily, at night, from
    19 30 hours to 05 00 hours; and
    (b) the existing Roundabout near Ebène Recreational Park would be replaced by a cross
    junction with traffic lights.
    The works are expected to start as from Monday 06 June 2022 and would last for six months.
    The necessary traffic signs would be set up to inform and guide road users.
  11. Cabinet has taken note of the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic prevailing across the
    world. Some 533.6 million cases have been reported globally, of which 504.6 million persons
    have been successfully treated.
    With regard to Mauritius, as at 01 June 2022, there were 158 active cases of COVID-19, out
    of which 13 were admitted at the New ENT Hospital. Over the period 26 May to
    01 June 2022, one death was attributed to COVID-19.
    Cabinet has also taken note of progress in the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, including
    the administration of the booster dose and paediatric dose in the Republic of Mauritius.
  12. Cabinet has taken note that three suspected cases of Monkeypox had been recorded on 01
    June 2022. The swabs have been sent to South Africa for testing purposes. Protocols have
    been worked out in respect of entry at the Airport and the Port as well as for treatment of
    cases of Monkeypox. Regulations would be made to declare Monkeypox as a notifiable
    disease.
  13. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of two workshops organised and delivered by the
    Human Rights Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and
    International Trade in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat from 23 May to
    26 May 2022. The workshops were on ‘Human Rights and Youth Engagement’ and
    ‘Business and Human Rights’, respectively. Both workshops were facilitated by
    Dr Shavana Haythornthwaite, Human Rights Adviser and Head of the Human Rights Unit of
    the Commonwealth Secretariat.
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  14. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the recent mission of the Minister of Financial
    Services and Good Governance to Ghana where he participated in the 2022 Annual Meetings
    of the Boards of Governors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group. The Minister
    participated in various meetings including the Boards of Governors, the Southern Africa
    Group 1 Constituency, the SADC Ministers with the AfDB President, the Senior management
    of the AfDB and bilaterals. The 2022 Annual Meetings were attended by over 2,000
    participants. The theme of the 2022 Annual Meetings was “Achieving Climate Resilience and
    a Just Energy Transition for Africa”, and was aligned with preparations for the United
    Nations’ global climate summit (COP27), scheduled to be held in November 2022.
    Mauritius has been appointed in the subsidiary organs of the Board of Governors, namely the
    Joint Steering Committee and the Governors Consultative Committee, and would chair the
    Constituency meetings.
    The Minister of Financial Services and Good Governance met the Vice-President as well as
    the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning of Ghana and discussed ongoing cooperation
    between the two countries.
    Note: Cabinet decisions are available on the internet. The address is http://pmo.govmu.org
    Government Information Service
    Prime Minister’s Office
    03 June 2022 Port Louis

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