Cabinet Decisions 22 October 2010
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CABINET DECISIONS – 22 OCTOBER 2010
1.Cabinet has agreed to the introduction into the National Assembly of the Energy Efficiency Bill which provides for the setting up of the Energy Efficiency Management Office to, inter alia, develop and implement strategies, programmes and action plans for the efficient use of energy, establish procedures to monitor energy efficiency and consumption, compile and maintain a database for energy auditors and devise labelling requirements and specifications for any equipment, machine or appliance which is imported, manufactured or sold in Mauritius.
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2.Cabinet has taken note of the status of the introduction of Bhojpuri as an optional subject in schools in line with Government Programme 2010-2015 to encourage the use of mothertongue to facilitate teaching and learning. The Ministry of Education and Human Resources has had consultations with all stakeholders on the project and has set up a High Level Committee to look into all modalities pertaining to curriculum development, production of textbooks and training of teachers.
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3.Cabinet has taken note of activities that would be organized by the Ministry of Arts and Culture, in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela Centre for African Culture, to mark the Journée Internationale Créole celebrated on 28 October 2010, viz., -
(a)a cultural programme at the Jardin de la Compagnie, Port Louis;
(b)an exhibition on the theme Contribution Kominote Kreol dan constriction nou pei;
(c)a Swaré zedmo, sirandann, mo krwaze ek lekritir an Kreol;
(d)holding of the finals of the National Drama Festival in Creole; and
(e)staging of an extract of the play “Afro-Opera”, in collaboration with the Evêché de Port Louis.
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4.Cabinet has taken note that the Ministry of Social Integration and Economic Empowerment, in collaboration with the Mauritius Family Planning Association and "Action Familiale", proposes to conduct sensitization campaigns on family planning in deprived areas around the country. The campaign would be launched on 23 October 2010 at Cité Beau Séjour.
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5.Cabinet has taken note of the status in the implementation of the Bagatelle Dam Project. The new Dam will have a storage capacity of 14 million cubic metres.
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6.Cabinet has taken note of the school calendar for primary and secondary levels for academic year 2011, viz. -
PrimarySecondary
1st TermMonday 10 JanuaryMonday 10 January
toto
Friday 01 AprilFriday 01 April
2nd TermMonday 18 April Monday 18 April
to to
Friday 15 JulyFriday 15 July
3rd TermMonday 15 August Monday 08 August
toto
Friday 04 NovemberFriday 04 November
Admission of students to Standard I and Form I would be held on Monday 10 January 2011.
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7.Cabinet has taken note that, according to the last statistical bulletin,646,656tourists visited Mauritius during the period January to September 2010 as compared to 608,885 for the corresponding period of 2009, i.e., an increase of 6.2%. During the month of September 2010, some 65,404 tourists visited Mauritius as compared to 60,144 in September 2009, i.e., an increase of 8.7%. Growth was registered in the following tourist markets: France (+7.5%), China (+30.1%), India (+32.4%), ReunionIsland (+6.8%), Republic of South Africa (+24.3%), Germany (+13.3%), Belgium (+4.0%) and UK (+2.0%).
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8.Cabinet has taken note that, in line with Government Programme 2010-2015, the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science, Research and Technology, in collaboration with the University of Mauritius and the Mauritius Research Council, has put in place training schemes to equip MPhil/PhD students and Junior Scientists with the necessary skills to increase the publication output of their research work in peer-reviewed journals.
Cabinet has further taken note that the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science, Research and Technology also proposes to mount courses to cater for the training of Professors and high-calibre scientists so as to meet the challenge of publishing in prestigious international Scientific Journals.
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9.Cabinet has taken note that the Indian Ocean Commission proposes to develop a new Regional Contingency Plan for Preparedness and Response to Major Marine Pollution Incidents in the Western Indian Ocean under the project “Western Indian Ocean Marine Highway Development and Coastal and Marine Contamination Prevention Project,” which aims at fighting major marine pollution and setting up a safe marine highway in the region. In this connection, the Indian Ocean Commission would organize a Regional Workshop from 26 to 28 October 2010 in Mauritius to discuss, inter alia, the development of the Regional Contingency Plan and the establishment of a roadmap for its implementation.
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10.Cabinet has taken note of the 2010 Report - Statistics in Mauritius: A Gender Approach - which highlights the sex-disaggregated data collected, inter alia, on demographic characteristics, education and economic activity. The salient features of the Report are, amongst others, that, in 2009,-
(a)the percentage of women aged between 15 and 49 years using family planning methods increased to 28.3%;
(b)10,619 marriages were celebrated as compared to 11,197 in 2008;
(c)2,154divorces were registered in 2009;
(d)5.0% of deaths among women were due to diseases,such as breast cancer, cervical cancer and complication of pregnancy and childbirth;
(e)59,948 boys and 57,974 girls were enrolled in primary schools, and at secondary level, the percentage enrolment was 73% for girls and 65% for boys;
(f)42.7% women and 76.1% men, aged 16 years and above, were actively participating in the economy as compared to 42.4% and 76.5% respectively in 2008;
(g)52 children victims of violence were separated from their families and admitted to Institutions as compared to 34 in 2008;
(h)the number of child abuse reported was 4,909 as compared to 3,397 in 2008; and
(i)the number of cases of domestic violence registered was 20,635 as compared to 16,743 in 2008.
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11.Cabinet has taken note of the performance of our athletes in the XIX Commonwealth Games held in Delhi. Mauritius won two bronze medals in boxing.
Cabinet has also taken note of the outcome of the visit of the Minister of Youth and Sports to India in the context of the XIXCommonwealth Games, where he attended the Fifth Commonwealth Sports Ministers’ Meeting and explored cooperation with the Indian authorities for the setting up of a National Institute of Sports and discussed exchanges in youth and sports.
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12.Cabinet has taken note of measures taken by the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life to sensitize the public on precautionary measures to be taken against chikungunya, dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases.
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13.Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the recent mission of the Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Economic Development to Washington, where he participated in the IMF/World Bank Meeting and the Commonwealth Finance Ministers’ Meeting. The IMF/World Bank Meeting centred on the economic crisis, whereas the Commonwealth Finance Ministers’ Meeting discussed, inter alia, the promotion of environmentally sustainable growth, and the strengthening of the relationship between Members of the Commonwealth and the G20, the IMF and the World Bank.
In the margins of the Meeting, the Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Economic Development had discussions with high officials of the IMF and the World Bank on the economic situation of Mauritius, policy options to enhance competitiveness whilst pursuing fiscal consolidation and controlling public sector debt, including statutory bodies contribution to fiscal consolidation, green taxation to support the Maurice Ile Durable project and provision of additional revenue bases to support transition to a Duty Free Island.
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14.Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the recent mission of the Minister of Information and Communication Technology to Mexico where he participated in the International Telecommunication Union Plenipotentiary Conference, which aimed, inter alia, at setting the Union's general policies and adopting four-year strategic and financial plans.
In the margins of the Conference, the Minister of Information and Communication Technology had discussions with his counterparts and it was agreed to–
(a)Mauritius acting as the focal point for coordinating a cooperation programme in ICT amongst the Members of the Indian Ocean Commission; and
(b)the Agence Nationale de Fréquence of Franceconcluding a collaboration agreement with the Information and Communication Technologies Authority with a view to exchanging skills in spectrum management and ensuring proper frequency coordination between Mauritius and Reunion Island.
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15.Cabinet has taken note of the reconstitution of -
(a)the National Children's Board with Ms Kiran Devi Ghyaram as Chairperson; and
(b)the Dangerous Chemicals Control Board with the Head Occupational Health Unit of the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life as Chairperson.
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