Highlights Of Cabinet Meeting – Friday 22 March 2024

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

1. Cabinet has agreed to the promulgation of the National Pensions (Amendment of Schedule) Regulations 2024 to give effect to the increase in the rates of the Basic Retirement Pension, Widow’s Basic Pension, Invalid’s  Basic   Pension   and   Orphan’s   Pension   as   from 01 April 2024.
2. Cabinet has agreed to the promulgation of the Maritime Zones (Baselines and Closing Lines) Regulations 2024 and the Maritime Zones (EEZ Outer Limit Lines) Regulations 2024. The Maritime Zones (Baselines and Closing Lines) Regulations 2024 provide for the baselines and closing lines for the islands of the Republic of Mauritius and revoke the Maritime Zones (EEZ Outer Limit Lines) Regulations The Maritime Zones (EEZ Outer Limit Lines) Regulations 2024 make provision for the EEZ outer limit lines for the Republic of Mauritius and revoke the Maritime Zones (Baselines and Delineating Lines) Regulations 2005.
3. Cabinet has agreed to the promulgation of the Roads (Fixed Penalty Notice) Regulations 2024 and the Roads (Amendment of Schedule) Regulations 2024. These Regulations would, inter alia, empower Police Officers and designated officers of the Road Development Authority to serve a Fixed Penalty Notice on person(s) committing an offence under the Roads Act. Some of the offences included under these Regulations are:
   • encroachment on road and road reserves;
   • allowing filth, drain water or noxious water likely to damage any road or footpath, or causing inconvenience to person having access to it;
   • causing damage to road infrastructure and furniture; and
   • throwing stone or any other thing to cause injury to a person or vehicle along a road.
4. Cabinet has taken note that the National Assembly would host the 15ème Conférence des Présidents d’Assemblées et de sections de la région Afrique de l’Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF), on 18 and 19 April 2024 in Mauritius. The APF is a platform for parliamentary debates, proposals and exchange of information about all subjects in which its members show common interest.
5. Cabinet has taken note that the Information and Communication Technologies Authority would host the meeting of the Legal and Policy Committee and a Capacity Building Workshop of the Communication Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa from 26 to 29 March 2024 in Mauritius.
6. Cabinet has taken note of the holding of a consultative workshop on the role of science, technology and innovation on 25 and 26 March 2024 with a view to tackling Non- Communicable Diseases in The workshop would be organised jointly by the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council and the Joint Research Centre of European Commission.
7. Cabinet has taken note of activities being organised by the Computer Emergency Response Team of Mauritius (CERT-MU) for promoting the safe use of internet among pupils and Such activities which would be conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology include:
   • a Cyber Hackathon, designed for students of secondary schools with a keen interest in programming with the aim of challenging participants to find vulnerabilities and flaws on a particular application; and
   • a Poster Competition for pupils of primary schools whereby each school would be required to design a poster on the theme “Together for a better internet”.
8. Cabinet has agreed to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Recreation and the Mauritius Fire and Rescue Service for the implementation of the ‘Jeunes Sapeurs Pompiers’ programme. Young volunteers would be trained in prompt rescue, handling of firefighting equipment and acquiring life saving techniques with the objective of empowering the volunteers, boosting their self-esteem and acquiring values of solidarity, volunteering and good citizenship.
9. Cabinet has taken note of the activities being organised to mark World Environment Day 2024, celebrated on 05 June every year. The theme for this year would focus on “Land restoration, desertification and drought resilience”.

The Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change would organise the second edition of the Environmental Awards in recognition of the efforts of institutions in taking sustainability measures and best environmental initiatives. 12 thematic sectors had been retained for the Environmental Awards 2024, namely manufacturing industry, retail outlets, media, Non-Governmental Organisations, waste management and resource recovery, banking/finance sector, tourism industry, local authorities, the public sector, the transport sector, the best environmental initiatives in educational institutions and other environmental recognition. Moreover, sensitisation of the public on the theme of World Environment Day 2024, would be carried out.

10. Cabinet has taken note that a High-Level Congressional delegation from the United States, led by the Chairperson of the House of Committee on Ways and Means, would be on official visit to Mauritius on 26 and 27 March 2024.
11. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the recent participation of the Attorney General, Minister of   Foreign   Affairs,   Regional   Integration   and   International   Trade   in    the 13^th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference held in Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi Declaration was adopted at the The Conference also reaffirmed its commitment to the work programme on small economies like Mauritius with a view to seeking solutions to their trade concerns.

The implementation of the Agreement on Investment Facilitation for Development and the Services Domestic Regulations would facilitate investment flows and remove regulatory bottlenecks to trade in the services sector. In the sideline of the Conference, the WTO and the International Trade Centre launched a USD50 million fund to support women entrepreneurs to tap into international trade opportunities and the digital economy. The fund would assist women in Developing and Least Developed Countries to adopt digital technology and expand online presence of their enterprises.   In the margins of the Conference, the Attorney General also had a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Agriculture and Trade of New Zealand.

12. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the recent participation of the Attorney General, Minister of   Foreign   Affairs,   Regional   Integration   and    International    Trade   in    the 9^th Edition of the Raisina Dialogue in New The theme of the Raisina Dialogue, organised by the Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India and the Indian Policy think-tank, Observer Research Foundation, was “Conflict, Contest, Cooperate and Create – the four elements of Chaturanga on ancient Indian strategy game”.

The Attorney General made an address at the inaugural session of the Dialogue entitled “Looking Back, Looking Ahead – The Long Decade” where he recalled the disastrous impact of the COVID-19 when globalisation was non-existent. He, inter alia, mentioned that climate change was a matter of survival for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Mauritius.

In the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue, the Attorney General had bilateral meetings with the Minister of External Affairs of the Republic of India and counterparts from Estonia, Latvia and Panama as well as other high-level participants to discuss issues of mutual interest and the enhancement of bilateral relations.

13. Cabinet has taken note that, as at 21 March 2024, there were 323 active cases of Dengue Fever in Mauritius, of which 52 had been hospitalised in both public and private For Rodrigues,  169    active     cases     of     Dengue     Fever     had     been     recorded     as     at 21 March 2024, of which 08 were hospitalised. Mass fogging and larviciding were ongoing.
14. Cabinet has taken note that the Construction Industry Authority Act would come into operation on 01 April 2024.

Cabinet has also taken note of the constitution of the Construction Industry Board with Mr Tarkaswar Cowaloosur as part-time Chairperson.