Highlights Of Cabinet Meeting – Friday 24 March 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:

1. Cabinet has agreed to the introduction of the Mauritius Digital Promotion Agency Bill into the National Assembly. The main object of the Bill is to repeal and replace the National Computer Board Act and to provide for the establishment of the Mauritius Digital Promotion The main objects of the Agency would be to, inter alia:
   • boost the growth of the ICT sector through skills development and innovation; and
   • achieve basic ICT proficiency among all population groups.
2. Cabinet has agreed to the introduction of the Supplementary Appropriation (2022-2023) Bill into the National The object of the Bill is to provide for the supplementary appropriation, by votes of expenditure, both recurrent and capital, in respect of services of Government for the Financial Year 2022-2023, in excess of the expenditure appropriated by the Appropriation (2022-2023) Act 2022.
3. Cabinet has agreed to the promulgation of the Central Water Authority (Dry Season) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 to allow for, inter alia, irrigation of sugar cane through abstraction of water resources during defined days and time. The Regulations would come into effect on 27 March 2023 and would remain in force until 30 April 2023.
4. Cabinet has agreed to the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding between the Seafarers’ Welfare Fund and the Mauritius Sailors’ Home Society. The objectives of the Memorandum of Understanding are to continue cooperation between the two organisations and also to better promote social and economic welfare of seafarers and their families through social schemes and projects.
5. Cabinet has agreed to the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology hosting the 16^th Governing Council Meeting of the Centre for Science and Technology of the Non-Aligned and other Developing Countries on 27 and 28 July 2023. Mauritius, as the host country, would take over the presidency for the period 2023 to 2026 and would be involved in taking strategic decisions for the Centre regarding the implementation and promotion of science and technology initiatives on topical areas of interest among the Member States. Some 22 foreign delegates were expected to attend the meeting.
6. Cabinet has agreed to the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology co-hosting the Regional Bureau pour L’Enseignement de la Langue et de la Civilisation Française (BELC) international training in collaboration with the French Embassy and the Institut Français de Maurice, from 24 to 28 April 2023 in Mauritius. The organisation of the Regional BELC is an opportunity to position Mauritius as a platform for teacher training and in creating a regional network of expertise. Some 50 international participants from Southern and Eastern African countries and from the Indian Ocean Region along with officers from the Mauritius Institute of Education would attend the training course.
7. Cabinet has taken note that Mauritius would host the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Africa/Middle East (AME) Joint Group Meeting from 01 to 08 May The objectives of the AME Joint Group Meeting would be to:
   • develop the reviewer capacity with respect to the FATF standards and increase the visibility of Mauritius on the regional and international levels;
   • further strengthen the relationship between Mauritius and the AME Joint Group; and
   • establish Mauritius as a hub for Africa in the fight against Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing.

During the meeting, the AME Joint Group would be conducting the reviews of the countries placed on the list of the International Cooperation Review Group falling under its purview. The meeting would be attended by around 250 participants.

8. Cabinet has taken note that the Mauritius Emerging Technologies Council would organise an event on 25 and 26 May 2023 to launch the Mauritius Chief Information Officers (CIO) The objective behind the launching of the CIO Community project would be to create a community of CIOs in Mauritius by bringing together professionals from various industries to share knowledge, experiences, and best practices in the field of Information Technology. The Community would thus provide a platform for CIOs to network, collaborate, and learn from one another, with the goal of advancing the adoption of technology across the country and fostering innovation.
9. Cabinet has taken note of the activities being organised by the Ministry of Arts and Cultural Heritage to celebrate the first edition of Bhojpuri Gammat Day on Wednesday 19 April 2023, at Island View Garden, Petit Raffray. The activity would comprise a cultural programme with performances by Gammat singers to promote the rich tradition of folklore and folkloric songs as well as promoting the Gammat style of singing which is unique in its genre.
10. Cabinet has agreed to the Ministry of Arts and Cultural Heritage organising the first edition of the Mauritius Arts Expo 2023 from 27 April to 07 May 2023 at La Citadelle, Port Louis. In addition to the exhibition, there would be workshops, conferences and talks with art professionals and international visual artists.

The objective of the Mauritius Arts Expo would be to compile an inventory of the Mauritian Art Scene by focusing on the various artistic approaches and practices in the field of visual arts over the last 55 years. It would also aim at showcasing an array of artworks from pioneers of the Mauritian Visual Art Scene, established artists with modern and contemporary practices to promising talents.

11. Cabinet has taken note of the activities that would be organised in the context of the Earth Day on 22 April 2023. The theme retained for this year is “Invest in our Planet”. The Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology would organise the following activities:

• a Prize Giving Ceremony on 24 April 2023 relating to:
  • a Drawing and Painting Competition among Grade 5 and 6 students of Primary Schools;
  • an Essay Competition among Grade 10 students of secondary schools on environmental issues; and
  • a Poster Competition among students of Higher Education Institutions; and
• sensitisation of the general public through talks, radio programmes, and dissemination of a message via the website of the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change and the Government Email Services.

12. Cabinet has taken note of the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic prevailing in Mauritius. As at 22 March 2023, there were 25 active cases of COVID-19, out of which five were admitted at the New ENT Hospital. Over the period of 16 to 22 March 2023, there was no death attributed to COVID-19.
13. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the recent mission of the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade in London where he participated in two Commonwealth ministerial meetings, namely the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) and the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meeting. Mauritius is serving for the first time in the CMAG since its establishment in 1995.
14. Cabinet has taken note of the following road closures/traffic diversions:
    • the Moka – Camp de Masque – Flacq A7 Road at Saint Pierre would be closed to traffic from 25 to 27 March 2023 from 21 00 hours to 04 00 hours the next day due to major construction works near the Shell Filling Station;
    • part of the Holyrood Road from its junction with Beaux Songes Roundabout up to its junction with Jawaharlal Nehru Avenue would be closed from 03 April to 30 December 2023 due to construction of a bridge and road works along the Holyrood Road;
    • the Black River Savanne Coast Road B9 near La Prairie would be closed to traffic in both directions for a duration of three months with effect from 17 April 2023 in view of rocks purging works on the Macondé Cliff; and
    • in view of construction works in respect of the Flyover at Quay D Roundabout, Port Louis, the Motorway M2, both Northbound and Southbound would be closed to traffic from Quay D Roundabout to Mer Rouge Roundabout on Sunday 26 March 2023 from 09 00 hours to 18 00 hours. From Monday 27 March to 13 April 2023 from 20 00 hours to 05 00 hours the next day, the dual carriageway from Quay D Roundabout to Mer Rouge Roundabout and vice versa would be converted temporarily into a single carriageway.

Traffic signs would be placed and police assistance would be provided to guide road users.

15. Cabinet has taken note of the reconstitution of the Board of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority with Mr Donald Emmanuel Payen as part-time Chairperson.