Décisions du Conseil des Ministres du 18 Juillet 2019

Les membres du Cabinet ont pris note qu’un comité technique sera mis en place pour voir l’application du Portable Gratuity Fund, la promulgation du Occupational Safety and Health (Foundries and Construction Works) Regulations 2019, l’amendement du Consumer Protection (Control of Imports) Regulations 2017 et le changement des dates des examens de la PSAC.

1. Cabinet has taken note that following the introduction of the Employment Relations (Amendment) Bill and the Workers’ Rights Bill into the National Assembly, a Technical Committee has been set up to address the modalities for the implementation of the Portable Gratuity Fund. The Committee would also look into other pertinent issues raised by Business Mauritius and trade unions following the release of the two Bills.

The Committee would be chaired by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and would comprise representatives of:

(a) the Prime Minister’s Office;

(b) the Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities;

(d) the Ministry of Civil Service and Administrative Reforms.

The Committee would be assisted by Actuaries and would submit its recommendations before 30 July 2019.

2. Cabinet has taken note that the Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations, Employment and Training would promulgate the Occupational Safety and Health (Foundries and Construction Works) Regulations 2019. The Regulations aim at regulating the safety and health standards in foundries and construction works to ensure workers’ safety and health while they are involved in such activities and also to harmonise the new Regulations with the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

3. Cabinet has taken note that the Consumer Protection (Control of Imports) Regulations 2017 would be amended so as to add to the list of prohibited goods the following new item:

“Any goods, including any paintings, picture or design on the goods which cause outrage against any religion, or against good morals or against public and religious morality.”

4. Cabinet has agreed to Mauritius ratifying the Accord d’Entraide Judiciaire en Matière Pénale, with Madagascar. The Accord was signed in March 2019 taking into consideration the increase in transnational crime involving the jurisdictions of the two countries and to further strengthen mutual legal cooperation. The Accord d’Entraide Judiciaire en Matière Pénale complies with the Mutual Assistance in Criminal and Related Matters Act.

5. Cabinet has agreed to the organisation of a workshop on “Les enjeux et défis de la représentation de l’esclavage dans les musées” in Mauritius, from 13 to 15 September 2019, in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The objectives of the Workshop would be to:

(a) assess the global impact of the slave trade and the legacies of slavery in the 21st century on health, education, political, economic and religious status;

(b) exchange the experiences and best practices on interpreting and representing slavery from different regions of the world; and

(c) explore the roles of the arts and humanities and the new possibilities offered by Information, Communication and Technology and digital multimedia technology to interpret and represent the memory and history related to the slave trade, slavery and their legacies.

The Workshop would be opened to both local and foreign participants, namely museum experts, curators, managers of sites of memory, heritage professionals, scholars, historians, anthropologists, sociologists, psychologists, cultural institutions, journalists, educators and leaders of Civil Society Organisations.

6. Cabinet has taken note that the Mauritius Ports Authority would host the Mauritius Maritime Week 2020 from 19 to 23 October 2020 in Mauritius. The event would be organised by Transport Events Management Limited of Malaysia, which is a leading Exhibition and Conference Organiser in the field of international transportation and logistics.
The objectives of this international event are to:

(a) showcase Mauritius, especially, Port Louis Harbour as a growing cruise tourism and as an important logistics and maritime hub in this region of the world;

(b) showcase Mauritius as a preferred maritime gateway in the Indian Ocean region; and

(c) provide networking opportunities for professionals to discuss on the challenges unfolding in the transport and logistics sector, as well as emerging risks and opportunities for the industry to promote economic prosperity.

The Mauritius Maritime Week 2020 is designed to promote transportation and logistics in the Indian Ocean and it would comprise the 13th Indian Ocean Ports and Logistics 2020 Conference and Exhibition.

7. Cabinet has taken note of the decisions taken and endorsed by the 12th Extra-Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) held recently in Niger. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement which entered into force on
30 May 2019, represents a unique collaborative effort by African countries to bolster regional and continental economic integration in a world marked by increasing protectionism and use of unilateral trade measures. The operational phase of the AfCFTA was launched during the Extra-Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly.

8. Cabinet has taken note of the new dates for the holding of the Primary School Achievement Certificate (PSAC) end of year assessment 2019 for Grade 6 (core subjects). The revised schedule for the PSAC Assessment 2019 is as follows:

The results are expected to be proclaimed on Friday 13 December 2019.

9. Cabinet has taken note of the arrangements being made for the continued implementation and management of the SME Employment Scheme and for the extension of the Scheme to Diploma holders as announced in Budget 2019-2020. SME Mauritius would soon invite applications from unemployed graduates/Diploma holders wishing to be enlisted for placement under the Scheme and from SMEs and other enterprises.

10. Cabinet has taken note that the regional meeting of Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) and Africa Project would be organised by the Mauritius Oceanography Institute, from 14 to 16 August 2019. The GMES is a joint initiative of the African Union Commission and the European Union geared towards addressing needs of African countries to access and use earth observation data for sustainable development in Africa.

11. Cabinet has taken note that two special issues of stamps would be added to the Stamps Issue Programme 2019, namely on the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice, the islands of Chagos Archipelago and the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis in Mauritius in September 2019.

12. Cabinet has taken note that the retail price of imported live cattle for Eid-Ul-Adha 2019 has been fixed at Rs132.50 per kg, effective as from 18 July 2019. The Consumer Protection (Control of Sale of Imported Live Animals for Home Slaughter) Regulations are being amended accordingly.

13. Cabinet has taken note that the Ministry of Tourism would organise the Festival International Kreol 2019 from 7 to 17 November 2019 in collaboration with the Ministry of Arts and Culture and the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority. An Organising Committee has been set up under the chair of the Minister of Tourism. The theme chosen for this year is ‘Kreolite nu Larmoni”.

14. Cabinet has taken note that the Ministry of Arts and Culture would sign a ‘Convention de Partenariat’ with the Institut Français de Maurice for the holding of a public exhibition entitled ‘Conversations’, at the Natural History Museum, Port Louis from 28 September to 30 November 2019. The exhibition would highlight the artistic creativity of both countries, as well as a collection of masterpieces of the twentieth century from the ‘Fond Régional d’Art Contemporain de la Réunion’. Paintings of contemporary artists from Mauritius and Reunion Island would be displayed alongside works of renowned artists of the 18th century, namely Antoni Tapiès, Alexander Calder and Malcolm de Chazal.

15. Cabinet has taken note of the reconstitution of:

(a) the Pharmacy Board with Dr S. Ramen, Acting Director General Health Services as Chairperson;

(b) the Trade and Therapeutics Committee with Dr V. Gujadhur, Director Health Services as Chairperson;

(d) the Planning Committee with Dr B. Ori, Director Health Services as Chairperson.