Décisions du Conseil des Ministres du 9 Août 2019

Les membres du Cabinet ont pris note des recommandations contenues dans la National Drug Control Master Plan 2019-2023 for Mauritius, de celui du e National Strategy 2019-2022 for Combatting of Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation and the National Action Plan, la signature d’un protocole d’accord entre State Trading Corporation et l’Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos du Mozambique, de la promulagation du Child Protection (Place of Safety for the Welfare and Protection of Children) Regulations entre autres.

1. Cabinet has taken note of the recommendations contained in the National Drug Control Master Plan 2019-2023 for Mauritius which has been developed with the assistance of the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC), in consultation with concerned stakeholders. The National Drug Control Master Plan rests on four strategic pillars,
namely :

(a) Drug Supply Reduction;

(b) Drug Demand Reduction, namely drug use prevention, drug use disorders treatment, rehabilitation and social reintegration;

(c) Harm Reduction; and

(d) Coordination Mechanism, Implementation Framework, Monitoring & Evaluation and Strategic Information.

The Master Plan would be submitted to the High Level Drugs and HIV Council which is, inter alia, mandated to :

(a) propose, formulate, review and validate national policies on Drugs and HIV;

(b) make recommendations, as appropriate, and provide guidelines on issues related to Drugs and HIV to the National Drugs Secretariat and the National AIDS Secretariat respectively;

(c) coordinate and monitor the national Drugs and HIV response by overseeing the implementation of the National Drug Control Master Plan 2019-2023 and the National Action Plan for HIV and AIDS 2017-2021; and

(d) ensure that allocation of funds for purposes of implementation of Drugs and HIV related programmes are effectively administered and accounted for.

2. Cabinet has taken note of the National Strategy 2019-2022 for Combatting of Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation and the National Action Plan to support the implementation of the Strategy. The National Strategy sets out the approach which Mauritius will adopt to address the money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing threats for the period 2019 to 2022. The National Strategy is based on the following main strategic themes, namely :

(a) strengthening the Anti Money Laundering/Combatting the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Legal and Regulatory Framework;

(b) implementing a comprehensive risk-based supervision framework;

(c) strengthening the process by which the Money Laundering/Terrorism Financing threats are detected and disrupted, criminals are prosecuted and illegal proceeds are confiscated;

(d) enhancing national co-ordination and cooperation;

(e) implementing an effective AML/CFT data collection system in all relevant competent authorities; and

(f) enhancing regional and international cooperation.

The National AML/CFT Committee has approved both the National Strategy and the National Action Plan.

3. Cabinet has agreed to the signing of the Strategic Partnership Framework 2019-2023 between the United Nations and the Government of Mauritius and to the implementation of the recommendations contained therein. The Strategic Partnership Framework lays down firm grounds for the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals, AU Agenda 2063, the SAMOA Pathway and other internationally and regionally agreed goals. The main focus of the Framework is to support the ongoing transformation of the Mauritian economy and society towards a high income country status and sustainable job creation and economic growth and effort to secure lasting and inclusive prosperity. The six pillars of the Strategic Partnership Framework are Strong Economy, Strong Economy – Fully Open Country, Strong Economy – Sustainable Development, Coherent Social Development and Inclusive Society, and Sustainable Development – a Safer Living Environment.

4. Cabinet has taken note that a Memorandum of Understanding would be signed in the field of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) between the State Trading Corporation and the Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos, a state owned oil company in Mozambique. The main objectives of the Memorandum of Understanding are to encourage close cooperation between both parties in the field of LNG by sharing experience and exchanging information of LNG business and trading, exploring possibilities of joint venture in the LNG sector and to collaborate in the implementation of a Regional Strategy of Indian Ocean Island countries for LNG sourcing.

5. Cabinet has agreed to Mauritius signing the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Industry. The objective of the Protocol is to promote the development of diversified, innovative and globally competitive regional and national industrial bases to enable the SADC region to achieve sustainable and inclusive industrial development. The Protocol aims, inter alia, at :

(a) promoting industrialisation in an equitable and co-ordinated manner;

(b) strengthening national and regional capabilities for industrial policy formulation, design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation;

(c) promoting and attracting investment in the industrial and related sectors;

(d) facilitating the development of globally competitive Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises;

(e) promoting industrial innovation and diversification, technology transfer, skills development, research and development, and new emerging industries and technologies; and

(f) promoting sustainable and inclusive industrial development by encouraging the protection of the environment and the optimal use of natural resources in terms of internationally acceptable standards.

6. Cabinet has agreed to the promulgation of the Child Protection (Place of Safety for the Welfare and Protection of Children) Regulations under the Child Protection Act. The Regulations provide that any person wishing to operate an institution for the welfare and protection of children should make an application to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare for the said institution to be designated as a place of safety. In determining the application, the Permanent Secretary would have regard to :

(a) whether the institution and the amenities therein meet the necessary conditions to be a place of safety;

(b) whether the staff is adequate and possesses the appropriate qualifications in child related matters, including matters relating to child care, child development, child psychology and rehabilitation; and

(c) any objection raised against the setting up of the institution.

The Regulations also make provisions, inter alia, for :

(a) the maximum number of children who can be accommodated and personal care requirements at any one time;

(b) conditions regarding the category, age, and sex of residents; and

(c) the administration and internal structure of the place of safety.

7. Cabinet has taken note that the Mauritius Oceanography Institute would sign a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of promotion of scientific exchange with the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research based in Germany. The Memorandum of Understanding caters for several sectors of cooperation including marine biodiversity, ecology, evolution and systematics, and the promotion of scientific exchange in marine science education and research.

8. Cabinet has taken note of the main findings and recommendations of the feasibility study for the construction of an Island Terminal and Breakwater Structure at Port Louis Harbour.

Cabinet has also taken note that the Mauritius Ports Authority would issue a Market Consultation Memorandum (Information Memorandum) to potential international private investors, financial institutions, shipping lines and other stakeholders to assess the level of private sector interest to finance the project.

9. Cabinet has agreed to Mauritius hosting the 17th Conference of the Southern Africa and Islands Hydrographic Commission in August/September 2020. The aim of the Commission is to, inter alia, coordinate hydrographic activities and cooperation at the regional level. During the Conference, issues such as hydrographic surveys and charting status, electronic navigational charts production status, bilateral and regional cooperation agreements, projects and capacity building management plans would be discussed.
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10. Cabinet has taken note that in the context of the International Youth Day celebrated on 12 August each year, the Ministry of Youth and Sports would organise a Youth Gathering on 18 August 2019 from 10 00 hours to noon at the Landscope Conference Hall of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Tower, Cybercity, Ebene. The main objectives of the Gathering are to give a platform to young people to share their achievements and experiences and highlight their contribution in the country’s development. The event would also be an opportunity to recognise the excellent performance of Mauritian athletes in the Indian Ocean Islands Games 2019. The local theme of the celebrations would be “Nou zenes nou lafors” based on the theme “Transforming Education” declared by the United Nations for this year’s celebrations. The function would culminate with a cultural show by renowned artists.

11. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the recent mission of the Minister of Public Infrastructure and Land Transport, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade to Comoros where he attended the Ministerial Retreat on the future of the Indian Ocean Commission. The Moroni Declaration was adopted at the end of the Retreat.

12. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the recent mission of the Minister of Tourism to Kenya and Uganda where he led a delegation comprising representatives of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority and tourism operators. In Kenya, the delegation participated in the roadshow organised in Nairobi which was attended by trade representatives, journalists, bloggers and leading travel and tourism magazines. The Minister impressed upon the Kenyan tour operators to market Mauritius as an all year round destination appealing to different niche segments. In the margins of his visit, the Minister paid a courtesy call on Hon Najib Balala, Minister of Tourism and Wildlife of Kenya and discussed about the possible areas of cooperation in the field of tourism between the two countries.

In Uganda, the delegation participated in the roadshow organised in Kampala. Tour operators and travel agents had one-to-one meetings with the trade partners from Mauritius. The Ugandan tour operators were very keen to work closely with the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority and the Mauritian hoteliers to offer tour packages to Golfers to visit Mauritius. The Minister also had a meeting with Hon K. Godfrey Ssuubi, Minister of State for Tourism and Wildlife and Antiquities of Uganda and discussed about the possibility of twin destination packages.