Décisions du Conseil des Ministres du 23 Août 2019

Les membres du Cabinet on pris note que la délégation du Pape François sera forte de 45 personnes, du programme officiel de la visite du souverain pontife, la mise en action du Business Facilitation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2019, la promulgation du Local Government (Application for Building and Land Use Permit) (Collection and Transfer of Fees) (Revocation) Regulations 2019 entre autres.

Cabinet has taken note of the preparations for the State Visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Mauritius on 09 September 2019. His Holiness Pope Francis would be accompanied by a delegation of around 45 persons and the Papal delegation would also comprise 69 Vatican accredited media personnel.

The main features of the programme of visit include –

(a) the Arrival Ceremony at the SSR International Airport;

(b) the Mass at the Chapel and Shrine of Marie Reine de la Paix, Port Louis;

(c) a private visit to the Shrine of Père Laval, Ste Croix;

(d) a Tête-à-tête with the Acting President of the Republic and the Hon Prime
Minister at the State House, Le Réduit;

(e) an official function and a tree blessing ceremony at the State House, Le Réduit; and

(f) the Departure Ceremony at the SSR International Airport.

2. Cabinet has taken note of the key actions being undertaken by the Land Drainage Authority, namely :

(a) an inventory and mapping of the existing natural and manmade drainage infrastructure;

(b) the identification and mapping of some 250 flood risk areas for Mauritius;

(c) the formulation of a Land Drainage Master Plan and Action Plan by November 2020;

(d) the elaboration of a new High Resolution Digital Elevation Model by end of November 2019; and

(e) the development of a Drainage Impact Assessment guideline.

3. Cabinet has taken note that following the enactment of the Business Facilitation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2019, the undermentioned Regulations under the Consumer Protection (Price and Supplies Control) Act and the Consumer Protection Act would be promulgated :

(a) the Consumer Protection (Control of Imports) (Amendment No. 4) Regulations 2019;

(b) the Consumer Protection (Export Control) (Amendment) Regulations 2019;

(c) the Consumer Protection (Safety Requirements) Regulations 2019;

(d) the Plastic and Polyethylene Pipes and Fittings (Mauritius Standard Specifications) (Amendment) Regulations 2019; and

(e) the Toys (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2019.

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The salient points of the Regulations include, among others, :

(a) the reduction in the time taken to process and issue an import or export permit;

(b) the mandatory use of an electronic system, namely the TradeNet; and

(c) the introduction of guidelines by the Mauritius Standards Bureau to importers and exporters.

The five Regulations would come into operation on 31 August 2019.

4. Cabinet has taken note that the Local Government (Application for Building and Land Use Permit) (Collection and Transfer of Fees) (Revocation) Regulations 2019, would be promulgated in order to facilitate the start of businesses and implementation of projects, while ensuring efficiency and higher degree of compliance with construction permitting. The processing fees for plan approval from utilities are being removed. The Local Government (Application for Building and Land Use Permit) (Collection and Transfer of Fees) Regulations 2017 would be repealed. The new Regulations would come into operation on 1 September 2019.

5. Cabinet has taken note that :

(a) for the period 01 July 2018 to 30 June 2019, a total of 7,425 vacancies have been filled in the Civil Service; and

(b) a total of 803 vacancies have been filled during the month of July 2019.

6. Cabinet has agreed to the Mauritius Standards Bureau hosting the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Leadership and Management Programme from 25 to 29 November 2019 in Mauritius. The ISO brings together experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market relevant International Standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges. The ISO Leadership and Management Programme is a pilot programme which is specifically targeted for Chief Executive Officers of National Standards Bodies and it enables them to enhance their skills, knowledge and competencies in standardisation and related works.

7. 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 the United Republic of Tanzania where he attended the 39th Summit of the SADC Heads of State and Government. The theme of the Summit was “A Conducive Environment for Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development, Increased
Intra-Regional Trade and Job Creation”. The Summit elected the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, as the new Chairperson of the SADC and the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe as the new Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation. The Summit reviewed, among others, the socio-economic and political situation of the region.

In the margins of the Summit, the Minister signed the SADC Protocol on Industry which aims at improving the policy environment for industrial development in the region and supporting the implementation of the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap. The Minister met :

(a) HE Dr. John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, who congratulated Mauritius for its socio-economic reforms and expressed the wish to establish a formal framework of cooperation between the two countries; and

(b) Hon José Condungua Pacheco, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation of Mozambique, with whom he reviewed the status of cooperation following the inaugural session of the Mauritius-Mozambique Joint Permanent Commission of
Co-operation.

8. Cabinet has taken note of the reconstitution of the Board of the Statutory Bodies Family Protection Fund with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Outer Islands as Chairperson.