Décisions du Conseil des Ministres du 16 Août 2019

Les membres du cabinet ont pris note de la performance des compagnies qui sont dans l’exportation, de la promulgation du Declaration of Assets (Amendment) Act 2019, de la préparation du Skills Development Authority Bill, du Mauritius Meteorological Services Bill entre autres.

1. Cabinet has taken note of the performance of the Export-Oriented Enterprises (EOE) Sector over the period January to May 2019 as compared to the corresponding period in 2018. The total exports of the EOE sector has increased by 4.6% to reach Rs18.1 billion as compared to Rs17.3 billion in the corresponding period in 2018. Increase has been recorded in the value of exports of Textiles & Clothing, Jewellery, Precious and Semi-precious Stones and Medical Devices. Growth has been recorded in exports to UK, Belgium, Netherlands, USA, South Africa and Madagascar.

2. Cabinet has taken note that the official launching of the new offices of the Mauritius International Arbitration Centre and of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Coaster Shed, Caudan Waterfront would be held on 12 November 2019.

3. Cabinet has agreed to the proclamation of the Declaration of Assets (Amendment) Act 2019 and to the promulgation of the Declaration of Assets (State-Owned Enterprises) Regulations and the Declaration of Assets (Declaration Forms) Regulations.

4. Cabinet has agreed to the proposed membership of Mauritius to the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and the ratification of its Establishment Agreement and Charter. The AFC is a Pan-African multilateral development financial institution established by a treaty among sovereign African States and currently 21 African countries are members of the Corporation. The AFC was created to provide leadership in addressing Africa’s infrastructure challenges. It focuses essentially on the development, financing, and delivery of infrastructure and industrial projects, as well as advisory services across the whole continent.

5. Cabinet has agreed to drafting instructions being given to the Attorney General’s Office for the preparation of a Skills Development Authority Bill. The objects of the Skills Development Authority would be, inter alia, to:

(a) regulate the TVET Sector;

(b) ensure quality assurance in the TVET sector;

(c) confer awarding powers to training institutions;

(d) develop a Skills Framework; and

(e) maintain a Skills Development Fund.

6. Cabinet has agreed to the Mauritius Meteorological Services Bill being circulated to Honourable Members of the National Assembly and to the Bill being published in the Government Gazette, pending its introduction into the National Assembly. The object of the Bill is to provide a regulatory framework for the establishment and operation of the Mauritius Meteorological Services. The Mauritius Meteorological Services shall, inter alia:

(a) take over the functions and powers of the existing Mauritius Meteorological Services which has so far been operating administratively without a regulatory framework;

(b) be the sole official authority responsible for monitoring the general weather and climate conditions, including extreme weather events, throughout Mauritius and for providing weather forecasts, warnings and advisories for the welfare and safety of the general public and for the protection and safety of maritime and aeronautical navigation; and

(c) act as the National Tsunami Warning Centre for Mauritius.

7. Cabinet has agreed to the promulgation of the Fisheries and Marine Resources (Import of Fish and Fish Products) (Amendment) Regulations and the Fisheries and Marine Resources (Export of Fish and Fish Products) (Amendment) Regulations under the Fisheries and Marine Resources Act. The existing Regulations governing import and export of fish and fish products would, inter alia, be amended with a view to making provisions for the submission of applications and issuance of registration certificates/permits through the Single Window TradeNet System and facilitating trade.

8. Cabinet has taken note that the Income Tax (Amendment No. 2) Regulations would be promulgated. The amendments include the following:

(a) the introduction of clear substance requirements for manufacturing activities conducted under the Freeport as well as for all activities entitled to the 80% tax exemption regime; and

(b) the reinforcement of the anti-abuse provisions under the Income Tax Act by introducing appropriate rules, known as Controlled-Foreign-Company (CFC) rules, to discourage resident companies from shifting income to jurisdictions that do not impose tax or that impose tax at low rates.

9. Cabinet has taken note that the Regional Electricity Regulators Association of Southern Africa (RERA) would hold two meetings in Mauritius, namely a Sub Committee meeting from 26 to 30 August 2019 and the Portfolio Committee from
24 to 27 September 2019. The RERA was established by the SADC Energy Ministers in July 2002 to promote capacity building and information sharing and cooperation in the field of electricity regulation and to facilitate harmonisation of regulatory policies, legislation, standards and practices among regulators in SADC. Some 120 participants from SADC Member States would attend the Sub Committee meeting and 40 would attend the Portfolio Committee meeting.

10. Cabinet has taken note that according to the last monthly report published by the Statistics Unit of the Ministry of Tourism, some 765,530 tourists visited Mauritius for the period of January to July 2019 as compared to 762,746 for the corresponding period in year 2018, representing an overall increase of 0.4%. Growth has been registered in arrivals from Italy (+14.8%), France (+4.1%), Reunion Island (+5.0%), Belgium (+12.1%), Czech Republic (+12.2%), Switzerland (+18.3%) and Saudi Arabia (+12.3%).

11. Cabinet has agreed to the Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities issuing to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an official expression of the political commitment of Mauritius to act in accordance with IAEA’s Guidance on the Management of Disused Radioactive Sources. The Guidance requires that States should establish a national policy and strategy for the management of disused sources. It also provides guidance on the implementation of options such as recycling and reuse as well as long term storage pending disposal and return to a supplier of disused radioactive sources. The Radiation Safety and Nuclear Security Authority would be responsible for the implementation of the Guidance in collaboration with relevant institutions.

12. Cabinet has taken note of the appointment of Mr Beejhaye Ramdenee as Director-General of the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and Mr Premode Neerunjun, as Chairperson of the Board of the MBC.