Titbits from Mauritius January 2011
Written by Editor Monday, 10 January 2011 10:27
Mohamad Vayid out of NESC
A new Chairman is to be designated to the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) for 2011.
It is most probable that the mandate of the present occupant of the chair, Mohamad Vayid, will not be renewed. The decision to nominate a new person to the NESC was taken well before the scathing speech pronounced by Mohamad Vayid denouncing the rampant corruption prevailing in the island.
European Union Rs 2 billion grants to Mauritius
Mauritius has recently benefited from a grant of 17,59 millions euros (Rs 750 millions) from the European Union, bringing to some Rs billions the total grants obtained from EU in 2010.
The ambassador and head of the EU delegation in Mauritius, Alessandro Mariani, has stated that the Mauritian government has fulfilled all the objectives set by EU and has taken appropriate measures in 2011 budget to ensure growth. The EU has earmarked Rs 6 billion in form of grants to Mauritius for the period 2011-2013.
Contested Brinks supervisor pockets Rs 27 millions at Loto
A supervisor of Brinks, a company specialized in security, has allegedly pocketed the recent Loto proceeds worth Rs 27 millions although twelve other persons, mostly security agents employed at the Mauritius Duty Free Paradise at the airport, were associated with him.
One of the security agents, Arjoon Gopy, has stated that he was the one who ticked the 6 correct numbers in the name of the association., but the thirteen associates elected to leave the ticket in the custody of the supervisor. A police case is in the pipeline.
The Automatic Pricing Mechanism out
A new structure, the Petroleum Pricing Committee (PPC), will replace the Automatic Pricing Mechanism (APM) as from January 2011.
The new body will exert the same task as the APM, that is determining the price of petroleum products, an exercise that will be done very four months instead of every month as with the APM. The advantage of this new formula is that it will give consumers a longer respite instead of the monthly unjustified shocks.
Ramgoolam indicts “policy of deceit” on Chagos
In a statement to The Guardian (22nd December issue), the Mauritian Prime Minister, Dr Navin Ramgoolam, said that he felt “strongly about a policy of deceit” which the British government has entertained in so far as the Marine Protected Area (MPA) decreed by Great Britain in the Chagos is concerned.
The Prime Minister announced that Mauritius has lodged an application under the 1982 UN Convention on the law of the Sea to contest before the International Maritime Tribunal the legality of the MPA. The information regarding this contest was handed on Monday 20 December to the Secretary of State William Hague by the Mauritian High Commissioner in London, Abhimanu Kundasamy.
Demise of Venerable Gerald Walter Ernest (1920-2010)
Venerable Archdeacon Gerald Walter Ernest, father of MGR Ian Ernest, Bishop of Mauritius and Archbishop of the Indian Ocean Province, passed away on Sunday 19 December 2010. He was laid to rest at St. John’s Churchyard, Réduit.
He belonged to that class of visionaries like Jean Lebrun who believed in the redemptive power of education and charity. He was behind the creation of St. Barnabas College, now Rodrigues College.
It is during his long inter-regnum that the St Paul’s Theological library was opened, the newly rebuilt chapel at Montagne Longue was blessed and opened and the plans for the new buildings for the extension of St Hugh’s Home in Rose Hill were approved, and construction started.
At the same time Government was set to modify the grants system to religious bodies and it is much to the credit of Gerald Ernest and his staff that the interests of the Diocese were safe guarded.
Water supply: the dramatic decrease
The Mauritian reservoirs are at barely 45% of their capacity, a dramatic situation attributed to the ongoing drought. As matter of fact, rainfall in December has been deficient to the range of 5% of the average expected.
If the trend persists by the end of January, the water authorities and the Meteorological Station predict a catastrophic situation with, for example, barely 7 millions metre cubes of water in Mare-aux-Vacoas reservoir and 5 millions metre cubes in that of Midlands to supply the consumers in the districts of Plaines Wilhems, Black River and Moka. A dramatic decrease has been noted in the underground supplies.
Unemployment rate on the rise
The Central Bureau of Statistics predicts an unemployment rate of 7,5% for 2010 compared to 7,3% in 2009.
This means that the number of unemployed has risen from 41,509 in 2009 (15,800 men and 25,700 women) to 43,700 in 2010 (17,000 men and 26,700 women). The unemployment rate among men has risen from 4,4% to 4,7% whereas this rate tends to remain stable for women at 12,3%.
Shop owners v/s street vendors
At long last shop owners in Rose-Hill and Port-Louis have found the ideal solution to prevent street vendors to occupy the space in front of their shops and to compete illegally with them.
They have themselves moved the articles exhibited in the shop windows to the open space outside, leaving no room for temptation for outsiders.
Lady sees UFO in Mauritian sky
A resident of Belle-Rose said she saw a strange luminous object revolving at an incredible speed faraway in the sky.
The object, of the colour of stainless steel, which the lady saw in the early afternoon of 23rd December, moved away in a flash when she reported to her husband in the driving seat and was, in the coming seconds, but a luminous spot very far on the horizon.
Father Robert Jauffret’s two books
A malignant skin cancer has constrained septuagenarian Father Robert Jauffret, known for his vigorous and outspoken stands on burning issues, to retire from active life and take the pen.
His two books, “L’audace de dire” (2009) and “Du vin nouveau dans la vie”(2010), are as thought-provoking as he had been in his no nonsense clerical activities, ever arguing that Christians should take the initiative to go to other as Christ did and not expect the contrary.
ICAC’s charges against Rodrigan Chief Commissioner
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has formally charged the Chief Commissioner of the regional Assembly of Rodrigues, Johnson Roussety, of “influencing public officials by threats”.
The Chief Commissioner is expected to appear before the Intermediate Court on 24 January. The Serge Clair led ‘Organisation du Peuple Rodriguais” (OPR) is campaigning for the resignation of the Chief Commissioner, the dissolution of the regional Assembly and the holding of fresh elections.
A new ATR 72 for inter-island flights
The national airline company, Air Mauritius, has introduced a new plane, the ATR 72-500, named ‘L’Ile-aux-Aigrettes’, to service flights to the islands of Rodrigues and Réunion.
This acquisition brings to 3 the number of planes ensuring the company’s inter-island flights, a must for the end-of-year peak period. ‘L’Ile-aux-Aigrettes’ has seat capacity for 72 passengers in economic class.
