The UK and Mauritius are at loggerheads over the Chagos marine park. On one side, the UK is proposing for a marine park, and on the other, Mauritius feels that the project is a Trojan horse to eliminate the possibility of resettling the Chagossians on the island.

Tromelin regime
A draft Agreement between the Mauritian and French Governments was finalized for consideration to provide for the establishment of a regime of economic, scientific and environmental co-management relating to Tromelin Island as well as its territorial sea and exclusive economic zone (defined in the draft Agreement as its “surrounding maritime areas” or “espaces maritimes environnants”).

A lightning session was held to pay homage  to late Dr James Burty David, Minister of Local Government, Rodrigues and Outer Islands, who passed away on Sunday struck by a heart attack. An air of sadness and disbelief gripped the Assembly as the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Speaker, spoke about the virtues
of the MP.

Dr David joined the Labour Party as a teenager in 1962 out of conviction in the virtues of Socialism and the quest for freedom and liberty for our people and never wavered in his convictions nor in his loyalty.
According to the PM, it was this unwavering conviction that singled him out in an age when so many succumbed to opportunism and expediency.

Entrance into politics
The Prime Minister recalled how Dr David first entered Parliament in December 1976, being elected as the second member for Constituency No 18, Belle Rose/Quatre Bornes.

Debates on the Appropriation (2010) Bill ended with no amendments early morning on Tuesday with the Prime Minister, Dr Navin Ramgoolam, chosing to galvanise attention of the members, on Monday, with what looked like a summing up of his four and half years of government.

After three weeks of debates on the Budget 2010,  the Minister of Finance, Dr Rama Sithanen was easy with his remarks and did not show sharpness in his criticisms against the Opposition in his summing up.

Pravind: Old wine...
 “It's all like old wine in new bottle,” says Pravind Jugnauth, leader of the MSM, in his comments on the 2010 Budget.

In spite of Rs 290 million being earmarked in July 2008 for solar heaters to provide for a subsidy of Rs 10,000 under the Solar Water Heater Scheme through the Development Bank of Mauritius,  only 12,712 units had been sold by November 2009.

Chagos marine park
Government considers that the establishment of a Marine Protected Area in the Chagos Archipelago should not be incompatible with the sovereignty of Mauritius over the Chagos Archipelago.

The government has no intention to come up with a legislation or a resolution without thoroughly studying the implications of the Report of the Electoral Boundaries Commission on A Review of the Boundaries of the Constituencies 2009.

The leader of the Opposition, Paul Bérenger, feels the Social Alliance government is  “harvesting what we sowed before 2005”.

The appointment of an arbitrator by Government to look into the dispute opposing the Mauritius Sugar Producers Association to trade unions representing workers of the sugar industry is not proper, the Minister of  Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment told the House on Monday.

The Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economic Empowerment, Dr Rama Sithanen, says there is no need to return to tripartite talks,  to compensate consumers for loss of purchasing power or to pay a salary compensation before July 1, 2010.

Nine firms saved
Nine companies that were in serious financial difficulties received assistance under the Mechanism for Transitional Support to the Private Sector (MTSP) scheme.