1 No. 38 of 2018 SIXTH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) (UNREVISED) FIRST SESSION TUESDAY 11 DECEMBER 2018 2 CONTENTS PAPER LAID MOTION BILLS (Public) ADJOURNMENT 3 THE CABINET (Formed by Hon. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth) Hon. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, Minister of Finance and Economic Development Hon. Ivan Leslie Collendavelloo, GCSK, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Energy and Public SC Utilities Hon. Sir Anerood Jugnauth, GCSK, Minister Mentor, Minister of Defence, Minister for KCMG, QC Rodrigues Hon. Mrs Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Local Government and Outer Islands, Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare Hon. Seetanah Lutchmeenaraidoo, GCSK Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade Hon. Yogida Sawmynaden Minister of Technology, Communication and Innovation Hon. Nandcoomar Bodha, GCSK Minister of Public Infrastructure and Land Transport Hon. Mrs Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun Minister of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research Hon. Anil Kumarsingh Gayan, SC Minister of Tourism Dr. the Hon. Mohammad Anwar Husnoo Minister of Health and Quality of Life Hon. Prithvirajsing Roopun Minister of Arts and Culture Hon. Marie Joseph Noël Etienne Ghislain Minister of Social Security, National Solidarity, and Sinatambou Environment and Sustainable Development Hon. Mahen Kumar Seeruttun Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security Hon. Ashit Kumar Gungah Minister of Industry, Commerce and Consumer Protection Hon. Maneesh Gobin Attorney General, Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Institutional Reforms Hon. Jean Christophe Stephan Toussaint Minister of Youth and Sports Hon. Soomilduth Bholah Minister of Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives 4 Hon. Marie Roland Alain Wong Yen Minister of Social Integration and Economic Cheong, MSK Empowerment Hon. Premdut Koonjoo Minister of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping Hon. Soodesh Satkam Callichurn Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations, Employment and Training Hon. Purmanund Jhugroo Minister of Housing and Lands Hon. Marie Cyril Eddy Boissézon Minister of Civil Service and Administrative Reforms Hon. Dharmendar Sesungkur Minister of Financial Services and Good Governance 5 PRINCIPAL OFFICERS AND OFFICIALS Madam Speaker Hanoomanjee, Hon. Mrs Santi Bai, GCSK Deputy Speaker Lesjongard, Georges Pierre Deputy Chairperson of Committees Jahangeer, Hon. Ahmad Bashir Clerk of the National Assembly Lotun, Mrs Bibi Safeena Adviser Dowlutta, Mr Ram Ranjit Deputy Clerk Ramchurn, Ms Urmeelah Devi Clerk Assistant Gopall, Mr Navin Clerk Assistant Seetul, Ms Darshinee Hansard Editor Jankee, Mrs Chitra Parliamentary Librarian Jeewoonarain, Ms Prittydevi and Information Officer Serjeant-at-Arms Pannoo, Mr Vinod 6 MAURITIUS Sixth National Assembly --------------- FIRST SESSION ------------ Debate No. 38 of 2018 Sitting of Tuesday 11 December 2018 The Assembly met in the Assembly House, Port Louis at 11.30 a.m. The National Anthem was played (Madam Speaker in the Chair) 7 PAPER LAID The Prime Minister: Madam Speaker, the Paper has been laid on the Table. Prime Minister’s Office The Financial Statements of the National Resilience Fund for the years ended 2012, 2013 and 2014. (In Original) MOTION SUSPENSION OF S. O. 10(2) The Prime Minister: Madam Speaker, I move that all the business on today’s Order Paper be exempted from the provisions of paragraph (2) of Standing Order 10. The Deputy Prime Minister rose and seconded. Question put and agreed to. PUBLIC BILLS Second Reading THE SUPPLEMENTARY APPROPRIATION (2016-2017) BILL (NO. XIV OF 2018) Order for Second Reading read. The Prime Minister: Madam Speaker, I move that the Supplementary Appropriation (2016-2017) Bill (No. XIV of 2018) be read a second time. The Bill makes provision for a supplementary appropriation of Rs274,300,000 in respect of services of Government for Financial Year 2016-2017. Madam Speaker, at the very outset, I wish to draw the attention of the House that this supplementary appropriation is significantly lower compared to that of previous years and is the lowest one over the last decade. Moreover, this supplementary appropriation is essentially in respect of entitlements provided for in the 2016 PRB Report. 8 The House will recall that this Assembly, through the Appropriation (2016-2017) Act, voted a total sum of Rs104.4 billion in respect of services of Government for Financial Year 2016-2017. After the closure of accounts, the sum actually spent amounted to Rs94 billion. Under-spending was registered under both recurrent and capital expenditure. Yet, a supplementary appropriation is required in accordance with Section 105(3) of the Constitution as five Votes have exceeded their initial appropriations. The total excess spending under these five Votes was Rs274.3 m. and was essentially met by way of reallocation of funds from Vote Contingencies and Reserves and other Votes that had unspent balances. These five Votes are listed in the Schedule to the Bill together with their respective sums. The concerned items of expenditure as well as explanatory notes thereon are set out in the Estimates of Supplementary Expenditure (ESE) that has already been tabled in the National Assembly. Madam Speaker, as I have just stated, the bulk of this supplementary appropriation is in respect of entitlements provided for in the 2016 PRB Report. In fact, around 85% of this supplementary appropriation is under Vote 27-1 Centrally Managed Expenses of Government, where a net amount of Rs232.1 m. was required for entitlements as follows – (i) firstly, Rs159.2 m. for payment of accumulated passage benefits to eligible officers who encashed their benefits during the year; (ii) secondly, Rs99.9 m. for payment of accumulated vacation leave and sick leave to a higher number of officers who proceeded on retirement; (iii) thirdly, Rs23 m. as Government’s contribution towards the Defined Contribution Pension Scheme due to an increase in the number of officers joining the Civil Service, and (iv) fourthly, Rs0.6 m. for effecting book adjustments in respect of write-off of advances for years 1981-1986 and 2005-2009. The excess was actually Rs282.7 m. but was partly offset by under-spending of Rs50.6 m. in other items of expenditure under the same Vote. Madam Speaker, four other Votes require a supplementary amount of Rs42.2 m. as follows – 9 • First, a net amount of Rs29.6 m. under Vote 22-1 Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity and Reform Institutions. This amount was mainly required for payment of Social Aid, Basic Retirement Pension and other basic pensions following the increase in pension rates with effect from 01 January 2017. In addition, there was a higher number of beneficiaries. The excess was actually Rs305 m. but was partly offset by under-spending of Rs275.4 m. in other items of expenditure under the same Vote. • Second, a net amount of Rs9.2 m. under Vote 1-5 Office of the Electoral Commissioner largely for payment of fees in connection with the house-to- house inquiry for the registration of electors; • Third, Rs3.3 m. under Vote 2-6 Prison Service due to payment of allowances to prison officers as per the PRB Report, and • Lastly, Rs0.1 m. under Vote 1-4 Electoral Supervisory Commission and Electoral Boundaries Commission. This was required for payment of allowances to the Chairperson and Members of the Commission that was reviewed upward in the 2016 PRB Report. I wish to inform the House that even after taking into account this supplementary appropriation of Rs274.3 m. the total actual expenditure for Financial Year 2016-2017 is significantly below the total sum that was originally appropriated. The recurrent budget deficit for the 2016-2017 Financial Year is 1.9% of GDP, that is, below the budgeted figure of 2%, and the actual overall budget deficit is 0.2% above the estimate. Madam Speaker, I now commend the Bill to the House. The Deputy Prime Minister rose and seconded. Madam Speaker: Hon. Armance! (11.40 a.m.) Mr P. Armance (First Member for GRNW & Port Louis West): Thank you Madam Speaker. So, we are being called today to approve supplementary expenses of the Government for the Financial Year 2016/2017. 10 If I recall well, Madam Speaker, this is the third supplementary budget that we are approving since this Government took office. We had a first one in 2015/2016, a second one in 2017/2018 and today we have the 2018/2019. I fail to understand, and this is one of my observations, in that in June we came to approve Rs2 billion that were transferred to National Environmental Fund and yet, we have not included the budget required for year 2016 and 2018. This is an observation. Why has this been left over by the Government in June because this was long due anyway. It should have been included; in June we were in such a hurry to move the Rs2 billion fund from other funds to the National Environmental Fund. This is one of my first observations regarding the Bill. Madam Speaker, since Friday we had been very busy in this House debating on the amendment to the Constitution. In the middle of the debate today, the Prime Minister brings this Bill to the House and today is Tuesday. Tuesday, we usually have questions and Bills. Because the Bill has come to the House today, a Tuesday, we, MPs, are not been able to put any question. I will make an appeal to the hon. Prime Minister. Next time, he needs to bring a Supplementary Bill to the House, if he can please choose another day instead of a Tuesday. I know; I am not making policy, I am just making an appeal to him. Madam Speaker: That does not form part of your speech on this Appropriation Bill. Mr Armance: Coming to the Bill, Madam Speaker, there have been five items totalling a sum of Rs274,000.