1 No. 29 of 2013 FIFTH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) SECOND SESSION WEDNESDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2013 2 CONTENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS PAPER LAID QUESTION (Oral) MOTION STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS BILL (Public) ADJOURNMENT 3 Members Members THE CABINET (Formed by Dr. the Hon. Navinchandra Ramgoolam) Dr. the Hon. Navinchandra Ramgoolam, GCSK, FRCP Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Home Affairs and External Communications, Minister for Rodrigues Dr. the Hon. Ahmed Rashid Beebeejaun, GCSK, FRCP Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Energy and Public Utilities Hon. Charles Gaëtan Xavier-Luc Duval, GCSK Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Economic Development Hon. Anil Kumar Bachoo, GOSK Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Public Infrastructure, National Development Unit, Land Transport and Shipping Dr. the Hon. Arvin Boolell, GOSK Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade Dr. the Hon. Abu Twalib Kasenally, GOSK, FRCS Minister of Housing and Lands Hon. Mrs Sheilabai Bappoo, GOSK Minister of Social Security, National Solidarity and Reform Institutions Dr. the Hon. Vasant Kumar Bunwaree Minister of Education and Human Resources Hon. Satya Veyash Faugoo Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Attorney General Hon. Devanand Virahsawmy, GOSK Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development Dr. the Hon. Rajeshwar Jeetah Minister of Tertiary Education, Science, Research and Technology Hon. Tassarajen Pillay Chedumbrum Minister of Information and Communication Technology Hon. Louis Joseph Von-Mally, GOSK Minister of Fisheries Hon. Satyaprakash Ritoo Minister of Youth and Sports Hon. Louis Hervé Aimée Minister of Local Government and Outer Islands Hon. Mookhesswur Choonee Minister of Arts and Culture Hon. Shakeel Ahmed Yousuf Abdul Razack Mohamed Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment 4 Hon. John Michaël Tzoun Sao Yeung Sik Yuen Minister of Tourism and Leisure Hon. Lormus Bundhoo Minister of Health and Quality of Life Hon. Sayyad Abd-Al-Cader Sayed-Hossen Minister of Industry, Commerce and Consumer Protection Hon. Surendra Dayal Minister of Social Integration and Economic Empowerment Hon. Jangbahadoorsing Iswurdeo Mola Minister of Business, Enterprise Roopchand Seetaram and Cooperatives Hon. Mrs Maria Francesca Mireille Martin Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare Hon. Sutyadeo Moutia Minister of Civil Service and Administrative Reforms 5 PRINCIPAL OFFICERS AND OFFICIALS Mr Speaker Peeroo, Hon. Abdool Razack M.A., SC, GOSK Deputy Speaker Peetumber, Hon. Maneswar Deputy Chairperson of Committees Deerpalsing, Hon. Ms Kumaree Rajeshree Clerk of the National Assembly Dowlutta, Mr R. Ranjit Deputy Clerk Lotun, Mrs B. Safeena Clerk Assistant Ramchurn, Ms Urmeelah Devi Clerk Assistant Gopall, Mr Navin (Temporary Transfer to RRA) Hansard Editor Jankee, Mrs Chitra Senior Library Officer Pallen, Mr Noël Serjeant-at-Arms Munroop, Mr Kishore 6 MAURITIUS Fifth National Assembly --------------- SECOND SESSION ------------ Debate No. 29 of 2013 Sitting of 20 November 2013 The Assembly met in the Assembly House, Port Louis, At 3.30 p.m. The National Anthem was played (Mr Speaker in the Chair) 7 ANNOUNCEMENTS MINISTER OF TERTIARY EDUCATION, SCIENCE, RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY - POINT OF ORDER Mr Speaker: On Tuesday 12 November at the end of Parliamentary Question No. B/863, Dr. the hon. Minister of Tertiary Education, Science, Research and Technology rose on a point of order directing attention to the point that the hon. Leader of Opposition had uttered, in the course of the exchange of questions and answers during the said Parliamentary Question, an unbecoming word, which I do not deem fit to mention, which he submitted to the Chair for decision. I have to inform the House that I have perused the audio text of the Proceedings in relation to the said Parliamentary Question, but it has not been possible for me to single out whether the said unbecoming word has been uttered or not. In the circumstances, the matters rest there. MINISTER OF YOUTH AND SPORTS – UNPARLIAMENTARY WORD - WITHDRAWAL On 14 November, in the course of the exchange of questions and answers during the Private Notice Question, several unbecoming words, expressions and offensive language, which I do not deem fit to mention, were uttered by the hon. Minister of Youth and Sports to the address of hon. Members of the Assembly from a standing position as revealed by the transcript of the Proceedings of the House. In the circumstances, since it is provided in the Standing Orders and Rules of the National Assembly that it is out of order to use unbecoming words or expressions or to use offensive language about hon. Members of the Assembly, I am inviting the hon. Minister of Youth and Sports to kindly withdraw the unparliamentary words he had uttered. Mr Ritoo: Mr Speaker, Sir, I withdraw. 8 LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION – UNPARLIAMENTARY WORDS - WITHDRAWAL Mr Speaker: On Saturday last, 16 November, in the course of the exchange of questions and answers during the Private Notice Question, several unbecoming words, expressions and offensive language, which I do not deem fit to mention, were uttered by the hon. Leader of the Opposition to the address of a hon. Member of the Assembly from a standing position as revealed by the transcript of the Proceedings of the House. In the circumstances, since it is provided in the Standing Orders and Rules of the National Assembly that it is out of order to use unbecoming words or expressions or to use offensive language about hon. Members of the Assembly, I am inviting the hon. Leader of the Opposition to kindly withdraw the unparliamentary words he had uttered. Mr Bérenger: I do withdraw, Mr Speaker, Sir. STANDING ORDER – COMPLIANCE BY HON. MEMBERS Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, I seize this opportunity to make an earnest appeal to hon. Members of both sides of the House to uphold the dignity and decorum of this august Assembly, whether from a standing or a sitting position by strictly complying with the Standing Order which provides that it is out of order to use unbecoming words or expressions or to use offensive language about Members of the Assembly. Thank you. PAPER LAID The Prime Minister: Sir, the Paper has been laid on the Table – Ministry of Finance and Economic Development – The Annual Report 2012 of the Civil Service Family Protection Board. 9 ORAL ANSWER TO QUESTION EX-CHA HOUSES & STATE LAND - SALE The Leader of the Opposition (Mr P. Bérenger) (by Private Notice) asked the Minister of Housing and Lands whether, in regard to the sale of ex-CHA houses and of State Land, he will state - (a) if the advice of the State Law Office on the sale of State Land on which stand the ex-CHA houses to the owners thereof has changed after 2005; (b) if all the owners of the ex-CHA houses have received the title deed in respect of the houses and of the State Land on which the houses stand, and (c) the amendments that will be brought to the State Land Act to allow those families who have a housing unit on leased land belonging to the State to buy the land, indicating if same will apply to the houses standing on sites and serviced lots. Dr. Kasenally: Mr Speaker, Sir, as the House is aware the State Lands Act provided as at July 2005 that, I quote - “No State Land shall be sold unless it is in the public interest to do so and in exchange of another portion of land.” Conscious of this legal obstacle to its policy of democratisation of access to land ownership, Government spelt out at paragraph 43 of its Programme 2005-2010, its intention to grant greater and wider access to land. Government was very explicit in its determination to translate this intention into reality by stating at paragraph 188, I quote - “Government will remove the legal and socio-economic constraints to equitable access to land ownership.” It is in line with these commitments that soon after coming into office, this Government through the Ministry of Housing and Lands started consultations with the State Law Office and other stakeholders as regards the proposal to sell to the owners of the State Land on which stands ex-CHA Housing Units. 10 Following this, a policy decision was taken on 30 September 2005, requesting the Minister of Housing and Lands to look into the possibility of selling to the lessees of State Land on which the ex-CHA houses stood. On 03 October 2005, a Steering Committee at the Ministry of Housing and Lands started to explore the possibility of selling the State Land to the concerned lessees. A first Meeting was held at the Solicitor General’s Office on 09 November 2005 in the presence of officers of the Ministry of Finance and my Ministry whereby we were requested to submit preliminary drafting instructions which were then discussed and submitted to enable the State Law Office to formulate a working document for the proposed legislation. Regular discussions, consultations were further pursued to iron out certain pertinent issues in respect of legal aspects, financial implications and survey matters. A first draft Bill was prepared and in March 2007 a draft State Lands Amendment Bill was approved for introduction in the National Assembly. However matter was discussed further and in March 2007 a draft Bill was circulated and was followed by extensive discussions regarding the sale price of the land. Subsequently, on 16 March 2007, Cabinet agreed to the sale of State Land on which stand ex-CHA houses at a uniform price of Rs2,000. Furthermore, at the same meeting of Cabinet it was decided, inter alia, to consider the sale of State Land to other building site lessees on the same basis as for the ex-CHA house owners. We have not seen any inconsistency or any change in the advice of the State Law Office from 2005.