This week brought noteworthy developments, including new social measures announced by Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth during his New Year's speech, the launch of ME Privilege Cards by Metro Express Ltd, and the successful conclusion of negotiations for an economic partnership between Mauritius and the United Arab Emirates.
New social measures from the Prime Minister
During his New Year's address, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth addressed what he termed a "long-standing injustice" for public sector employees working on the "shift system" within essential services. The Prime Minister recommended to the Pay Research Bureau (PRB) that these workers, including police officers, firefighters, prison guards, and hospital employees, receive double pay when on duty on Sundays. While awaiting the PRB's report, the government decided to grant an allowance to these employees from January 1.
Additionally, the Prime Minister announced a significant increase in retirement pensions for citizens aged 75 and over. Starting this month, the pension will be raised to Rs 13,500, compared to the previous Rs 12,000. This measure, benefiting over 51,000 Mauritians, received positive feedback from Hanslall Seebaruth, President of the Senior Citizens Council, who expressed hope for similar increases for other pensioner categories in the upcoming Budget 2024-25.
Metro Express Ltd launches ME Privilege Cards
In 2023, Metro Express Ltd witnessed a remarkable increase in streetcar network passengers, reaching 12 million compared to the previous year's 7 million. This growth is attributed to the extension of services to Curepipe and Réduit, as well as new offers like the ME Cards Privilege, allowing unlimited travel. The official launch of the ME Card Privilege, with flexible daily, weekly, monthly, and annual card options, took place at Phoenix Mall, attended by Minister of Transport and Metro-Express Alan Ganoo, MEL CEO Das Mootanah, and other VIPs. Ganoo highlighted the long-term profitability and digital integration of this offer, while Mootanah announced future projects, positioning MEL as a major contributor to a socially and environmentally integrated transport system in Mauritius.
Mauritius - United Arab Emirates economic partnership
Mauritius and the United Arab Emirates concluded Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations, marking a significant step in their economic collaboration. The joint declaration signed by Mauritius' Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maneesh Gobin, and the UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, covers various aspects such as trade in goods, e-commerce, economic cooperation, SMEs, and technical barriers to trade. The agreement sets the stage for a new era of economic collaboration, offering promising opportunities. Minister Gobin emphasized the positive impact on the business climate and trade, especially in the service sectors, while his Emirati counterpart highlighted new horizons in trade, logistics, tourism, health, and hospitality. Minister Gobin also acknowledged the UAE's contribution to Mauritius's economic development, particularly in the tourism industry with the presence of Emirates Airlines.
