The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Navin Chandra Ramgoolam met on Friday, August 7, where several important decisions were noted, and nod was given to initiatives such as the Central Water Authority (Dry Season) Regulations 2026 and regional cooperation to help drive the Blue Economy and the drafting of a Concept Paper to facilitate efficient public service delivery.
The promulgation of the Central Water Authority (Dry Season) Regulations 2026 makes way for regulations being implemented from August 10 till November 30, 2026, in a context where storage levels at leading reservoirs stood at 61.7 percent in relation to 92.7 percent for the corresponding period of last year, coupled with an ongoing communication campaign to spread awareness on the need to conserve water resources.
The regulations 2026 aim to foster sustainable management of scarce water resources and control the usage of potable water for domestic and essential purposes mainly. It also restricts water usage other than for domestic purposes such as washing of vehicles; cleaning of buildings, driveways and pavements; watering of lawns, garden and hedges; filling or refilling of swimming pools; and irrigation of sugarcane.
The Cabinet has assented to the signing of a Grant Agreement with the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa pertaining to the implementation of specific activities under a project entitled “Supporting Sustainable Inclusive Blue Economy Transformation in African Small Island Developing States (African SIDS project) for the award of a grant of up to USD639,000. The African SIDS project, signed by the Ministry of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries, is implemented with the participation of Mauritius, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Seychelles, with funding worth USD9 million from the Global Environment Fund. The project aims to achieve an integrated, cross-sectoral sustainable management of the Blue Economy through improved blue governance to build resilient communities and conserve coastal and marine ecosystem services.
The outcome of the 30th Meeting of the Seychelles-Mauritius Joint Commission of the Extended Continental Shelf held in Seychelles on July 29 was also discussed, which was set up in 2012 under the Treaty. It concerns the Joint Management of the Continental Shelf in the Mascarene Plateau Region between Mauritius and Seychelles and is responsible for establishing policies and regulations relating to the natural resources and related activities in the Joint Management Area. It encompasses 396,000km2 of Extended Continental Shelf in the Mascarene Plateau Region where both Mauritius and Seychelles have joint jurisdiction on the seabed and subsoil.
The Ministry of Public Service and Administrative Reforms will host a workshop on September 9 and 10, 2026, at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Public Service and Innovation with a view to discussing the preparation of a Concept Paper, taking into account key policy considerations and guiding principles, serving as a basis to draft comprehensive legislation to pave the way for public sector reforms. The proposed legislation will provide a statutory basis for implementation of the Strategic Framework for Public Service and Administrative Reforms 2025-2029, which is currently in offing, where the strategic document will charter the Government’s vision to help transform the public service into a modern, agile, transparent and accountable institution, capable of efficiently supporting national development and responding to evolving expectations of citizens.
The Cabinet has given its nod to an agreement between the Ministry of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation and STEMpower Inc, a US-based non-profit organisation, for the establishment and support of an Innovation Lab in Mauritius. STEM will offer the following facilities: Donate laboratory equipment; provide technical assistance for the installation of the equipment; provide training for personnel to operate the Innovation Lab; provide an operational budget of USD7,000 over a period of two years to meet expenditure related to consumables, furniture and any additional equipment required for the establishment of the Innovation Lab; and support the promotion of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education through its international network.
The Innovation Lab will serve as a facility for hands-on STEM education, innovation and Artificial Intelligence experimentation for pre-university students, university students, technopreneurs and innovators.
