Reply: I wish to inform the House that all applications for Building and Land Use Permits are submitted and processed on the National Electronic Licensing System since 2018. As per the Local Government Act, every application for a Building and Land Use Permit must be in accordance with the following enactments and any guidelines issued thereunder – (i) the Construction Industry Authority Act; (ii) the Town and Country Planning Act; (iii) the Planning and Development Act; (iv) the Environment Act; (v) the Mauritius Fire and Rescue Service Act; (vi) the Climate Change Act, and (vii) any other enactment as may be prescribed. As regards wetlands, these are identified in the Development Management Map of the Outline Planning Schemes issued by the Town and Country Planning Board to all Local Authorities and on the Environmentally Sensitive Areas Map issued by the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management, and Climate Change. The Environmental Sensitive Areas Map for the northern region shows all wetlands that have been surveyed and this includes the region of Grand Bay and Pereybère. I am informed by the District Council of Riviere du Rempart that whenever an application for a Building and Land Use Permit is received, verification is made as to whether the site of the proposed development falls within a wetland or its buffer of 30 m. Where an application falls within a wetland or its buffer, same is referred to the National Ramsar Committee at the Ministry of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries. The National Ramsar Committee then forwards the application to the National Parks and Conservation Services which conducts site visits with all stakeholders which include representatives from the Ministry of Housing and Lands, the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change, the Ministry of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries and the National Parks and Conservation Service. Thereafter, the National Parks and Conservation Service submits its report to the National Ramsar Committee for consideration.

87 After consideration, the National Ramsar Committee submits its recommendations to the Local Authority concerned for further processing. In case an unfavourable recommendation is received, the application is turned down. Regarding part (b) of the question, as I have already indicated, site visits are carried out by the National Parks and Conservation Service with all stakeholders prior to recommending any application for Building and Land Use Permit.