Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, with your permission, I am answering PQs B/581 and B/595 together as they more or less relate to the same subject. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, as the House is aware, Ministers only attend overseas mission when invited. As Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, I have myself been invited, believe it or not, to attend 55 overseas missions to date since I took office in November of last year. Let me give you a few some examples.

29 On the very day the results were being proclaimed, the Prime Minister of India, Shri Modi, rang me, spoke to me in person, wanted me to come to India for a State Visit in December of last year. I had to decline the invitation because I had just been elected. This is going to be programmed for later. Again, President Macron rang me personally to invite me for the reopening of Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral on 07 December. This was attended by worldwide dignitaries including President Trump and other Heads of States of several European and African countries. That also I turned down, because I had just been elected; I did not feel I could go at that time. Third, the Secretary-General of the OECD invited me to be the Speaker at the Global Anticorruption and Integrity Forum in France on 26 and 27 March. I declined that invitation also for the same reason. I was also invited to attend the funeral ceremony of late Pope Francis and the ceremony for the election of the new Pope. I declined; I asked the hon. Attorney General to represent me for the funeral and the hon. Minister Assirvaden for the election of the new Pope. As Minister of Finance, I did not attend the annual Spring Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group held in Washington from 21 to 26 April 2025. In other words, out of the 55 invitations, I only chose to attend three of them. And let me say, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, that my approval for Ministers is given only if those missions are considered to be of a strategic geopolitical or economic importance to our country. I wish to inform the House that I myself led only three official missions as opposed to the 55 invitations. The first one was for the African Union Summit in 2025 held in Ethiopia from 15 to 16 February. That was important to attend. Secondly, the 5th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Indian Ocean Commission held in Madagascar on 24 April 2025. The third one was the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice to which Heads of State and Government were invited, which was followed by a bilateral meeting which President Macron had invited me. He took his plane from Nice to come to Paris for this official bilateral meeting and then went back to Nice. That was from 09 to 13 June 2025. As for Ministers and Junior Ministers, a total of 40 official overseas missions have been undertaken from November 2024 to date. The total cost comparison of these missions amounted to Rs28,278,224.08. This is compared to Rs196,400,000 for the period 2015-2024.

30 Let me add, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, that the total cost for the official overseas mission undertaken by the former Prime Ministers including air fares and per diem amounted to Rs14.2 million during the period 2015 to 2019 and to Rs16.3 million from 2020 to 2024, which makes a total of Rs30.5 million. Regarding official missions of former Ministers and Members of Parliament, the total cost is Rs109.4 million for the period 2015 to 2019 and Rs56.5 million for the period 2020 to 2024, which makes a total of Rs165.9 million.

Yes, your question, please!

Will the hon. Prime Minister be able to provide the House with the list of details, as requested, that is, the purpose, the composition and the costs, including the cost of other members of delegation on the one hand, and secondly, can he also clarify when he is comparing the expenses spent …

How many questions is this, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir?

… for a mandate with that of his Government for seven months, is that what he is doing?

You have asked two questions in one. So, which one do you want me to answer?

If he will provide the composition and cost?

I can provide, but I am not going to go into that. Then I can compare from 2014 onwards; I will compare all.

(Interruptions)

You have a question on this?

… with a detailed information, especially for me. Give it!

For you…

Your leader is asking a question, please!

The hon. Prime Minister stated that he goes on mission only when he is invited. Does that principle apply to all Ministers and Junior Ministers also?

31

Yes. I just said, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir. If the hon. Leader of the Opposition had listened. I said that Ministers do not go because they decide to go to XYZ; they must be invited.

That’s what I am saying.

I answered that question. We look at it; whether it is essential for them to go and what will be the benefit for Mauritius.

The hon. Second Member for Grand’ Baie & Poudre d’Or! MAUBANK LTD – PROPOSED SALE – TRANSACTION ADVISOR