Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, section 84 of the Workers’ Rights Act stipulates that – “A worker shall be entitled to a transition unemployment benefit where [his employment is terminated by his employer] for a period of not less than one month nor more than 12 months.” The rate of the Transition Unemployment Benefit payable is subject to a ceiling of Rs25,475, as follows – • First three months 90% of the basic wage; • Fourth to sixth month 60% of the basic wage; • Seventh to twelfth month 30% of the basic wage. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, with regard to part (a) of the question, the number of applications received and approved from 2020 to 2024, are as follows – • For 2020 – 16,170 applications were received out of which 13,326 applications had been approved; • For 2021 – 11,264 applications were received out of which 8,930 were approved; • For 2022 – 8,145 applications were received and 5,578 were approved; • For 2023 – 7,264 applications were received and 4,880 were approved, and • 2024 – 8,543 applications were received and 5,992 were approved. As regards part (b) of the question, section 84, sub-section 5 provides that – “Where a worker has made a claim for the payment of the transition unemployment benefit and the supervising officer [of my Ministry] is satisfied that the [case] is bona fide, the supervising officer shall, within 7 days of the date of the claim, notify the Ministry [of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity] to effect payment.”

44 The latter has up to 10 days from receipt of claim of my Ministry to effect payment to the laid-off workers. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am informed that based on statistics retrieved from the computerised Workfare Programme system, the average time taken to process application from the date of registration of the worker on the Workfare Programme to the day the Ministry of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity is notified to effect payment is as follows – • For 2020 – 78 days; • For 2021 – 59 days; • For 2022 – 58 days; • For 2023 – 70 days, and • For 2024 – 61 days. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am informed that there are several reasons for the delay to process the application within the statutory delay of seven days. Most of the delays are due to delay to secure documents of information from uncooperative employers, delay from the workers to submit the required documents, shortage of staff but the main reason remain, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, that before the Supervising Officer approves the transfer, he must be satisfied that the claim is bona fide and unfortunately, he undergoes a series of consultations with the worker and the employer and that takes time. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am also informed that for the disbursement to be made to the beneficiaries on average, the Ministry of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity, takes an additional two weeks from the date the notification is made. The time to process the application, therefore, is up to ten times more than the statutory requirement of seven days. Ten times! While the application is being processed, the worker does not receive any payment and the delay in processing the application defeats the purpose of the act which is to provide the laid-off worker with immediate relief. In order to bring improvement to Workfare Programme and to make it more efficient, at the level of the Ministry, I have set up a technical committee. The committee also comprises representatives of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity.

45 I am informed that the committee has met on eight occasions and has held consultations with Business Mauritius, with various trade-unions and other stakeholders and is presently finalising its recommendations.

Do you have a supplementary?

Thank you Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir. Can the hon. Minister inform the House what mechanisms or facilities are provided to officers to ensure secure and efficient files’ transportation from regional offices around the island to the Head Office?

Yes, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, what I have done when I came to office, was to eliminate the duplicity that occurred because previously whenever a worker made a complaint, he had to report to the Labour Office closer to his place of employment but when he was laid-off, subsequently, he had to go to the Labour Officer where he is residing. So, there was duplicity and there was transfer of files and this was taking a lot of delay. So, now, I have given instructions that it is the same Labour Office that has registered the complaint of the worker that is now going to process the application for Workfare Programme. We don’t have a new inquiry starting in with the place of residence.

I suspend the Sitting for one and a half hour. At 12.59 p.m., the Sitting was suspended. On resuming at 2.31 p.m. with the Deputy Speaker in the Chair.

Please be seated! Hon. First Member for Piton and Rivière du Rempart! COTTAGE-POUDRE D'OR HAMLET ROAD – ROAD SAFETY MEASURES