Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, first of all, let me thank the hon. Member for this question and also let me take this opportunity to congratulate the hon. Member for his National Day Award 2025 as Grand Officer of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean for his contribution in the medical and social fields.

73 Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to inform the House that persons suffering from a disability are entitled to an Invalid’s Basic Pension or a Disability Allowance and/or a Carer’s Allowance after an assessment by medical board. Under the prevailing system established prior to the present Government, a medical assessment is carried out by medical practitioners of my Ministry to determine the eligibility to the Invalid’s Basic Pension or Disability Allowance or Carer’s Allowance. Assessments are carried out either by a medical board which comprises two medical practitioners or by one medical practitioner at the claimant’s residence for those whose mobility is limited and who cannot attend the medical board. As per law, the entitlement for the Invalid’s Pension is based upon the claimant being at least 60% incapacitated for a period of at least 12 months. The law as such does not make any provision for the duration of any of the pensions. A medical guideline, last updated in 2016, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Wellness is used by medical practitioners who sit on medical boards for assessment of claimants for the benefits. This guideline also provides for the duration of the award of the disability benefits. Statistics recently compiled by my Ministry revealed that under the present system, one in two cases where pension benefits are approved, they are for a period of one year. In 32% of cases, pensions are awarded for two years. This means that every year, more than 50% of invalidity pensions or benefits claims being assessed relate to renewal cases, that is, cases where pension has lapsed, and thus, needs to be reassessed for renewal. This is one of the reasons why many Mauritians are dissatisfied with the present system. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, to reply to part (a) of the question on how many cases have been cancelled for the last four years, firstly, please allow me to make some clarifications. Disability related pensions and benefits can be stopped for two reasons – (i) they can be suspended in departure cases or in cases of three consecutive non encashment of pension or where doubtful documents were produced by applicants or malpractices have been reported by whistleblowers, and (ii) pensions and benefits are discontinued after the duration period of the pension has lapsed and same has not been renewed by the medical board. With regard to part (a) of the question, I am informed that for the period July 2021 up to 20 March 2025, there were 335 suspended cases of Basic Invalidity Pension (BIP), Disability Allowance and Carer’s Allowance. Additionally, 16,134 cases of BIP, Disability

74 Allowance and Carer’s Allowance have been discontinued for the period of July 2021 up to 20 March 2025 after reassessment by the Medical Board. Moreover, 29,013 cases of BIP, Disability Allowance and Carer’s Allowance have been disallowed that is not granted by the medical board for the same period. It should be pointed out that for the same period, my Ministry has received 33,360 applications for Basic Invalidity Pension, 1,179 applications for Disability Allowance and 42,915 for Carer’s Allowance. For the benefit of the House and the public, I am tabling indicative statistics on what I have just mentioned. With regard to part (b) of the question, I wish to inform the House that under the present legislation, a person’s whose case has been disallowed or discontinued is only provided a statement that the claimant has not satisfied the 60% incapacitated criteria. The onus to prove the contrary is put on the claimant who has the right to make an appeal to the Medical Appeal Tribunal within a period of one month from the date of disallowance notice. In case claimants do not appeal, they may make a fresh application to the medical board for the benefit after six months. An earlier application can be made in the event that there is aggravation of the medical condition of the person supported by a medical certificate. As for measures envisaged by my Ministry, I need to highlight that the assessment system is based on medical guidelines under the Sixth Schedule of the National Pensions Act. Thus, a broad-based reform is being explored to include the functionality of a potentially disabled person, that is, can the person work? Can the person feed himself or herself? Can the person use public transport? Can the person take care of himself? Just to mention a few examples. In addition, my Ministry is also exploring the reform of the entire operation of medical board. Shall the board have access to the entire medical file of the claimant and perform its operations within public hospitals and centres as is presently the case for the claims based on Eye Vision Disability. Shall the doctors serving on medical boards and carrying domiciliary visits continue to be employed on a sessional contract basis or shall they be the backbone of a new system. Proposals are being considered to include representatives of organisation representing people with disabilities within the medical board and appeal tribunal dealing with disabilities benefit entitlements. Furthermore, the very criteria of 60% incapacity are being questioned. The possibility of introducing a graduated benefit system based on the percentage of incapacity and

75 functionality is being explored. We are studying different systems from different countries in this respect. In the long run, the introduction and the talking of e-Health System with the e-Social Security System will greatly facilitate the efficiency and modernisation process once we settle the core issues on the coming reform. To conclude, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, my Ministry with the support of the Government is moving towards a significant change of the system to ensure a dignified, right-based and efficient disability pension benefit system in Mauritius. In this context, to promote inclusiveness, my Ministry has opened as from 18 March until 10 April 2025 a last round of input from citizens and associations defending people with disabilities to formulate proposals for changes in disability pensions and benefit system, as well as amendments they deem appropriate to the not yet proclaimed Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2024. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir.

Thank you for your long and comprehensive answer. No additional? Do you have a supplementary? An hon. Member: Ena ankor?

One last supplementary because the answer was quite comprehensive.

Yes. Thank you and thank you for the compliment at the beginning of your answer. May I ask the hon. Minister, based on the medical assessment that we have at the present by medical practitioners and the Medical Board, whether he would also consider the implementation of a Barema system. The Barema system which is being used widely in Europe – and I have copies of them from different countries which I will handover to you afterwards – that encompasses the medical, functional needs, assistance needs, and above all, the additional cost incurred by relatives. I am hoping that this can be implemented and my next…

(Interruptions)

There is a small question. This is a very sensitive issue. It is on the radio every day, very sensitive. I would like to ask the hon. Minister that there should be in the department, an emergency appeal system rather than the normal appeal. An emergency appeal system with

76 regard to certain individuals who have been invalid since birth, whose condition have not changed but have been denied of the invalidity pension, namely of one case that may make history for him, of a young boy born epileptic, cerebral palsy, one arm longer than the other, one leg shorter than the other, who cannot talk, and yet, his pension has been denied. I will share the documents with you. Please look at how these individuals who are bona fide invalid people, can have an emergency system through your Ministry, so that they can have the funds to have a better living. Thank you.

We are on the same wavelength. Since I took this Office, we share the same concern and we are studying in the same direction. All these suggestions and the documents that you will submit will be considered. Thank you, hon. Member.

I will call B/230! Hon. Third Member for Port Louis South and Port Louis Central! IMMACULÉE CONCEPTION SCHOOL – BUILDING SECURITY