Madam Speaker, I wish to inform the House that over the past five years, four applications for Environmental Impact Assessment Licences for private undertakings have been received at the level of the Ministry. Out of these four applications, three Environmental Impact Assessment Licenses have been issued. One application, namely the proposed Balao Bay Small Hotel Development at Anse Ally, Rodrigues, by Society Civil Balao Bay, has been withdrawn as a request of the proponent on 05 October 2023. It is to be noted that no application for Environmental Impact Assessment Licence for public undertakings has been received at the level of my Ministry over the past five years. I am tabling a list of applications for Environmental Impact Assessment license applications for Rodrigues from 2021 to date, which have been processed by my Ministry. Madam Speaker, furthermore, with regard to Preliminary Environmental Report and Strategic Environmental Assessment Report, no application has been received at the level of the Ministry for public or private undertakings in Rodrigues over the past five years. I have also been informed by the Chief Commissioner Office, Commission for Environment and Community Development, that one project, namely the construction of a jetty at Bay Lascar, is being implemented without an EIA licence, and a stop order has been issued on 09 July 2026.

Thank you. Yes!

Thank you, hon. Minister. With regard to the stop order, may I know who issued the stop order? Is it your Ministry or is it the local authority thereat?

Yes, it is the Chief Commissioner Office and the Environment Department of Rodrigues.

Okay. Thank you. I think we can break now. We will break for one hour only today, exceptionally. Thank you. At 12.57 p.m., the Sitting was suspended. On resuming at 2.02 p.m. with the Deputy Speaker in the Chair.

Please be seated! Hon. First Member for Rodrigues! PHYTOSANITARY PROTOCOLS – MAURITIUS-RODRIGUES AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE – REVIEW