(Vide Reply to PNQ)

Je vous remercie, Madame la présidente. En passant, j’ai deux questions.

Okay.

J’avais deux questions. Will the hon. Prime Minister provide the House with some details of the terms of the Government-to-Government Agreement with India on the supply of petroleum products which was signed in 2006 by the former Labour Government, and subsequently, résilié under the former MSM Government? Thank you.

Can you provide it?

You are right to point out. I did point out it was a guaranteed supply. We had cut out the middleman. Madam Speaker, you know why we have a middleman?

We all know.

We all know they do not work for free. They take commissions. What do they do? They share the commission. That is what was happening. That is why the contract was resiliated. An hon. Member: Pa konn pran komision, konn pran brayb!

Yes, bribe! Unfortunately, that has happened.

Do you have the documents she was saying?

No, we have not finalised the agreement yet, but it would be practically under the same terms. I do not know what Indian Oil will want additionally, but this is what is being worked out.

Okay, second question!

I thank you very, very much.

Parce que c’est vous !

Thank you. Will the Prime Minister confirm that Mauritius was amongst the first few countries to have successfully repatriated our nationals safely back to Mauritius?

Yes, this is absolutely right. I saw on the news that France and UK are having difficulties. We had repatriated our nationals who wanted to be repatriated.

Including our hon. Member!

(Interruptions)

Including Adrien Duval!

I would tell a different story!

(Interruptions)

Madam Speaker, I have a question.

Yes, of course. But we are happy to see him here!

Madam Speaker, I would tell a different story, but today is not the time. Madam Speaker, may I ask the Prime Minister on…

(Interruptions)

Chut!

In fact, it is on air connectivity, and he partly answered earlier during the PNQ. He has stated that Air Mauritius is to operate one additional flight – he did not specify the frequency – for this month and three additional flights for the month after. My question is: Given the shortfall of up to 1,500 passengers per day coming through Emirates, mainly from European markets, has the Prime Minister discussed with British Airways, Air France and Air Seychelles to temporarily increase their flight connectivity to Mauritius to cater for that shortfall? Because 18 days since the conflict, it does not look like Emirates will be in a position to operate the daily three flights anytime soon. So, has the Prime Minister spoken to them? What is the plan on this score?

I know that Air Mauritius was looking at all the possible, but they, themselves, decided they will add additional flights. Also, as you rightly said, Emirates is not going to add additional flights now, but they did give us the additional flights which we requested. I was told they were speaking to British Airways and to other airlines, but nothing concrete has come out of that.

Madam Speaker, may I ask a second question?

Quickly!

Madam Speaker, the second issue with that is that prices of air tickets, especially for Air Mauritius, have gone through the roof. So, allowing others to cater for the shortfall would help, at the end of the day, people who are flying. So, does the Prime Minister have any plan to control the rising prices of air tickets, which have tremendously increased in the last three weeks?

We are not in a position to control these prices because fuel prices are going up. And there is the appreciation of the dollar and the euro. Both of them are going up. So, it is beyond our control to try to control that price.

One moment! Hon. Etwareea, you had question B/61. Do you have a supplementary? You are okay. MIDDLE EAST TENSIONS – FOOD SECURITY – ALTERNATIVE IMPORT SOURCES & LOCAL PRODUCTION