Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am informed that over the past five years, work permits have been issued in respect of 20 foreign workers to take up employment in Rodrigues for the period January 2021 to date. Only six of those work permits are still active. I am tabling a list of the foreign workers in Rodrigues, the sectors in which they are employed, and their respective grades. As regards part (a) (ii) of the question, my Ministry is in the presence of two applications for work permit for foreign workers to work in Rodrigues, and these are under consideration at the level of the Ministry. As for part (b) of the question, I am informed that there is a Labour Office in Port Mathurin, which operates under the aegis of the Commission of Tourism, ICT, Employment, Labour and Industrial Relations within the Rodrigues Regional Assembly. The primary role of the Labour Office is to ensure that employers comply with the labour legislation, through inspection at work places, handling of complaints reported by workers to recover their legal dues, and as a last resort, through court action against non-compliant employers. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to point out that it has been reported to my Ministry that employers in Mauritius have been redeploying their foreign workers to Rodrigues. These workers are holders of a work permit or a certification of exemption to work only in Mauritius. Without the prior authorisation of my Ministry, employers are not allowed to transfer foreign workers to Rodrigues. Last week, officers of my Ministry and myself held meetings in Rodrigues with the Commissioner, Head of Departments and officers of the Commission. We agreed that my Ministry will not issue any work permit to foreigners to work in Rodrigues without the prior clearance from the Commission. My Ministry is also working with the Occupational Safety and Health Department of the Commission in Rodrigues for the issue of lodging accommodation permits for premises where the foreign workers in Rodrigues will reside.

Okay, one question!

Thank you, hon. Minister. May I ask the hon. Minister whether his Ministry has implemented any capacity building or training for the local public officers in Rodrigues to deal with those foreign workers, mainly in regard to inspection and registration of complaints? If not, will your Ministry, in collaboration with local authorities, consider this much needed request?

Absolutely, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir. Last week, we had a very fruitful meeting, where we have agreed to make sure that the labour officers in Rodrigues will get adequate training either in Mauritius or officers from my Ministry will come to Rodrigues to do the training or we will do it by way of video conferencing. We are also working on the legal implication because there seems to be an issue with the lodging accommodation permit, which is issued by my Ministry and not the RRA. So, we are taking all this into consideration, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir.

Hon. Second Member for Belle Rose & Quatre Bornes! COMOROS ISLANDS – SUBSIDISED FLOUR – ALLEGED EXPORTATION – CORRECTIVE MEASURES