Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in regard to the proposed setting up of a cultural desk that would act as one-stop-shop for concert organisers and artists, I wish to inform the House that this project is a key measure set out in the Government Programme 2025-2029, and it is a priority for Government. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, since taking office, I have ensured that substantial progress has been made towards the implementation of this project. The cultural desk is being developed by my Ministry with the technical support of the Economic Development Board, using the National Electronic Licensing System as its digital backbone. I am pleased to inform the House that a mock-up of the online platform has already been developed and will be finalised after addressing some challenges identified during this exercise. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is important to underline that this project is a complex and multi-layered exercise. It requires the integration and collaboration of a wide range of stakeholders across ministries, departments and institutions, including the Police Department, local authorities, the Mauritius Fire and Rescue Services, the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Tourism Authority, the Beach Authority, the Ministry of Labour and Industrial Relations, the Mauritius Sports Council, the Mauritius Society of Authors and Mauritius Multisports Infrastructure Ltd. At present, the system governing the organisation of concert is highly fragmented. Event organisers are required to obtain up to 15 clearances from multiple institutions for manual processes and physical submissions. In case of incomplete applications, organisers are required to restart the process, thereby creating delays and placing an additional burden on artists. This has, over time, discouraged many operators in the sector and constrained the organisation of cultural events. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in order to ensure that the cultural desk effectively addresses these shortcomings, extensive consultations had to be carried out with all stakeholders concerned. I am informed that around 12 meetings have been held both at the level of my Ministry and by the Economic Development Board in addition to several one-to-one technical sessions with individual stakeholders to map out their respective procedures, requirements and constraints. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, these consultations have brought to light a number of systemic issues which have to be resolved prior to finalisation of the system. These include significant divergence in processing timeline across institutions with some clearances being issued within a few days while others may take up to 30 days. In addition, there are inconsistencies in payment procedures with certain institutions requiring payment prior to the issuance of clearances while other process payments afterwards. Such disparities, if not addressed, would undermine the objective of creating a streamline and user-friendly one-stop-shop. Another constraint relates to the adoption of one line payment system. While some government institutions are already integrated with the e-payment gateway, others continue to rely on manual payment processes. In this regard, my Ministry has scheduled a meeting with the Accountant General Department and the Ministry of Finance, tomorrow, with a view to harmonising and standardising online payment mechanism across all relevant institutions. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in parallel, procedures will be harmonised, timelines standardised and operational requirements aligned across institutions. The objective is to ensure that the cultural desk does not merely replicate existing bottlenecks in digital form, but instead delivers a genuinely simplified and efficient process for users. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also wish to highlight that certain delays encountered in the implementation of this project were attributable to bottlenecks at the level of the local authorities where procedures differ from one authority to another and where inputs were not always provided within the expected timeframe. Upon being apprised of this situation, I convened a meeting with my colleague, the hon. Minister of Local Government together with Chairpersons and Chief Executives of the local authorities to address all these issues. Following this intervention, progress has improved significantly with inputs being consolidated and integrated into the system designed in collaboration with the Economic Development Board. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, once finalised, the system will be presented to the artist community for their validation as soon as possible. Thereafter, the Economic Development Board will conduct training sessions for artists and event organisers to ensure that they are fully equipped to use the platform effectively. At the level of my Ministry, officers will be specifically assigned to the culture desk.

Hon. Minister, do you have a lot to go? Because time is nearly over.

Nearly 50 seconds. At the level of my Ministry, officers will be specifically assigned to the culture desk to ensure that the system remains fully functional and operational and to provide direct assistance to artists in case of any problems for the electronic filling of application on the platform. Let me be very clear: this reform is long overdue. For years, artists and event organisers have been calling for a one-stop-shop to facilitate the organisation of cultural events. Their appeals were not adequately addressed by the previous government. On the contrary, the process became increasingly restrictive with authorisation for public concert, often difficult to obtain. Thereby, adversely affecting livelihood across the creative sector. This Government has taken a deliberate and firm decision to change that. We are putting in place in modern, transparent and efficient system that will remove unnecessary barriers, restore confidence and enable our artists and cultural entrepreneurs to fully express their talent and contribute to the growth of our creative economy. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, my Ministry remains fully committed to ensuring that the cultural desk becomes a truly facilitative, user-friendly and transformative tool for the cultural sector.

Time is over! The Table has been advised that the following PQs have been withdrawn: B/542, B/544, B/545, B/547, B/550, B/553, B/554, B/556, B/557, B/559, B/560, B/561, and B/562.