India grants a line of credit of 500 billion dollars to Mauritius
Mauritius has just benefited from a line of credit of 500 million dollars, which is the equivalent of 19 billion Mauritian rupees, from India. The government intends to use around 2.65 billion rupees for the financing of several projects, including the construction of mediclinics, health centres and a transplant unit at an estimated cost of Rs 720 million. Funds will also be used for the construction of new buildings for the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and the National Library and Archives. Besides, a photovoltaic farm will be built in Tamarind Falls at the cost of Rs 400 million. Another line of credit of Rs 4 billion has been granted to Mauritius for the purchase of defence equipment, including a new coastal surveillance system.
Mauritian nanosatellite launching in space in May
This news is quite unusual for Mauritius. On Monday, February 15th, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) received the Mauritian nanosatellite MIR-SAT1, manufactured by "Clyde Space", a Glasgow-based company. The nanosatellite will be launched into space towards the International Space Station (ISS), where it will be put into orbit from Tsukuba, Japan, in May. Its mission is to capture pictures of Mauritius and the surrounding regions, which will be used for capacity building in the field of space and satellite technologies through the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC).
Mauritius port activities are rising again
While the port handles around 11,000 containers per week in normal times, new figures following the significant drop for the year 2020-2021 are a good sign. The president of the Mauritius Ports Authority (MPA), Ramalingum Maistry, revealed to the local media that more than 10,000 containers were being handled per week in early February. Even though the island has lifted its border restrictions since several months, port activities were down 50% at the peak of the pandemic. This is due to the slowdown in imports and exports. However, cruising activities are not likely to resume anytime soon.
Relocation of the Quatre-Bornes market
Quatre-Bornes is considering the relocation of its market, which is actually along the main road in the city centre, to a parking lot right behind it. According to the municipality, this decision is in line with the construction of the new Urban Terminal as part of the Metro Express project. The mayor had a meeting this week with local vendors to discuss this proposal. The Urban Terminal should be built on the market's existing infrastructure and should include several floors. Once the project is completed, the market will be relocated once again on the ground floor of the new building.
Mauritius: the declining middle class
According to a recent study by Kantar Indian Ocean, the Mauritian middle class has declined since the past three years. The COVID-19 crisis only accelerated the trend. Still, the higher class and the upper-middle class, which includes office employees, technicians, etc., seem to be well off. The report also highlights a widening gap between the upper class and the lowest socio-professional class. It's worth noting that the poverty line in Mauritius was set at Rs 7,509 in 2017.
Some fifty fines from January for non-respect of the single-use plastic product ban
Mauritius is more than ever serious about environment protection. The police is closely monitoring the non-respect of the single-use plastic products ban. Starting from January 15, 2021, fifty-seven people and companies have been fined to date, and 22,700 plastic products have been seized. Officers of the Ministry of the Environment visited some 600 businesses. It's worth noting that the sale, distribution, use, manufacture and import of single-use plastic products is banned in Mauritius since January 15.
