chapter seven General

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2 84 As from 1 February 2006, Mr Jocelyn Kwok Yin Siong Yen was appointed General Secretary of the Chamber. Mr Kwok holds a Maîtrise en Science de Gestion from the Université de Montpellier I, France. Before joining the Chamber, he spent more than 14 years with the Chartered Accountant and Management Consultant firm De Chazal du Mée. Nominated as Partner in 1998, he was head of the Marketing Research and Economic Studies practice. The Chamber wishes to place on record its appreciation to Mr Li Yuen Fong for his long-serving years in various capacities and his overall contribution and commitment to the industry, and to extend a warm welcome to Mr Kwok. 85 General ADMINISTRATION Changes in Staff London Office In January 2006, Mr Mrinal Roy took up his appointment as General Overseas Representative of the Mauritius Chamber of Agriculture and of the Mauritius Sugar Syndicate in London, in replacement of Mr Jean-Claude Tyack. Mr Tyack went on retirement at the end of December 2005 after more than thirty years of dedicated service to the industry, at the Chamber as Senior Assistant Secretary (from 1974 to 1987) and General Secretary (from 1987 to 1997), and then at the London Office (from 1997 to 2005). The Chamber wishes to record its deep appreciation and gratitude to Mr Tyack for his loyalty over these long years and his significant contribution in furthering the interests of the sugar industry of Mauritius. We wish Mr Tyack a happy retirement and Mr Roy every success in his new responsibilities. Mauritius Office Mr Jean Li Yuen Fong was appointed General Secretary of the Chamber with effect from 1 July 2005 in replacement of Mr Jean Noël Humbert. However, he resigned from his position seven months later, at the end of January 2006, to take up his new appointment as Director of the Mauritius Sugar Producers Association. Mr France Mayes, formerly head of the Information Management Service, who went on early retirement in February 2000, retired from the Chamber with effect as from 1 April 2006 after thirty-six years of dedicated service. The Chamber wishes him a long and peaceful retirement. Miss Pamela Leste, Assistant to the Officer in Charge, Diversification, Natural Resources and Environment Service resigned from her post at the end of January Ms Leste joined the Chamber in August Mrs Annick Pompon Sheik-Bajeet, formerly Desk Officer at the Mauritius Meat Producers Association, joined the Chamber in June 2006 as Analyst in the Diversification, Natural Resources and Environment Service. Participation of the Chamber in International and Regional Forums During the year under review, the Chamber continued to fulfil its role of safeguarding institution and contributed to various forums and working groups. The main ones were the 6th WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong, the EPA negotiations and more particularly the treatment of the Sugar Protocol in the said context, the negotiations within the SADC Trade Negotiating Forum (TNF) where Mauritius succeeded in obtaining a minimum sugar quota to export on the SADC market. Other trade negotiations to which the Chamber contributed significantly concern the setting up of a preferential trade agreement between Mauritius and Pakistan, and of a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Partnership Agreement (CECPA) with India. The CECPA which will be fully operational in 2007 will enable Mauritius to export a tariff rate quota of 15,000 tonnes of sugar to India without any customs duty. The following table lists the forums in which the representatives of the Chamber participated, either as private sector delegate or as representative of the local agricultural/sugar sector.

3 86 87 Date Event Location Representative HIGH LEVEL MEETINGS September th ACP Special Ministerial Kisumu, Kenya Mr Jean Li Yuen Fong, Conference on Sugar General Secretary December th WTO Ministerial Conference Hong Kong Messrs Jean Li Yuen Fong, General Secretary, Mrinal Roy, General Overseas Representative in London (D), Géo Govinden, Representative in Brussels Date Event Location Representative WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS 30 June - 1 July st ESA Dedicated Session on Lusaka, Zambia Mr Laurent Law Toon Fong, Development Officer for Legal and International Affairs November th Session of the ISO Council London, UK Messrs Jean-Claude Tyack, General Overseas Representative in London Mrinal Roy, General Overseas Representative in London (D) January nd Joint Working Group on Trade Mauritius Mr Laurent Law Toon Fong, and Investment between Pakistan Officer for Legal and and Mauritius International Affairs January th Comprehensive Economic Mauritius Mr Laurent Law Toon Fong Cooperation Partnership Agreement (CECPA) Round of Negotiations 8-9 February 2006 ESA-EC Ministerial Council Meeting Mauritius Mr Laurent Law Toon Fong February th CECPA Round of Negotiations New Delhi, India Mr Laurent Law Toon Fong 16 January 2006 SADC Workshop on Rules of Origin Mauritius Mr Laurent Law Toon Fong and Non-Trade Barriers January 2006 Cross Border Investment Project-FAO Antananarivo Mr Jean-Cyril Monty, Officer Workshop Madagascar in Charge for Diversification, Natural Resources and Environment Service March 2006 FAO Workshop on the Promotion of Pretoria, Mr Jean-Cyril Monty Agricultural Trade and Investment South Africa Synergies between South Africa and other SADC Countries May th Round of the CECPA Negotiations Mauritius Mr Laurent Law Toon Fong 28 May - 2 June rd Session of ACP Council of Port Moresby, Mr Mrinal Roy, General Ministers Papua Overseas Representative in ACP/EU Ministerial Consultations New Guinea London on Sugar NEGOTIATING FORUMS April 2006 Intra Regional Trade Development Seychelles Mr Jean-Cyril Monty Programme in the Indian Ocean May th Session of the ISO Council Istanbul, Turkey Mr Mrinal Roy 5-6 June 2006 WTO - Intellectual Property Rights Mauritius Mr Laurent Law Toon Fong Workshop July st SADC Technical Committee Johannesburg, Mr Laurent Law Toon Fong, on Sugar South Africa Officer for Legal and International Affairs 8-10 August th SADC Trade Negotiating Forum Gaborone, Mr Laurent Law Toon Fong Special meeting on SADC Annex Botswana VII Agreement on Trade in Sugar October th ESA Regional Negotiating Forum Lusaka, Zambia Mr Laurent Law Toon Fong 4-7 April nd SADC Trade Negotiating Forum Gaborone, Mr Laurent Law Toon Fong Botswana 7-11 May th ESA Regional Negotiating Forum Kigali, Rwanda Mr Laurent Law Toon Fong

4 88 89 VISITORS FROM ABROAD In March 2006, H.E. Mr Georges Bullen, Ambassador of the Eastern Caribbean States in Brussels, visited Mauritius. As Chairman of the ACP Consultative Group on Sugar, Ambassador Bullen paid a visit at the Chamber and met with various representatives of the sugar industry. Views exchanged revolved around the critical issue of the reform of the EU sugar regime and of accompanying measures to support ACP Sugar Protocol countries. In April 2006, a delegation of the ACP/EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly visited Mauritius with a view to take stock of the economic and social implications of the European Union sugar reform in ACP countries. Before visiting Mauritius, the joint ACP/EU delegation visited Guyana, Jamaica and Swaziland. The EU and ACP delegations were led respectively by Mrs Glenys Kinnock, Member of the European Parliament and Mr Roy K. Chulumanda of Zambia. The ACP/EU delegation had two working sessions with all stakeholders of the sugar sector during which presentations were made on the adaptation strategy of the industry and on exploiting the full potential of cane biomass. Field visits were organised at Mon Desert Alma and the Centrale Thermique de Belle Vue. On behalf of the sugar industry, the Chamber also hosted a lunch for the delegation. In April 2006, the Chamber received the visit of Dr Nick Charalambides, International Trade Economist and team leader for a study, commissioned by the European Commission and entrusted to Imani Development International Ltd, on the impact of Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) in Mauritius. The study included namely an assessment of the development needs of Mauritius, a competitiveness analysis of the different sectors of the economy and proposals for an Adjustment Plan to improve their competitiveness. The findings of the study were presented later on during the year. CONTRIBUTION TO THE NATIONAL FIGHT AGAINST CHIKUNGUNYA Responding positively to the request of the authorities in the fight against the vector borne disease Chikungunya, which prevailed in the country during summer 2005, sugar estates adopted prevention measures in a bid to combat the threatening disease and limit the proliferation of mosquitoes. Such measures, estimated at a cost of Rs 4.6 million, included namely the cleaning of courtyards and drains, and the spraying of insecticides in identified areas. Estates also extended their support to local organisations in the collective effort to prevent the spreading of the disease. It is also worth mentioning that the Chamber, together with the MSPA, contributed, as members of the private sector under the Joint Economic Council, about Rs to the freight expenses committed by Mauritius for the air transportation of insect repellents donated by the Indian Government. OBITUARY The Chamber has learnt with much regret of the passing away of one of its members, Mr Jean Larcher, who has been an individual member of the Chamber for more than twenty years. The Chamber would wish to reiterate its condolences to Mr Larcher s family.

5 90 91 THE MAURITIUS CHAMBER OF AGRICULTURE Plantation House, Duke of Edinburgh Avenue P.O. Box 312, Port Louis, Mauritius Telephone: (230) / Fax: (230) mca312@intnet.mu Website : Information Management Service Head: Miss Danielle Bonne Assistant: Mrs Sophia Dabeesing Secretarial Supporting Service Head: Mrs Chantal Pottier Assistant: Mrs Dominique David Reception Desk Service Receptionist: Mrs Murcia Harter bureau President: Christian Foo Kune 1st Vice-President: Joseph Vaudin 2nd Vice-President: Guirdharry Juggessur Members: Jacques d Unienville Daniel Giraud Jean Raymond Hardy Amal Mungur auditors Kemp Chatteris Deloitte & Touche De Chazal du Mée & Co LONDON OFFICE staff Mauritius Office General Secretary: Jean Li Yuen Fong (up to January 2006) Jocelyn Kwok Yin Siong Yen (as from February 2006) Private Secretary: Mrs Hélène Henri Officer for Legal and International Affairs: Laurent Law Toon Fong Supporting Officer, Communication: Mrs Véronique Ho Wan Kau Internal Budget and Finance Service Treasurer: Mrs Marie Hart de Keating Finance and Accounts Service Accounts Clerk: Miss Ginette Emamally Grosvenor Gardens House, Grosvenor Gardens, LONDON SW1W 0BS, England Telephone: Fax: maurisug@btconnect.com staff General Overseas Representative: Jean-Claude Tyack (up to December 2005) Mrinal Roy (as from January 2006) Private Secretary: Mrs Romilly Leeper Consultant: Andrew Gilmour Diversification, Natural Resources and Environment Service Officer in Charge: Jean-Cyril Monty Assistant: Miss Pamela Leste (up to January 2006) Private Secretary: Mrs Juliette Cunniah Analyst: Mrs Annick Pompon Sheik-Bajeet (as from June 2006) Brussels OFFICE 1 Avenue du Vieux Moutier, 1640 Rhode St Génèse, Belgium Telephone: Fax: geo.govinden@pandora.be staff Representative: Luc Géo Christian Govinden

6 92 93 COMMITTEE APPOINTED BY THE CHAMBER AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Sugar Industry Reserve Fund Committee (Revised Laws of Mauritius Vol 5, p 371) President (ex officio): Christian Foo Kune Jacques d Unienville Patrick de Labauve d Arifat Patrick Giblot-Ducray Daniel Giraud Jean Raymond Hardy Guirdharry Juggessur Arnaud Lagesse Paul Lavoipierre Georges Leung Shing Cyril Mayer Amal Mungur Satianan Pahladi Adolphe Vallet Joseph Vaudin Dangerous Chemicals Control Board Sumantlall Seeruttun Electricity Advisory Committee Soopayah Samy Human Resource Development Council - Sectoral Committee (Agriculture) Jocelyn Kwok Yin Siong Yen Joint Economic Council The General Secretary Mauritius Standards Bureau (Food and Agriculture Standards Committee) Philippe Lahausse de Lalouvière Alternate: Mrs Corinne Bertrand REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CHAMBER ON EXTERNAL BOARDS AND COMMITTEES (Chemical Standards Committee) Samuel Fong Lone Alternate: Sydney Catherine Advisory Committee for the National Quality System Certification Scheme Roland Nicolin Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute Board Cyril Mayer Mauritius Sugar Terminal Corporation Board Advisory Council of the Mauritius Sugar Authority Jack Kong Win Chang Pierre du Mée MEF Council Agricultural Marketing Board Jean-Cyril Monty Jean Li Yuen Fong (up to January 2006) Jocelyn Kwok Yin Siong Yen (as from February 2006) Board of Trustees of the Morris Legacy Fund MSIRI Main Research Advisory Committee Jacques Forget Conseil d Administration de La Revue Agricole et Sucrière de l Ile Maurice Raymond Rivalland MSIRI Research Advisory Sub-Committees (Agronomy) Jean Arthur Lagesse Bernard d Arifat

7 94 95 (Biology) Jean-Robert Lincoln Marc Lincoln (Sugar Technology) Raymond Rivalland Jean-Claude Desvaux de Marigny National Climate Committee Miss Pamela Leste (up to January 2006) Jean-Cyril Monty (as from February 2006) University of Mauritius (Court of the University) Jean-Claude Hoareau, OBE (up to January 2006) Jocelyn Kwok Yin Siong Yen (as from February 2006) (Advisory Committee - The Faculty of Agriculture) Dr Claude Ricaud, CBE (MSc Food Technology with Processing Engineering) Philippe Lahausse de Lalouvière SADC National Committee Jocelyn Kwok Yin Siong Yen Sir Dayendranath Burrenchobay Foundation Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Foundation Small Planters Welfare Fund Abdool Raman Sohawon Sugar Insurance Fund Board Georges Leung Shing Alternate: Jean Raymond Hardy Sugar Planters Mechanical Pool Corporation Committee Bernard d Arifat Tea Board Paul Chan Technical Advisory Committee on Rivers, Streams and Canals Jean-Cyril Monty Technical Committee on Guidelines/Standards for Pesticies Residues In Raw Agricultural Commodities, Food and Animal Feeds Mrs Marie Agnès Bumma

Trade News Digest. 3 rd Round of Resumption Talks: India-Mauritius Comprehensive. Economic Cooperation Partnership Agreement (CECPA)

Trade News Digest. 3 rd Round of Resumption Talks: India-Mauritius Comprehensive. Economic Cooperation Partnership Agreement (CECPA) Trade News Digest INTERNATIONAL TRADE DIVISION MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, REGIONAL INTEGRATION AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE February 2018 In This Issue 3rd Round of Resumption Talks: India-Mauritius Comprehensive