As the Minister responsible for the portfolio of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity, my Ministry and I are committed to the safety and well-being of our elders, persons with disabilities and vulnerable families.
Since March 2020, Mauritius, like the rest of the world, is striving to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has truly been an unprecedented crisis for our country, and Government has responded promptly with strict measures to curb the spread of the virus. Throughout the strict national curfew, our country has remained united, and it is this sense of solidarity that has allowed us to cope so well until now.
At the level of Government, and my Ministry, we have had to constantly reinvent ourselves to be able to better meet the needs and expectations of the population during these unprecedented circumstances. My Ministry has therefore implemented a number of initiatives to ensure that vulnerable persons are not put at risk, nor left without resources.
We have ensured the delivery of food packs to around 8000 families eligible under the social register of Mauritius and some 19,779 persons benefitting from a Carer's Allowance.
We enabled the payment of pensions at home for 58,665 persons who usually receive their pension at the post office – this is certainly a first in Mauritius, and a clear signal of our willingness to protect our vulnerable elderly persons during the sanitary crisis.
We have also changed our approach for the flu vaccination campaign for the elderly, choosing this year to use mobile caravans that travelled throughout the country in order to reach our elders without making them leave their homes.
We have distributed masks to vulnerable households eligible under the Social Register of Mauritius, and we will be providing tablets to children from these families so that they may continue their studies online until schools are able to reopen.
These actions are in keeping with the mandate of my Ministry, which aims at providing aid and support to vulnerable groups, while creating an increasingly inclusive society for all.
Since December 2014, our Government has demonstrated its compassion for all those in need. Our Government has therefore implemented several increases in retirement pension – from Rs 3623 before December 2014 to Rs 9000 today.
We have also taken more measures for our persons living with disabilities. Invalidity pensions have increased from Rs 3267 before December 2014 to reach Rs 9000 today. My Ministry also took corrective measures to ensure that children under the age of 15 with a disability of 60% or more benefit from an invalidity pension, hence correcting a serious injustice. We are also looking to provide more training opportunities for persons with disabilities in an effort to foster greater inclusion.
In parallel, the Social Integration Division of my Ministry is actively engaged in the fight against absolute poverty. Our efforts are geared at the implementation of the Marshall Plan against Poverty, which has allowed us to provide financial assistance, training and educational support to 8000 families in Mauritius and 2000 families in Rodrigues who are eligible under the Social Register of Mauritius.
Our new website will certainly provide you with all the required information on the wide range of services aimed at making the lives of our citizens easier in different ways. I believe that it will also reflect my Ministry's efforts to constantly come up with new measures for the betterment of people's lives. Let me assure our population that we are determined to continue on this path – one that will contribute to creating a better quality of life for those who are the most in need of our care, help and support.
