<B>Airbus does Air Mauritius a good turn</B>

Some terms of negotiation for the purchase of three Airbus A340-300E by Air Mauritius have been revealed. The companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding but it seems Airbus made a lot of concessions to make sure it would obtain the contract. What is sure is that the price is far less than the quoted one in the catalogue, i.e. Rs 16 billion. The deal also includes a guarantee on the resale price by Airbus so that Air Mauritius doesn’t lose too much when it replaces them by high-tech models (available by 2008). The aircraft’s performance is also guaranteed.

<B>New building for duty-free paradise </B>

The CSK Tower, a 12-floor building, is being constructed in Port-Louis (Celicourt Antelme Street) and should be ready in August. Its first occupants should be able to take possession in October. The first floor of the building will include duty-free shops – specialising in electronics, jewellery, leather-goods, perfumery and so on… Well-known brands such as Kookai and Yves St Laurent will be represented. The 11 upper floors will be used for professional purposes and will ho several offices.

<B>“Mysterious” fire in Montagne Longue </B>

Some rooms in the house of a couple living in Notre-Dame near Montagne Longue with their children caught fire on Sunday and Monday. Neither the inhabitants of the house nor the firemen can explain what happened. After the prayer- room caught fire, it was the curtains’ turn to do so. With no concrete explanation. A sugar cane field near the house also caught fire. Firemen and the police are all working on the incidents and are looking for the origin of the incidents.

<B>Four new hotels in Black-River</B>

The Western region is developing and the Salines area should soon see the construction of four luxury hotels. This lies in the framework of a Master Plan aimed at developing the hotel and leisure industries on the West coast. Societe Koenig Freres, Kalyan Kurji Patel, managing director of Allied Builders Ltd, Sogetex and Four H Co Ltd are the four promoters planning to make huge investments in this project.