● <B>To be continued. </B>Negotiations between the State and sugar producers have miserably failed before the prime minister, Navin Ramgoolam, flew to Uganda. While the situation seemed to clear up at the beginning of the week, the two parties have not managed to find a compromise concerning the shareholding of thermal stations. Sugar producers said they agreed to give up to 30% of the capital of their powerstations to the Sugar Investment Trust but the government insisted on 40%. Moreover, the State does not want the shares to be sold to the SIT because sugar producers are already highly in profit. Both parties will continue talks through emissaries until the PM returns next week.

● <B>Warm debate on competition bill.</B> The Competition Bill was the subject of lively discussions in Parliament last Tuesday. So much so that the leader of the Opposition, Paul Bérenger, proposed more amendments to the bill ? particularly on the protection to whistleblowers. The minister of Trade, Rajesh Jeetah, acknowledged that it is ?very hard to detect a case of collusion or secret agreement between companies. This is why it is vital to encourage the whistleblower who will not be sued in case of denunciation?. He confirmed that the guidelines of the competition commission would ensure it is the case. The minister also insisted on the independence of the commission while the leader of the opposition expressed fears that it could become a ?persecution and manipulation tool?.

● <B>Confirmed boom in tourist arrivals </B>? Tourist arrivals keep going. We should reach the symbolical number of 900,000 arrivals by the end of the year. Moreover, almost all hotels are already full for December this year. The occupancy rate is estimated at about 80% this year compared to 77% last year. According to the hotel industry, these good results are mainly due to the advertising campaigns made abroad as well as the opening of air access ? without mentioning the now famous good quality of service.