<B>COMPETITION BILL OFFICIALLY PRESENTED ?</B> The minister of Trade, Rajesh Jeetah, presented the final draft of the Competition Bill in the presence of the attorney general, Rama Valayden, last Monday. This bill is aimed at favouring healthy competition. The competition commission will be the regulatory body that will make sure the law is respected. Monopolies and fusions aimed at fixing prices will not be authorised by the new bill. However, minister Jeetah made it clear that no company should be afraid even if it has more than 30% of the market as long as it ?does not do anything to limit competition?. Reactions have been quite positive so far but some details remain to be studied more in-depth.

<B> CHICKEN ON THE RISE ? </B>The price of chicken keeps on increasing. While it has risen by almost 50% within the past two years, Food and Allied Industries Ltd (FAIL) has already increased its price by Rs 1.15 per pound of its Chantecler chicken. Other brands like Prodigal, Carmen and Le Poulet Fermier, produced by Innodis, should soon follow the same trend. The main reason for such an increase is the price rise of raw materials such as food for poultry, freight and electricity. However, traders made it clear that chicken remains the favourite dish of Mauritians because of the ?quality of local products? as well as its ?affordable price compared to red meat?.

<B>NO SMOKING! ? </B>The ministry of Health is working on more severe laws on sale and consumption of cigarettes and alcohol. It will be forbidden to smoke in a greater number of public areas like stadiums, public parks and restaurants. Even in places where smoking was already supposed to be banned, the authorities will make sure the regulations are applied. It is even being considered to forbid smoking on the beach. The sale of cigarette by unit will also not be allowed because it enables ad encourages more young people to smoke. As for alcohol, the authorities want to show more severity against minors buying alcohol.