Inauguration of La Flora Superette

​GIS – 06 August 2020: A market outlet (Superette) set up by the La Flora Cooperative Stores Society Ltd was inaugurated on Wednesday 05 August 2020 by the Minister of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives, Mr Soomilduth Bholah, at La Flora.  The Superette, a joint venture with Somags Ltd, offers a wide variety of food and bakery products and will operate on a daily basis, as from 6 am to 9 pm.

The Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Dr Renganaden Padayachy and the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, were also present.

In his address, Minister Bholah underpinned the core objective for the setting up of the retail outlet, which is to cater for the needs of all the inhabitants of the locality by ensuring that they have access to products of good quality at reasonable prices. This endeavour, he stressed, is putting the interests of consumers at the fore and is not favouring any profit-making motives.

The Minister underscored Government’s determination to pursue its politics of democratising the economy, which, he said, can be made possible with the contribution of small enterprises.  He recalled that the cooperative sector has played a key role in the socioeconomic progress of Mauritius.  Government, he added, has implemented a series of bold measures to address the numerous challenges that the sector has been facing over the years. Key measures include: enabling cooperative societies to undertake activities in various sectors and enabling joint ventures with other stakeholders.

These measures, he said, have injected a fresh impetus in the cooperative sector, which now enjoys a boost in activities and benefits from enhanced visibility. This sector today benefits from the full support and assistance to operate effectively and sustainably and is motivated to achieve new goals, he added.

Mr Bholah also indicated that a Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to the supply of commodities by the Agricultural Marketing Board to the retail outlets of the Mauritius Consumers’ Co-operative Federation Ltd was recently signed.  As such, four sale outlets at Plaine Magnien, Terre Rouge, Flacq and Bambous will be set up shortly.

The Minister expressed confidence that the cooperative sector will henceforth be able to play its primary role, that is, to provide easy access to products of quality to consumers around the island.

As for Minister Padayachy, he underlined that the setting up of the Superette is proof of Government’s commitment to spearhead initiatives that translate into visible results and contribute to the long-term progress of the country.

For him, the Covid-19 pandemic has underlined the crucial importance of local food production.  Government, he stated, has provided for historical measures in the 2020-2021 Budget and in the New Finance Bill to provide assistance to SMEs, and the Cooperative sector with the aim of boosting local food production.  This includes the allocation of loans up to Rs 10 million with 0.5% interest rate.

On his part, Minister Jagutpal underpinned the importance for everyone to promote local production and consumption and to support initiatives such as the present one that is the setting up of a Superette. Such an initiative demands the optimum use of regional and local resources and the regrouping of various local stakeholders to work towards the same goals will be beneficial to everyone, he said.

He also recalled that Mauritius has been Covid-19 free for more than 100 days and this, he stressed, is the result of the bold and timely measures taken by Government to contain its propagation. The positive and responsible behaviour of the population has also contributed to this positive outcome, he stated, while urging the population to maintain all precautionary measures.