The ESAAMLG MER & Technical Compliance Re-Rating

(Published MTimes 31 May 2019)

This follow-up report of the Eastern and Southern African Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG) assesses the progress made by Mauritius to resolve the technical compliance shortcomings identified in its Mutual Evaluation Report (MER). New ratings are given when sufficient progress has been made. 

When Academia Joins Politics

(Published in MTimes of 31 May 2019)

Inspired by her father who was very much involved in social work and community development, and the likes of Edward Said and Noam Chomsky - the intellectuals who denounce all forms of injustice - and obeying to some kind of call to join the political fray to transform the human condition and think of the greater good, Sheila Bunwaree emerges from the lot as a politician with new ideas and the guts to see them through,imbued as she is with the enthusiasm and the naivety of the new adherent. (Interview in Mtimes of the 24^thMay).

Political Caricatures: Rental of Diego military base! Why not Tromelin?; Direct Investment: Emerging Challenges;

A Health Insurance scheme for the public sector: Why the haste?

(Published in Mtimes of  24th May 2019)

Universal access to good quality health care remains a major concern of health systems globally. In view of this, countries have adopted different health financing mechanisms including a National Health Insurance (NHI) to ensure universal access to quality basic health care. Here, Government has announced that soon after this year’s Budget it will be implementing a Government Medical Insurance Scheme (GMIS) for the public service.

Political Caricatures: "We at the mercy of the economic elite"; Beating his own drums… on a wrong note; Anti-Money Laundering & Combatting the Financing of Terrorism: A question of effectiveness.;The Safe City project: Towards a surveillance state....

Politics: A contest of competing ideas

(Published in MTimes of 17 May 2019)

Recently in UK, Labour Party and opposition leader Jeremyn Corbyn paid tribute in the course of a debate on Brexit to the amazing performance of Liverpool in the Champions League and advised the Prime Minister to take some tips from Jürgen Klopp on how to get agood result in Europe. In an equally applaudable riposte, Theresa May said: "I actually think that when we look at the Liverpool win over Barcelona…, what it shows is that when everyone says it's all over, that your European opposition have got you beat, the clock is ticking down, it's time to concede defeat, actually we can still secure success if everyone comes together." This is the stuff of what politics should be – a contest of ideas.

The Ministry of Finance fudges again with the debt figures

(Published MTimes 10 May 2019)

Despite IMF concerns about  transparency and openness in the reporting on public indebtedness, the Ministry of Finance continues with its juggling of the debt figures and has reverted back to net debt measures of public debt. We have got used to these gimmicks of the Ministry of Finance: when it cannot reach its debt target it either moves the goalpost some more years further down the road or manipulates the Public Sector Debt figures. (PSD).

The Hidden Figures of Our Budgets

(Published in MTimes 10 May 2019)

There is very little that differentiates one regime from another in terms tortuous accounting practices in relation to the budget figures. We seem to have become past masters in conjuring budgetary tricks, and this has been going on under different regimes. 

“Chantiers” fizzling out next year: IMF Art IV 2019

(Published in MTimes 03 05 2019)

Despite a massive grant from India at the expense of the DTAA, the public investment splurges – the so-called ‘chantiers’ with billions being spent on the Metro Express , the Road Decongestion Programme, the Safe City project – have not had the multiplier effect that was expected on the economy.

The IMF demands more of transparency

(Published in MTimes 03 May 2019)

We have on many occasions highlighted the colourable accounting or the fudging of the budget and debt figures. In quite diplomatic but firm ways that sound more like a reprimand, the IMF demands greater fiscal transparency towards general government reporting and the implementation of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) which “will bolster credibility”. This would suggest that we were therefore not that credible in our reporting. To be more credible, there is need for a full consolidation of the budget figures by including the special funds and other off-budget expenditures.