Finance Bill debates reveal the vacuousness of Budget 2020-21

(Published in Weekly no. 411, 30July - 05Aug 2020)

Things have suddenly changed. Economies everywhere are being profoundly shaped by the pandemic. At a time when extraordinary shifts in physical space, in business and living patterns are being revealed to us, it seems the right time to forge an independent direction, a path of our own. Those that have the capacity to radically alter their future thinking will gain immensely from the changed circumstances. 

Our institutions deserve better

(Published in Weekly Issue 410, 23-29 July 2020)

Mrs Rashida Nanhuck was cast aside as Chief Executive Officer of Mauritius Standards Bureau and in her place they appointed a crony- one of theirs.  The appointment of political nominees has reached a new high-MSB, FSC, BOM, Museum Council, DBM, EDB,…. 

 Sometime back, some researches on the Mauritian economy, had identified the quality of our institutions as one of the important determinants that launched Mauritius on a development path quite unique in the region and nurtured the gradual emergence of the "Indian Ocean Tiger". The functioning democratic traditions and institutions helped to develop a social consensus without which the continuous and consistent programme of economic liberalisation would not have been possible.  

Happy retirement to a remarkable modest lady !

She was given a nice, heart-warming send-off today. It is very rare in government to see people in positions of authority to be so easily accessible , well-respected and loved. From the minor-grades , the ancillary staff, to the students and teachers- new and seniors- they all gathered to wish her a happy retirement. She deserves it.

"Journalist and Journalus”

There are some of them who will not stop at anything to get some advantage over their competitors even if it means compromising on their ethical standards .

I do not know from where they dug up our dear friend, the ex-globe trotting Minister, who has bequeathed us with such wonderful pearls as “Government is Government and Government decides”, “Bizin enn Jugnauth pou roul sa pei la” and similar "stupidities" on the impact of higher crime rates on the tourism sector and on the question of meritocracy.

The ReA ,the Unions,NGOs and Citizens (Kolektif Konversasyon Solider) made history today .

Without any funding, without any sponsoring , the common man, the young, the old, the intellectual, the militant, the worker, the civil servant, the NGOs, the "marginal" …u name it, they were all there, rallying to the call of” Lavi, Solidarité, Liberté” . No briyani, no free buses......they came on their own; it was spontaneous . It was a communion, something new and qualitatively different ,rarely seen in the meetings of the traditional bourgeois parties. 

We warned you, it was sheer bluff by the BOM !

You recall that at the time that the BOM announced that it was going to raise Rs60 bn on the market to finance the similar grant to Govt, we had said that is a masquerade. We had commented that under pressure from the Press, the Opposition’s requests for clarification, negative public comments, and probably also on account of IMF reservations expressed informally, BoM has been compelled to present a face-saving device. But the BoM grant to Govt will remain a printing money measure.

High Income Economy – Temporarily !!!

(Publshed in Weekly issue no 408, 9th July)

While most observers did not attribute much to the World Bank’s recent classification of Mauritius as HIC knowing very well that we will not last long in this income group , one of the poodles of the regime rushed in to echo the music set by the cheerleaders of the PMO that
« Qu’on se retrouve dans le cercle des pays à revenu élevé fait honneur à Maurice…. Cela envoie un signal fort aux investisseurs qu’ils peuvent nous faire confiance » 

Why I'll be present at the "MANIFESTATION PASIFIK" on Saturday

Because ,

• this country needs a new development model not authoritarian populism,

• our institutions have gone to the dogs, they are stuffed with incompetent loyalists,

You have every reason to hang your head in shame !

Over the years, Mauritius has put in place a political system that provides for effective transfer of power and periodic renewal of the leadership through a competitive multi-party and multi-candidate system, impartial and credible electoral administration, effective electoral oversight of the electoral process, and an informed and active citizenry. We were a rare beacon of good governance in Africa.

The "new normal" in the environment sector : Quelle Hypocrisie !!!

Budget 2020-21 highlights our transition to a cleaner, greener, sustainable, low emission and climate resilient country. 

But, "petit à petit", people are realising that this budget is just full of nice sound bites and catchy phrases to make headlines – a “New Normal” to be the Economy of Life, local Manufacturing Fabric, a Paradigm Shift in the export sector, dedicated Venture Capital Market, a Mauritius driven by data technology, Air Quality Index, among others ; many of these recycled from elsewhere.