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.
Why ? because when you scratch the surface-some of the biggest headline grabbers, and a few of the new sound bites, you finally realise that this government does not believe a iota in what it has announced ; in the same budget they have announced measures that will continue with the “bétonage” of the country. At Para 50 of the budget, it is set forth that “Upon approval of Landscope Mauritius Ltd, a small planter, having up to 10 acres of agricultural land will be allowed to convert up to 10 percent of his land for residential or commercial purpose”.
In his intervention on the Supplementary Appropriation Bill , Kavy Ramano, the Minister of Environment who had raised our expectations at the “Assises de l’Environnement” launched in December 2019, of a “new normal “ of an acceleration towards an ecological transition in the environment sector, waxed lyrical this time about the billions allocated to the Environment Fund.
“M. le président, permettez-moi de souligner que d’autres projets sont en cours pour soutenir ces initiatives sur les Environmentally Sensitive Areas. Le projet Mainstreaming Biodiversity into the Management of the Coastal Zone in the Republic of Mauritius qui est financé par la Global Environment Facility (GEF) et facilité par le Programme des NationsUnies pour le Développement (PNUD) à Maurice, vise à intégrer la conservation et l'utilisation durable de la biodiversité dans la gestion des zones côtières. Un des composants de ce projet consiste à la mise à jour de l’inventaire des Environmentally Sensitive Areas côtières et marines. Des recommandations seront faites afin d’améliorer la protection et la gestion de ces Environmentally Sensitive Areas par des cadres institutionnels et législatifs adéquats.”
“De belles paroles, que des paroles”, but the hypocrisy is that he does not even mention that (as stipulated in the Annex to the Budget 2020-21) the Environment and Land Use Appeal Tribunal Act (ELAT)is being amended to “specify clearly who can appeal against the decision of the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change to issue, or not, an EIA License.”
The collectif AKNL has alerted the international agencies on these proposed amendments to ELAT Act depriving citizens the right to contest an EIA License.
AKNL collectif has also received the support of the regional office of the Ramsar Convention.
