The three earlier budgets: Absence of reforms

Published in Le Mauricien,13 June 2018 

Awaiting budget 2018-19, it is interesting to have a cursory look at the main aggregates and policy orientations of the earlier budgets of this government which can give us an idea what to expect and not to expect from the forthcoming budget. We have refrained from restrictively comparing one budget to another but rather analyse a budget in terms of its targets, objectives, fiscal strategy and macroeconomic framework.

Slash the Fuel taxes !!!

Published in Le Mauricien, 01 June 2018

We currently paying Rs 52.00 per litre at the pump for gasoline – but roughly 55% of that price comes from different forms of taxes/contributions namely, subsidies, road, ecology and excise and value added taxes. Fuel taxes are usually levied to correct market failures and/or to mobilize fiscal resources.

Inculcating Values through Education

       Dear Sir , your article in LE MAURICIEN of Friday 11th May , titled “L’Education passe avant l’Instruction: Elle fonde l’Homme” did catch my attention as it provides welcome visibility to an important topic. However i felt that it should have concluded with a message of hope and on the things that we can do to tackle the present situation.

Public Sector Debt : Data Gaps

Published in Le Mauricien, 18 May 2018
Some years back during the heydays of the tandem Mansoor-Sithanen, when we were repeatedly highlighting the dubious accounting in the budgets, especially the Special Funds, the very people who were then in the opposition took up these arguments in their interventions and PQs at the National Assembly. At that time they seem to know better than the “Ministry of Finance, Moody’s, the World bank or the IMF”. 

Dipping Unemployment Rate !!!

Published in Le Mauricien, 5 May 2018
The best news for Government is that the unemployment rate is steadily falling from of 7.9%  in 2015 to 7.1% in 2017 - a big drop indeed.

Water tariff increase ?

They are saying that the water tariff will have to increase as it is so low in Mauritius as compared to other countries and there is the need to provide for investment in the sector.
What they did not say ?

“Chantiers” failing to boost growth !!!

The construction sites, or “chantiers” in common parlance sprouting all over the island do not seem to be producing that much of an impact on the economy. These activities do not seem to be stimulating growth.   Despite the fact that the construction sector is booming with a growth rate of 9.5% ( as compared to 7.5% in 2017), the latest national accounts estimates of Statistics Mauritius, of March 2018, forecast a growth rate of less than 4%  in 2018,which is marginally higher than in 2017.  Why ?