A couple of months ago, I argued that if the government did not engage in a real dialogue on the socio-economic trajectory of the country, frustration would grow.
Unfortunately, that seems to be true. The government’s argument of pinning every economic hardship on the previous government’s mismanagement of the economy did not work for long. The second budget of reforms was one too many.
The Economic Reality
Mauritius is a tiny island in the middle of the Indian Ocean with very few resources. Years of economic mismanagement coupled with populist measures have made the government finances what it is today. The general acceptance of widespread corruption at national level does not help make things better. It is the legacy of all those years.
- Increased pensions when we could not afford it
- Building the metro despite popular rejection of the project
- Free bus transport for students when it could have been better targeted.
- Cancelling contracts out of pure vengeance paid for tax payers.
- The MIC fiasco
- Politicians giving juicy contracts to those close to them or voting laws engineered to favour political operators.
The population is right to ask for answers; to ask for their share of the perceived wealth created. Our socio-economic situation can be summarised as waking up from a drunk party and refusing to accept that we partied too much.
The other side of that economic reality is the imported inflation, the over reliance on certain economic partnerships and the sheer loss of productivity in our economy due to decades of mis-investments. Selling villas by the beachside is not investment into productive assets. We’ve fooled ourselves with economic growth figures that have done little to our productivity. We’ve created offshore sectors that unfortunately have a ceiling in the skills they need. Learning new skills is not so much a problem as opportunities to use these new skills.
No faireness, full corruption
The opposition is right in its argument that pits “all knowing” vs “average person”. The “all knowing” is not an insult towards the studies or knowledge but rather the perceived cunning way in which those with power protect their gains. That is why the exemption on the dividends cause so much frustration.
Let’s do the anti-Rabin-Bhujun thesis. Lets take a capitalist with billions of assets all hidden under layers of companies and societies whose finances are opaque. Revenue = 0. Dividends = Rs millions. SAP = Full. Where is the fairness ?
Teachers giving tuition have to declare their income in their tax filings. The tax people will even count students and give a claim if they deem the amount declared is too low. However, the regulations for doctors fees and lawyers fees are inexistent. The laws regulating the prices of the construction industry – inexistent; if not minimal. Just have a look at who finances political campaigns and who are the majority who sits in parliaments – you’ll find the answer.
The second issue is that of corruption. There are those who actively participate in it, those who close an eye to it and those who discover it and feel it gives them more leeway in their behaviour. Corruption creates a society with no morale compass. Too many are deemed to have illegitimate wealth which just makes it more blockbuster when they are arrested while still deemed innocent.
The third is broken promises. Where are the police reforms ? Investment in judiciary ? Electoral promises that from the start, it was deemed unachievable. The Riviere des Angilles dam because synonymous with broken promises.
The symptoms
The following conclusion may seem extreme or far-fetched but let me have a go. There is a correlation between levels of corruption and levels of incivility and road rage. Let me explain. When people see injustice, they express it one way or another. When they feel frustrated by a system governed more by ethic belonging than meritocracy, they express it one way or another. One of the ways it is expressed is road rage and incivility. As the saying goes, if the politician can do that, why can’t I do just 10% of that (that being corruption and favouritism).
The way forward
We can have as many elections as one may like, nothing will change as long as a nation we do not have an honest dialogue with ourselves. Accept our mistakes. Build a better tomorrow. We are all part of it – racism towards foreign workers, contacting a politician for a favour, accepting money during political campaigns, abusing free government services, demoralising a government official, road rage, etc…
Politics, as it is practiced today, will never allow such level of honest national dialogue to flourish just because all those at the helm have lost credibility or do not see a solution. Too many are in the positions they are due to family name legacy (yes, that includes your Joanna).
The chicken is coming home to roost. That is clear. Yet finding a solution that is deemed fair for everyone is not easy task. The solution should come from newer generations and those who accept an honest dialogue.
we should have
- a truth commission whereby anyone can come tell of past corrupt acts and have a pardon. The sheer action of sharing in public is an act of national healing
- we should have solidarity and an honest dialogue about where we see ourselves in the future socio-economically. That means accepting that private car plates should not be a sign of wealth to show around. That the wealthy pay their share of taxes. That wealth is created for everyone – not just a few.
- Create wealth in a way that it includes improving skills and creating opportunities. Creating wealth at any cost would be the wrong attitude. Rather create wealth in a way that it increases the wellbeing of everyone.
- Entrepreneurs and decision makers (in private companies or public sphere) have to adhere to a chart of humanity – accepting to treat everyone humanly with dignity and respect.
- Accept that at the end of the day, we are all immigrants to this island. One cannot be more Mauritian than others. We should accept future immigrants with open arms and not racism and treating them as slaves – perhaps the government should start with regulating working hours for foreign workers.
- Ministers symbolically taking the minimum wage as their salary. Politics today is seen as a vehicle to enrich oneself. If you really care for the country, we let you decide.
- A proper communication platform for national dialogue. Social media is not the right platform as algorithms are geared towards pushing emotional content rather than logical arguments.
- Drop the European style of parliament. Anyone should be able to become an elected official and wear clothes deemed appropriate – not only suits ans tie because it bars a lot of people to access the office.
- We need to have way higher level of taxes while still showing solidarity.
PS: I’d like to see concrete proposals from the labour unions, the private sector and political parties. Our elections are not idea based. Our reforms are much less so. Anyone without a concrete proposal cannot critique should be a first rule of national debate. Up to you Madam Speaker. Please do not limit our debate to coconut water.