I recently decided to stop and think about the situation in the country. Since my return nine months ago, there seemed to have been only bad news. Was it a lack of initiatives or a combination of circumstances? Probably a bit of both but this has been variously commented in the press – I’ve done it myself several times – and this is not the point here.

During the past weeks, a certain amount of good news has cropped up and this deserves as much attention as the bad. We are often tempted to see and talk about gloomy news only and thus contribute to the depressed atmosphere in the country. This doesn’t mean that everything is for the best in the best of all possible worlds. Of course, there have been unwelcome price increases and violence that had to be denounced.

The ‘third country fabric’ exemption under the African Growth Opportunity Act III will certainly not be the textile sector’s saviour. This clause will not allow the whole sector to emerge from the crisis but it will at least give factories time to stop and think of other solutions to preserve their production as well as jobs and the whole economy.

The arrival of the delegation from Kuwait to sign an agreement on an Integrated Resort Scheme project for Rs 3 billion is also a good sign. Investors are starting to come to Mauritius again and are not afraid to inject huge amounts of money in our country. “Our plan is to set up one of the most luxurious resorts which will employ around one thousand people on this beautiful island,” says the chief executive officer of the International Financial Advisors group. Promising…

Likewise, the efforts made by Air Mauritius to increase its flights to London and Madagascar are a proof that things are going in the right direction. The national airline is working on its image to attract more tourists on board, thus to Mauritius.

As for politics, things seem to be clearing up gradually. After Siddick Chady’s resignation as Member of Parliament, there was a debate as to whether the government would organise a by-election in his constituency or if it would go directly to general elections. A by-election meant a waste of money on the eve of general elections while general elections could have meant an amendment to the law.

But it looks as if the prime minister has made the wisest choice: the country will go to general elections. No complications, no attempt to get around the law… Moreover, his decision should have made the opposition happy, as they have been clamouring for general elections for a while now.

All these items of news deserve to be dealt with and commented to send a positive signal to the population. Young people can’t allow themselves to become blasé about the depressed state of the economy, corrupt politics or crime and violence. Good news should cheer us up and encourage us to want the best for our country.

There are young professionals who want to contribute to a healthy economy. There are young entrepreneurs who have set up their own businesses, thus proving that they still trust their country. We shouldn’t forget that the tough post-independence years didn’t prevent Mauritius from experiencing an economic boom in the eighties.

We hope that the little time the government has left until the election will be used in a well-advised way. That projects will not be frozen for fear of offending one person or one group and, above all, for fear of losing a vote.