■ <B> Mauritius Revenue Authority </B>

The Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) has been established as an agency for revenue collection and management of revenue laws. The MRA is responsible for the administration of tax policy, the collection and accounting of all revenues arising under those laws. Its vision is ?To be a world-class Revenue Authority respected for its professionalism, efficiency, fairness, integrity and its contribution to our economic and social development?. To a certain extent, it can be said to be performing as expected and there is a sense of respect shown towards such an important organization contributing heavily towards increasing the revenue collection and controlling the good governance of the economy of Mauritius. <B>Verdict: Good</B>

■ <B>Mauritius Post Ltd</B>

Its vision is: ?To be the leading operator in the provision of world class postal, communication and retail products and services.? Its mission: ?To provide through one-stop shops, quality, reliable and innovative products and services to our valued customers within a sound and harmonious working environment.? Quite funny that they want to become the leading operator in providing world-class postal services when actually they have been the only one providing this service throughout all these years. Nowadays with the extensive use of emails and Internet, it is true that these types of organization are on the verge of extinction. Last year?s covered-up scandal of undelivered and thrown-out-in-sugarcane-plantations letters in Phoenix is a dismal fact. <B>Verdict: Poor</B>

■ <B>Central Electricity Board </B>

The Central Electricity Board (CEB) is empowered to ?prepare and carry out development schemes with the general object of promoting, coordinating and improving the generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity? in Mauritius. The CEB produces around 60% of the country?s total power requirements; the remaining 40% being purchased from sugar estates. Currently, it is the only organisation responsible for the transmission, distribution and supply of electricity to the island?s 1.2 million inhabitants. Still, the CEB is mostly known for the frequent public pledges from its chairman with the same line everytime: ?The CEB is in danger of closing down and therefore we need to increase our tariffs!? accompanied by a series of explanations. Enough said! <B>Verdict: Fair</B>

■ <B>Central Water Authority </B>

Its mission: ?To secure and provide a sustainable water supply service of appropriate quality at an affordable price, which meets the growing needs of the people and to support the economic development of the country.? The sole water service supplier of Mauritius had recently a lot to do in making maximum use of our half-empty (or for the optimists, half-full!) reservoirs. Their recent campaign ? ?Check sa, Robinet pe sek, Pa gaspille dilo!? always makes me laugh. Are we really short of water? What about those hundreds of rivers flowing around us? Are they empty too? It is high time that the CWA officers use their intelligence and find ways to stop wasting our water resources! I am not at the CWA and therefore, it is not my job to find solutions. Let the soi-disant experts scratch their heads a bit. <B>Verdict: Fair</B>

■ <B> Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation </B>

Our local television is in poor shape. Its rating has been on the decrease for quite a long time now. I still can?t figure out why I could not find their MBC Act on their website. Definitely one of the worst parastatal organizations! The less said about it, the better... <B>Verdict: Poor</B>

■ <B> Independent Broadcasting Authority</B>

One of its objectives is: ?Promoting diversity, wider choice in the field of broadcasting through the setting of standards for the delivery of high quality service.? It is also said that ?unhampered freedom of expression and the consolidation of democracy will be the guiding principles of the Authority?. Regulating out local radio stations has so taken its toll on the IBA that it has forgotten that MBC is under its control. <B>Verdict: Fair </B>

■ <B> Mauritius Meteorological Services</B>

Vision: ?To be a proactive, highly efficient and effective institution.? Mission: ?Provide accurate and timely weather information and meteorological products for the general welfare of the citizens of the Republic.?

Everybody knows that when the Meteorological services says that it will rain tomorrow, then it is 90% sure that it will be sunny and vice-versa! This rather unfamous reputation of not being exact in its predictions is subject to the unpredictable nature of the climate. Still, it is a headache for those who have to plan for a day at the seaside. <B>Verdict: Good</B>

■ <B> SMES and Handicraft Development Authority </B>

The Small Enterprises & Handicraft Development Authority (SEHDA) provides support to potential and existing small entrepreneurs with a view to enable them to start new enterprises or improve their existing businesses. They can for example: ?Discuss the possibility of setting up your own enterprise; provide useful business-related information and data; inform you of various facilities and support offered to small businesses; help you to analyse your business and discuss ways to improve it...?

It has definitely been one of the most popular parastatal bodies for the last couple of years namely because many Mauritians have been interested in setting up their own enterprise. The SEHDA has set a good example by leading the way forward and showing the rest as to how parastatal bodies can really bring an improvement and support the Mauritian people. <B>Verdict: Excellent</B>

■ <B> Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority </B>

Are they ready for the two million tourists that they (not us!) are expecting by 2015? Are they really prepared for this? If they do have the right answers, then we can be hopeful for our economy, the MTPA would be of a great help to us. On the contrary, it might just be a total flop. <B>Verdict: Unpredictable. Wait till 2015!</B>

■ <B>University of Mauritius </B>

The mission of the University of Mauritius (UOM) is : ?To provide an efficient and effective service to the community through quality teaching, research, consultancy and extension services, consistent with national goals and policies, supportive of regional thrusts and orientations, and in conformance with international norms and standards.?

Its vision is ?to be a university of international standing and a leading institution in the region?. With over 50 programmes on offer, ranging from queer ones like BEng (Hons) Mechatronics to simple BSc (Hons) Management, our university is internationally recognized. But last year?s students protests and difficulties in providing salaries to staff have put a black dot on it. Questions about whether to make fees compulsory for all programmes have been coming up frequently and, if the University is to pursue its objective of providing an efficient and effective service, then it is high time to take up the issue seriously. Nothing is free today in such a fierce and competitive environment. <B>Verdict: Good</B>

■ <B>Tobacco Board</B>

The Tobacco Board is the first parastatal body ever set up in Mauritius back in 1932 under the Tobacco Production and Marketing Ordinance of 1930. Its main function is to control production and marketing of tobacco in Mauritius. The Tobacco Board may well be the first parastatal body to. . . close down following recent laws about smoking in public being passed, which mean that hopefully this will reduce consumption and explaining clearly to smokers that they are wasting their money, life and time! <B>Verdict: Poor. Do we really need a tobacco board?</B>

■ <B> Municipal Council of Vacoas-Phoenix</B>

The locality of Vacoas-Phoenix acceded to the status of a town in 1963 and was raised to the status of a municipality in 1968. I preferred to discuss about my home town last mostly because there is nothing really to be said. What can we say about a ghost municipality anyway?! Here, at Valentina, Phoenix, we don?t exist for the municipality despite paying taxes obediently at the end of each year. There is a lack of activities, infrastructures and lack of support from the municipality. A dormant municipality. <B>Verdict: Very poor</B>

<B>Irshad LALLMAHOMED</B> [email protected]