As a student of Public Policy and Management in London, I would like to contribute the following with a view to provoking a debate on the subject. The government may have come a long way to tackle discrimination at work, be it sex or racial, but there is one area where it is yet to intervene. That is age discrimination in the public service.

If we look at a notice of advertisement for civil service vacancies, the very first note reads as follows: Candidates, unless already in the service, should NOT have reached their 35th birthday by the closing date for the submission of applications.

This is a blatant discrimination against all those over 35 prospective applicants who may possess all, if not more than, the required qualifications and experience, but who will be unfairly barred solely because of their age.

There is absolutely no evidence that those over 35 cannot deliver excellent service in the civil service just like their younger counterparts. On the contrary, it will be in the interest of the public if the government is able to tap into the expertise of mature applicants willing to serve. Sir Anerood Jugnauth recently rightly said that civil servants need to change their mindset and their work ethics, as their duty is first and foremost to serve and serve the nation. But why deny the right to serve to someone over 35 who wish to join the civil service?

Nowadays, most professionals study for longer periods than before, acquiring additional skills, degrees and experience, and by the time they finish they will be deemed ?too old? to apply for a government job. This is not only age discrimination, but a waste of valuable human resource, talent and expertise which could have contributed significantly to the uplifting of the civil service, and to ?achieve the diversity of service provision required to respond to the wide range of customer aspirations? as Minister Jeewah put it.

Also, removing the age limit criterion will enable the civil service to attract highly experienced private sector professionals to areas where such skills are lacking.

Most modern democracies encourage more women and more mature citizens to take up government jobs. Measures like part-time or job share schemes are implemented to overcome certain constraints faced by applicants, for example, those caring for someone at home or suffering from disability. Mauritius should follow suit.

Shaffick Hamuth

<B>Vous avez dit gratuites ?</B>

Le ministre Alan Ganoo a annoncé que la connexion des bâtiments résidentiels au système de tout-à-l?égout se fera gratuitement. C?est la moindre des choses car les usagers devront, tous les mois, payer pour ce service indexé sur la quantité d?eau utilisée. Ce qui est peu logique et très contesté. A ce rythme, il est clair que les autorités auront vite fait de recouvrer les sommes investies dans les connexions ?gratuites?.

On ne voit d?ailleurs pas comment le gouvernement aurait pu réclamer les frais de connexion en avance. Si les autorités l?avaient fait, les connexions auraient été sans doute plus difficiles compte tenu des problèmes légaux et administratifs associés à la réclamation de tels frais. En somme, on nous impose une connexion à un service pour lequel on doit s?acquitter de frais mensuels. En attendant que le gouvernement revoie ces derniers à la baisse, il est souhaitable que ces connexions se fassent au plus vite.

Actuellement les habitants des Plaines-Wilhems font face à des problèmes sanitaires provenant des puits d?absorption débordés. Pour y remédier, l?usager doit faire appel aux camions-citernes de la Waste Water Authority ou du privé. Quand on sait qu?un pompage ne coûte pas moins de mille roupies et que le problème, qui s?aggrave après les grosses pluies, survient presque tous les trois mois?

Inutile de faire ressortir que l?utilisation des puits d?absorption dans ces ?catchment areas? pollue les nappes d?eau souterraines et que le pays tout entier peut en souffrir. De plus l?odeur nauséabonde devient de plus en plus incommodante. Toute personne désireuse de respirer un peu d?air frais le matin à Curepipe, par exemple, peut se rendre compte de l?intensité des émanations. Les autorités doivent accorder priorité à ces régions très peuplées et humides afin de remédier à la pollution de l?eau et de l?air.

B. Jasodanand