Both the government and the private sector, which expressed its opinion at the Joint Economic Sector meeting, agree on the fact that the implementation of projects should be quicker. This is exactly what they plan to do over the coming weeks. The ?road map for achieving meaningful competitiveness?, a document submitted to the government by the JEC, should help accelerate the process.

The traditional ?high mass? took place at the Domaine les Pailles last Saturday. As it happens every three months, the government and private sector met to discuss the situation in the country and find common development avenues. This time, the meeting was said to be special for two reasons.

Firstly, it is the last one before the budget day on 28 March. Secondly, there was a shift in the way issues were tackled in order to emphasise priorities. ?There is a real will to stress on priorities for implementation of some projects, in particular a one-year marketing plan for tourism, a labour regime in the field of information and communication technologies and the Landlord and Tenant Act,? said JEC president, Arif Currimjee. He insisted on the fact that ?we have to act even if 2005 will be marked by general elections.?

The economic future of the country looks bright although there are some problems in the export processing zone. But ?there is an optimistic mood throughout the country?, the prime minister, Paul Bérenger, assured his audience. Private investment continues to increase and tourism promises even better statistics than the already good ones for this year.

<B>Seafood and knowledge hubs </B>

However, none of us should rest on our laurels. On the contrary, the GDP growth, which is expected to reach a good 5%, should be even higher to ensure job creation and the continuity of the welfare state. Hence, GDP growth should at least reach 7-8%. To achieve such statistics, the government should make sure that there is no constraint on the development of sectors such as tourism ? particularly in terms of air access policy and service quality.

The ICT sector is described as one of the fields of the future for Mauritius. With the first cyber tower already open and two others in the making, the sector will experience a major boom in the coming years, according to deputy prime minister, Pravind Jugnauth. While 562 persons were employed by the sector in 2000, the figure went up to 3,000 in 2004 and is expected to reach 5,000 in the next two years. For him, the priorities will have to be job creation ? especially in small and medium enterprises ? and private investment.

Other sectors are said to be faring well. Seafood, knowledge, and high-tech medical hubs as well as environment industries should be the next steps for our economy. According to the PM, Mauritius can?t afford to rely on only one or two major sectors.

It will have to develop several different fields so that we can land on our feet if one of the sectors faces tough times ? like sugar and textile at the moment. Of course, tourism will remain one of the major activities - the more so as it really seems to be going well these days - but we have to look beyond?