Mauritius no longer needs slippery and devious politicians whose priority is clinging to power. The most pressing challenge facing our country is to have a leader who can engineer ground-breaking discussions, cement social relationships and fundamentally reshape the destiny of all citizens. Mauritius cannot remain dysfunctional, undermined by massive corruption, bureaucratic layering, political fiefdoms and oligarchic interference. Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva or Thailand’s prime minister, Thaksin Shirawatra, are rare examples of leaders who understand economic reform and have the grassroots support to get it done. Even Japan’s prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, tamed his party and renewed the economy.

Our economy needs a new life as well. The yearly budgets are unique opportunities of bringing in radical reforms, thereby widening the aura of confidence of the nation at large. We are the heirs of the tradition of liberty, defenders of the freedom, conscience and dignity of every person. We owe the Labour party founders a debt we can never repay.

Mind-mannered Pravind Jugnauth is slowly learning his lesson and can even play political brinkmanship. Yet, he does not have the sterling reputation of Manmohun Singh for taking the plight of the urban and rural poor into consideration when formulating economic policies. However, “it is the first time that a new minister of Finance has tried to distance himself so much from his predecessor” as voiced out by Navin Ramgoolam, in his comment on the 2004-2005 budget. Pravind Jugnauth has been fighting for his own independence - much of his struggle has taken place far from the public eye. The budget burst it open.

Undoubtedly international organisations like the IMF and the World Bank have words of praise for the Mauritian economy compared to many African countries. Yet, things are changing rapidly. We need professionals of the highest calibre and a knowledge-driven society to face international competition. We do not need a cabinet stacked with yes-men who triumphed at the ballot box on grounds of caste or religious belief.

The economic growth of 5.6% over the BJP’s five year reign and the country’s GDP rise by an even stronger 8% during the third quarter were insufficient to gain public confidence. While millions of citizens have benefited from the country’s recent boom, especially those in IT and outsourcing sectors clustered around cities like Hyderabad, Delhi and Bangalore, hundreds of millions more are in danger of being left behind. The toxic mix of poverty, unemployment, frustration acted as a rigid fulcrum for the lever to turn down the BJP. The Cyber Tower has no attraction for the hundreds of Mauritian families in costal regions and the thousands of low-income earners in urban areas. What they expect from the government is a decent life, job security and a brighter tomorrow.

Agriculture is an emotional issue. This budget has made orphans of small planters. China pulls 1% of its people out of agriculture and puts them into construction or light manufacturing every year. That’s a feat Mauritius is not likely to match. We have to bring up innovative ideas, give incentives to our planters, help them prosper in various types of cultivation, harvesting and marketing through cooperation and competition. The seafood hub where investment is so high is not strong enough to revitalize this ailing sector.

The Finance minister has not cooked any figures. And yet, the latter reflect the incapacity of making allocated budget produce desirable fruits. Out of the Rs 32 m allocated to the SMEs in the 2003-2004 budget, only Rs 6.8 m were spent. Why? Because too many mismanage funds and simply a handful can manage well. What a wasteful investment! Where money is dormant, action stagnates.

Where TEST has failed and with the uncertainty as to whether Mauritius will benefit from the “third country fabric” derogation in AGOA III, the tourist industry emerges as the driving force of the Mauritian economy. With the forthcoming one million visitors, we must desperately try to take tourism in a new direction. We must attract more nature- and culture-hungry tourists. We can’t forget the fact that an ocean separates our island from the rest of the world, making it an expensive destination. A tourist fee of 20 euros may sound peanuts; yet, the philosophy behind it is sure to produce adverse effects.

It is high time we rolled up our sleeves and started reshaping the fate of our country. It will not be as difficult as rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic. If our will power is strong enough, we can change hostility into friendship and opposition into cooperation.

<I>Pramila KHADUN</I>