Weekly 22 April
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ISSUES]Sustainable Mauritius : MID takes shape (on paper, at least) > pp. 34-35 Insert N° 3• Friday 22 APRIL 2011 INTERVIEW] Rashid Imrith Editorial ] “Medpoint is an opportunity by Touria PRAYAG to improve the Civil Service” More action, less acting > p. 37 ome were better actors than others; some were more talented at simulation than others; some were more ready to play the game than others but the performance we attended at the Legislative SAssembly last Tuesday was theatrical: smiles were in order, some outbursts of forced laughter and some rather strained attempts at showing C.T Power one’s wisdom teeth. The producer did a superb job, though the rehearsal time may have been short. When the play ended, we resisted the intense, almost uncontrollable, urge to applaud and congratulate the actors for their wonderful performance. As the production progressed, all the members of government, uni- Greenwashing ted, even joined in the boos and the applause. If the maestro was satisfi ed with this grand performance, he did not show it. He did not look parti- cularly amused but he did, however, look relaxed. All is well then. Government is united. Very well. Good on them. Good on the country for, much as we are taxed with wanting to break up Coal? the government to make room for the MMM, we really have no interest in doing so. A government which was elected by the people should carry on with its mandate until the people decide otherwise in the right demo- cratic forum. Instability has never been good for any country, least of all for investment of which we are badly in need. And, let’s face it: having a strong opposition is much better for the stability of the country than having a weak, virtually non-existent one. Our quest for transparency and our angst about corruption should not be confused with playing the game of the opposition. We will not. We are not interested in the spurious claims hurled at government, the “scandals” or “mega scandals” they are brandishing or the frenzy they are whipping up to serve on May Day. However, unless we choose to live in a cave and have our fi ngers fi rmly thrust in our ears, we cannot help being peeved about the MedPoint saga and, more recently, the scrapping of the implementation of the system meant to regulate the criminal activities of book makers. When the audit report comes out, who will be able to explain the Rs. 5m gone down the drain to save the fraudsters of this country, who enrich themselves on money immorally wrung from the poor? Who will explain why they are being given even more opportunities to keep the ill-gotten money for themselves? These criticisms were not voiced by the opposition or by some moral-hand-wringing brigade but by members of the government and they, therefore, deserve to be looked into. The press has a moral obligation to take them seriously. Ignoring them would help spread a climate of impunity and, as politicians get away with serious malpractices, a noxious message is passed to the rest of the population. It is our responsibility to take up concerns of national importance. Those we have elected to serve our interests and who have used every opportunity to fi ll their pockets should be sanctioned. The image our leaders seem to be so anxious to send us about the unity of two or three partners who share nothing but ambition is beside the point. It is frankly not our problem. All we want is for parliament to overcome its reluctance to tackle corruption and show that it is working in our best interests. And for that, the guilty heads MUST roll. Govern- ment can then carry on with what it has been elected to do. No show is needed to justify that. > pp. 38 - 39 [email protected] l’express [ Friday 22 April 2011 • Insert N°3 QUICKREAD] p. 32 Week at a glance ] Events ] Varusha Pirappu Celebrations Join in the event at the Palla- We pay the price dium in Trianon on Saturday 23rd April from 9.30pm to 6am. Several DJs and Tamil artists will perform. WITH the constant rise in the cost of Tickets cost Rs 200, or living, it has never been so important for Rs 400 for VIP tickets consumers to feel that they are getting value (on reservation). for their hard earned money. Unfortunately, Call 7778794 or it’s diffi cult not to get a sinking feeling when 970 4634 for you consider the illogical decisions that ine- information. vitably impact on consumers. The National Transport Corporation has been in the news Fashion quite a few times over the past months due to serious doubts over the condition of its Night Out vehicles- whether about parts that come Organised by Bella Donna, the fl ying off, killing innocent bystanders, or the event will take place in the evening bus involved in an accident in Chamarel. The of Friday 22nd April at Phoenix company has faced serious fi nancial troubles Les Halles. An event called Fashion over the past few years and is again turning Day Out will also be held from to the government to save it from disaster. 23rd April to 1st May where the In the 2009/2010 fi nancial year, the go- same outfi ts will be on sale. vernment was forced to bail out the compa- ny with Rs 112 million. In a press conference LIBRARY PHOTO LIBRARY Photography contest this week, the NTC’s CEO, Robin Soona- The National Transport Corporation is once again facing serious fi nancial diffi culties. A photography contest on the rane, spoke of a situation of “laisser aller” The Hedging Losses Saga was raised Showkutally Soodhun, could not justify the theme “Le pain nourrit le monde” in the past. How long does a national com- (Bread feeds the world) is being pany have to be in the red before something in parliament this week, revealing another STC’s decision to resort to overdraft facili- blunder committed by the State Trading ties with higher interest rates. Despite the organised by Les Moulins de La is done to review and improve its structure? Concorde and La Sentinelle. Ama- Bad service, plus a disastrous fi nancial situa- Corporation (STC). Although by July 2009, minister of Finance’s decision to bring down consumers had already paid for the wrong the amount paid by the consumers from Rs teurs and professionals can submit tion mean one thing: the end cost is borne by their entries until 16th May. More the consumer, whether monetary or in terms decisions taken by the tandem Gowres- 3 to Rs 2 per litre of petrol, the repayment of soo/Soomaroah in terms of hedging losses hedging losses is here to stay. Do consumers information at www.lesmoulins- of comfort and security. A restructuring pro- delaconcorde.com. gramme for the NTC is under consideration worth Rs 4.7 billion, we are still paying for really need more teeth gnawing away at their but the risk is that if the company cannot get overdrafts and loans taken by the STC to already worn out pockets? cover these losses. As if this were not scan- Elite Model Look another bail out; the price of the bus ticket LOUIS MURDEN may have to go up. dalous enough, the minister of Commerce, Melissa , Majhegy Mauritius 2011 The fi nals of this contest will take place at Maritim Hotel in Balaclava on Sa- turday 30th April at Predicting the rising cost of petrol 7.30pm. Tickets cost Rs 1200 (including cocktail WHAT price will Mauritians products on the local market is and dinner). Call Otayo on have to pay for their petroleum made up mainly of different taxes 466 9999 for reservations. products after the next meeting and contributions. The price we of the Petrol Pricing Committee pay at the fi lling station comprises of the State Trading Corporation customs duty, levy, sales tax, a ILLUSTRATIONS : Stephane BENOIT ? This question is subject to much contribution to the Road Develop- speculation these days, specula- ment Authority for road construc- Thought tions fuelled by the rise in the price tion and we also contribute to of Brent – 91 dollars in December funds to subsidize LPG gas, fl our to 122 dollars yesterday – and the and rice “ says Professor Kasenal- for the Day] recent reduction in the price of ly who has been denouncing for local petroleum products brought years the petrol pricing policy of “An old belief is like about by the minister of Finance, government which is the sole im- Pravind Jugnauth. porter of petroleum products for an old shoe. Will he allow his price reduc- the country. tion to be cancelled within a few Sales tax to the tune of 15 per- We so value its weeks by another price hike ? This cent is imposed not on the CIF comfort that we fail to is the question analysts are asking price of petroleum products, but these days. on their value after it has been in- notice the hole in it.” According to Professor Swa- fl ated by customs duty. As the CIF ley Kasenally, the price per barrel price rises, a reduction in sales tax Robert BRAULT of Brent crude oil -which is a re- will not reduce government reve- ference price for European and nue on that product say analysts. Asian Markets – has undergone a Pravind Jugnauth might resort rise of around 32 percent since the to that ploy of reducing this sales beginning of the year.