Mauritius@50 faces tough challenges on the horizon: Analyst
While Mauritius@50 remains a celebrated nation in Africa, it faces tough challenges ahead says Seán Carey.
Narrating the laborious path to the success enjoyed by Mauritius, Carey gets it right on the country’s future.
For this first half of its upcoming centurion, Mauritius has accomplished more than any other African nations.
Nevertheless, the country is living in gloomy days. A failed regime with enormous scandals is clinging to power at all cost.
Foreign powers are tearing the country’s territorial integrity apart.
And yet the regime in place fails to see beyond the hustle and bustle of Port Louis city.
Carey says Mauritius may find that it has to come up with some new ways of thinking.
That is if it is to continue to develop – both economically and politically – rather than stumble into a mid-life crisis.
Can the regime headed by the 56-year old Pravind Jugnauth build on the Island’s reputation and legacy, asks Carey?
“The ruling coalition said it wants Mauritius to go from being an upper-middle-income country to a high-income one,” wrote Carey.
But with a slower growth rate than the hay-days of the 1980’s and 1990’s, the government is betting on the ocean economy.
Mauritius@50 is hoping it will be able to bet on the ocean economy, which is a tough choice.
It demands massive investments and extensive research and development in the various sectors.
After 50 years, Mauritius pales in comparison to other countries in renewable energy.
Can the ocean economy give the sector what the successive governments failed to achieve over the decades?
Marine biotechnology was spoken about for years, delivering little in the process of activation.
Then there are hopes on the extraction of hydrocarbons and minerals, marine biotechnology.
All these they say will supercharge Mauritius GDP for years to come. Can they?
New challenges
Although Mauritius has come a long way in establishing its independence, the MSM-ML-OPR regime has its fair share of scandals.
However, the Jugnauth father-to-son transfer of power last year” casts a shadow on the country’s positive prospects.
Not to forget the alleged involvement of political elites in corruption and drug scandals, wrote the analyst.
Mauritius@50 clearly shows the increasingly urgent need for Mauritius reconfigure its political leadership.
Accordingly, the country is need of new and younger politicians, not strongly affiliated with the ruling elite.
This can help to further the country’s image as a post-colonial success story, which is highly likely to continue.
“However, building on this and becoming a high-income country may be more challenging than the current government is prepared to admit.”