According to an article published in the media today reforms undertaken since 2006 have saved us by producing a higher growth rate during a three-year period. And given that the reforms were implemented by a Bretton-Woods puppet and his university friend who spent literally all his life working for the Washington-based loan sharks the World Bank is essentially asking us to be grateful and to keep on borrowing billions we don't need from them. Plus we should keep on listening to their crappy advice that has screwed up Mauritius for the past five years.
Hello!!! Anybody home? Ramgoolam had to unceremoniously dump Sithanen otherwise he would have become the leader of the opposition by now. You already know how Malawi ended poverty, but did you know how brilliant they've been with the world's second lung? And it's nice that some NGOs keep track of the 'work of god' they do around the world.
By the way, this is our 500th post. Thanks for the conversations!
sithanen is our hero
ReplyDeletehero or zero?
ReplyDeleteI would rather say zero. He has certainly done more harm than good. A serious economist (digne de ce nom) should also apply some systemic thinking when he takes important decisions. He should know that the moment you start applying a solution to a problem, you're creating at that very moment another or many other problems. Sithanen dumped brilliant economist Dr Aubeeluck to bring in Ali Michael Mansoor. He taxed savings. Then he introduced NRPT. On these three things alone, he did not apply his knowledge of economics to foresee the consequences. He should now but blame himself, not Navin. If Pravind brings back Dr Aubeeluck, I think 'li pou kapav trap poilon chaud la'. He should not rely too much on Narainen and consorts.
ReplyDeleteFrom the report, one would think that World Bank apparently never errs. Perfection on Earth? Bugger me!
ReplyDeleteBravo to SJ for the 500th. Let's hope blogging takes a real takeoff in a country dwarfed by mediocrity and fear.
ReplyDeleteWe will not be surprised if it is revealed that AM was behind the article in the press about the so-called hero-rating given to Mauritius by the WB. He is surely biding time just like his ex-Minister friend did.
The new FM will certainly realise the importance of appointing advisers who not only understand the limitations of applying economics knowledge but also the necessity to chart a better living for the many instead of the few.
I forgot to congratulate you personally (and Samad also, I hear he was also involved in this endeavour) for this 500th. Keep it up, lively and eco-environmentally clean. A healthy blog for a healthy mind, should we say...
ReplyDeleteThis what a friend from Paris wrote today: "Aujourd’hui, pour les déshérités, l’horizon d’une économie socialiste s’étant estompé, le seul recours par rapport aux forces du marché et du capital c’est la résistance à travers des réseaux de solidarité et la volonté pour faire reconnaître leur rôle dans la marche de la société et leur contribution à la création des richesses. Ils ne peuvent compter, en premier lieu, que sur eux-mêmes pour défendre la justesse de leurs revendications d’une vie digne pour eux-mêmes et meilleure pour leurs enfants.
ReplyDeleteC’est là que peut se situer, entre autres, la « résilience » tant vantée de l’économie mauricienne. Notre ministre des finances lui n’en a pas eu besoin car, paradoxalement, la crise est un des facteurs qui l’a sauvé (l’autre étant le projet Tianli/JinFei qui a contribué au-delà des espérances à la réalisation de ses objectifs en matière de FDI) en lui donnant l’occasion d’aller à l’encontre des préceptes de ses mentors de la BM et du FMI !
Pourra-t-on compter sur le nouveau gouvernement pour 1) défendre la nécessité de l’intervention de l’Etat dans le contexte qui nous occupe, 2) moduler sa stratégie de développement économique en conséquence et 3) réaliser le « trade-off » nécessaire entre le recours aux moyens extérieurs et la sauvegarde de ses marges de manœuvre dans l’intérêt de la population locale ?"
@Anonymous: Citizens from all walks of life can certainly do more than what you are saying. Indeed, haven't they indirectly made Navin drop the bean-counter or face electoral mayhem?
ReplyDeleteCrisis saved the bean-counter? Lol. I rather think that he's been exploiting crises and shocks to thrust neocon policies down the throats of the good people of Mauritius. You may also wish to have a look at this.
We are not asking much from the new government: some basic common sense will do.
A little precision: I was quoting someone I've met and known in Paris while I was a student there. It so happens that the guy was one of the founder members of the MMM. So for me it was enriching to learn what had happened at the very start of the MMM. This does not mean that I agree with all that he has written.
ReplyDeletemo envie connais ki pravin jugnauth penser lor la,li finne bien quiet tou ca le temps la.
ReplyDeleteWi nou pu kone vite vite ki Pravind pense lor la. Sinon, kiken ine trouv sa rapport ki L'express ine mentione la?
ReplyDeleteHaha Sanjay.
ReplyDelete'university friend who spent literally all his life working for the Washington-based loan sharks the World Bank' li encore ici meme...and it looks like he will be in charge for a long time. just saw that in lexpress,lol.
Now what do you have to say about this????
Talking about Bretton-Woods institutions learn how taxpayers in poor countries are bailig out failed banking institutions in rich countries. A paper by A Subramanian (the one who wrote the IMF working paper on Mauritius in 2001) in the Financial Times. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e83757e4-593c-11df-adc3-00144feab49a.html
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: Si line paret dan lexpress sa v dire bizin pran sa nuvel la ek ene gro dout. Pa blie fek fek zot ti anons nu ki lalians Ptr-MMM ti fini fer ek zot zistwar sondaz trike la.
ReplyDeleteLet's wait and see.
Do we have to guess who are lobbying for AM to stay on as FS? Must be those who benefitted handsomely from the flat tax, stimulus package, empowerment programme etc...
ReplyDeleteWe know who the habitual criminals are don't we?
But I don't think it is going to work because the FM surely wants to stay in Parliament beyond 2015.
AM still in and RS out. drole ca hein, la vie faire rier. Ki RS p bien besoin penser la?
ReplyDeleteA good book for both Navin and Pravind to read before writing up the 'Discours-Programme' on 8 June so that they don't make the same mistake of hiring other AMM-like stars from the Bretton-Woods institutions:
ReplyDelete"Chasing Stars: The Myth of Talent and the Portability of Performance"
by Boris Groysberg
@Anonymous numero karantdouz: tks pu link liv Groysberg la. Ban bon lekip pa sakantite affekte la kan mem so meyer zwer ale. Me ena ban minimum ki attire ban meyer talent: leadership, credibilite, passion etc.
ReplyDeletePublic procurement office is to go through changes following recommendations of the world bank. A.M. and friends seem to be interested in distracting us with all "brainy" kind of stuff that will not really change anything in the lives of the ordinary citizen.
ReplyDelete@ kifer:
ReplyDeleteWai, ena enn "White Paper on Modernising the Public Framework - Issues and Proposals for Consultation - June 2011" inn parett. At Section 2.2.7.1 "Public Procurement Authority", it states
"In the place of the PPO [the current Public Procurement Office, which replaced the Central Tender Board some years ago], it is being proposed that an independent and strong regulatory authority, the Public Procurement Authority (...) be set up to regulate conventional procurement..."
Wadir enn stratégie bien kalkilé ça: remplace CTB, apré ferr li vinn enn otorité couma CWA, nomme enn pantin dans so board, interferr dans so "day-to-day running", lerla deklarr li incompétent / inéfikas, apré...? Privatiz zaferr-la?
@akagugo:
ReplyDeleteWai, pe fer parey kuma bann fonds alphabet soup la ek PBB. Inn perdi 5 banane ek sa bann komeraz la.
Pe vinn redekuver lamerik lor map.