Moris Gayn Plis Delo Ki Bizin

Kuma tiart la montre nu apard 1999 nu fin tuletan ena sifizaman delo ant 1998 ek 2024. Problem se pan ranplas ase tiyo delo perse dernie 20 banane. E sa se akoz flat tax 15% Sithanen depi 2006 in rwin nu. E sirtu ran en servis pa diman burzwa la avoy plis lapli parski nu pa le truv tsunami dan tu sime.

Ranz Nuvo Sime Pa Diminie Trafik, O Kontrer

Get en kut kin arive lor de period 17 an dan Moris. En kot fiskalite ti sutenab, GDP ti vin 2.19X pli gro e nu ti ranz 219km nuvo sime e en lot kot fiskalite ti leze, GDP ti grosi par 1.67X selman me nu ti ranz 1,035km nuvo sime. Dan promie period rezo rutie ti ogmant par 12% e deziem par 51%.

Donk nu pa sanz tiyo delo perse, nu pa asir en bon disponibilite manze me selman nu beton later agrikol kuma pagla pu nu van vila ek milyarder etranze e nu ranz sime kuma toke. An mem tan nu avoy nu ban Minis ek en bol pu al rod lasarite ek ban lezot pei.

Pe diminie par ledikasion piblik ek lasante piblik dan lekonomi prosin 3 an selma pu depans 14 milyar rupi dan konstriksion nuvo sime prosin 5 an ki nu ditu pa bizin. Met serye!

Si Rapor Komisyon Ladrog Fini Deor

Ankor ek sa lavites la, be sa rapor la bank mondyal lor afermaz CWA la pa kav pa vinn piblik deswit.

No Better Day To Ban Plastic Bottles

We know drinking from them is no good for our health. Or for mother earth. A cheaper and healthier alternative is to use old glass bottles at home to store boiled water. It tastes better too. You can even label it with your name. That's a much better decision as a citizen of a country of 1.3 million people and about nine amputations every week than to have a personalised can of soda. You can also buy a container and carry water with you when you go play.

Little things like this will make us more respectful of the environment and make spaceship Earth last a lot longer. Unless you are in a hurry to go live indoors on Mars forever. Like an idiot.

Wanna Know How Absurd the 15% Flat Tax Has Been?

Then consider our recurring water problems since its implementation. Government ran out of money and the efficiency of our water network didn't improve. As much as it should have. Had Sithanen's growth forecasts happened there would have been a lot more cash in the Government coffers. Enough to change 11,585km of leaking pipes. Given that there's only about 1,600km of them do the math and find out how Mr. Sithanen has turned the clock of development backwards.

Had Dr. Kontu not messed up our economy and we had kept on growing at a very reasonable 5.5% there'd be an extra of Rs51 billion of cash in the Treasury. That would have been enough to change all the leaking pipes more than two times.

So it's a money problem. Not a management one.

Following Parliament Becomes More Interesting

You can now watch the business being done in our National Assembly live and direct. The other nice thing is that there is the agenda on the right. And it's scrollable. For instance the PNQ today is on the Metro Express. Plus the PM will answer questions on an anti-defection bill, electoral reforms and VIP lounge facilities. Ministers will be put questions on the water sector reform, reform of the universal pension, Air Asia and the biometric id card to name just a few.

Good.

What an Average Performance Would Look Like

For Mauritius. 5-6% real GDP growth, a stable currency of Rs25/USD and progressive taxation. Energy costs sensitive to decreases and increases in international prices. Unemployment brought down to 6-7% once it is measured properly. Underemployment heading south too. Savings reverting to average pre-Shaitanomics levels of 25%. Productive investments encouraged. Speculative investments discouraged. Reducing national frustration with some basic policies. Like proclaiming beaches as public spaces. Not deproclaiming any beaches. Preserving the views of Mauritius. Waging total war against diabetes. Not doing anything blatantly stupid like signing TISA. That too behind our backs.

And what would an economic miracle look like? I guess lowering the retirement age to 55 or less. Definitely a surging currency: a good start would be an average 2% annual appreciation against the USD from the base above. Along with higher growth rates. Plus an infinite number of thoughtful little things.

Miracle not happening for sure. In fact an average performance looks increasingly out of reach. There's too much ambient stupidity. But that can be reduced. Like by releasing the water sector reform report of the World Bank. For a start.

How You Know Valentine’s Day is Not Far

Kind of easy. It's raining and Mauritius is shutting down. Just like three years ago. One year before that the CWA announced harsher cuts right after we received tons of rain.

What does that say about our management skill?

See you in exactly one year!!!

2013: The Year in Review

January: The Economist says party lists are evil. Humanity starts its biggest gathering. Former MK boss explains how he was fired. Berenger announces he has throat cancer, steps down. Joseph beats Jackie Chan and wins award. Gandhi's assassination turns 65.

February: IPP contracts made public, finally. Heavy-rain shuts down water-starved Dodoland. Pistorius shoots model girlfriend by mistake. CEB contemplates getting Mauritius its own Fukushima. His Airness turns 50 and world longs to see Mike back. After attacking our rupee with our own money Duval tries to usurp the PM's prerogatives. PM says changes to electoral system shouldn't be done on a whim, promises consultative paper.

March: Women contribute a third more than what Mao thought. Fifteen centimetres of rain kill eleven in a flash.

Read the review for Q2, Q3 and Q4.

Heavy Rain Shuts Down Water-Starved Dodoland

Yesterday. And just like in 2008, people have lost their lives too during the past few days. I guess Mauritians again experienced how resilient we are. Some people think we should rename ourselves as Gopialand.

Long live the bean-counters!!!

How Much Value Does Water Master Plan Add?

The MBC said that it recommends the creation of an independent unit for the management of our water resources. I don't think we really need another layer of red tape. We already have too many of these. Just like we have all the information and people we need to quickly solve our water problems. And there are some good blogs out there which have already addressed this water issue to quite some depth.

Probably a new report was ordered so as to kill some more time or maybe someone has been eating too many funny mushrooms. Not a good strategy. 

2011: The Year in Review

January: African leaders get wonderful opportunity to benefit from advice that could be lethal to their political careers. Water problems confirm Ramgoolam's economic model is junk. Planning maverick barely recognisable because Labour Party forgot who she was. State could have spent our money better. Bunwaree makes access to A-level education easier.

February: IMF analysis too bland to pick up social volcanoes that had been brewing right under surface of Arab world. Journalist remembers SSR's last public meeting. Minister magic needed at earth's driest place. Union boss wants price of basic foodstuffs controlled.

March: Nobel puts feet in mouth. Powerful earthquake sets off deadly Tsunami in Japan. BRIC and Germany say no to military action in Libya. Boolell says he's not there to serve fat cats. Proposed 10-20% hike in water charges has no basis. MPs want answers from Financial Secretary. Free guide to understanding the infamous stimulus package published.

Read the review for Q2, Q3, Q4.

Education Spending Not Alone in Falling Behind Inflation

So we learned today from the DPM. Expenditure on major pipe replacements for the past five years have been as follows: 2005/06: Rs225 million; 2006/07: Rs200 million; 2007/08: Rs160 million and 2008/09: Rs150 million; and Rs210 million in 2010. But Rs400 million have been spent in 2011.

The only two things that seemed to have kept up with rising prices are the crappy working paper industry and the attention given to crappy bean-counting indices.

Hallelujah!

Who Says The Next Rainy Season Gonna Be Better?

Nobody. In fact, if global warming has modified rain patterns it would be silly to stay put and expect Mare-aux-Vacoas to fill up with the same regularity as it used to. So that we may be better off building smaller reservoirs in the places where rainfall has been more generous in the recent past. And give phase two of the Midlands dam the go-ahead. In other words we need a good plan. The snag is that no ministry has been taking care of planning for a while now. This hasn't changed either with the latest permutation in the cabinet.

Despair not. We still have a direct line to God.

Labour MP Hits Where it Hurts: A Comment

In his reply to a statement made by MP Deerpalsing, Ali Mansoor said that our water problem is mostly a systemic problem of management and implementation instead of one of lack of funds. And that this problem dates back well before 2005 -- that is before his university buddy got him his current job.

I am having some trouble with this reply given that:

1. when our Midlands Dam came into operation in 2003 it added 25 million m3 to the water our reservoirs stored or another 40%. So it's not like nothing got implemented in our country before his arrival. Nope, the opening of the Midlands Dam was a watershed event in the history of that sector. But given that our economy has now grown by a third since then we were bound to crash into a wall if we didn't throw enough money in time to increase water storage -- like going for Phase 2 of the Midlands Dam (17 million m3). Which is what is happening now.

2. we were told back in 2005 that the stage was being set for robust growth so that plans should have been made to bring our water supply to a level commensurate with this higher intended growth path. This of course would have meant going beyond Phase 2 of the Midlands Dam. That is even more money should have been earmarked for this sector. Doable if you're not a bean-counter.

3. our country apparently experienced an early harvest (2007) followed by no less than a bumper crop (2008) and that almost immediately after the reforms started. Now, if you don't use a bumper crop to solve problems that can stall your economy and reduce national indebtedness, I wonder why you even want to have bumper crops.

By the way, if free laptops have not been distributed yet is it because Ministers are not in shape enough to hand them on TV? What about the HR guidelines? Implementation shortfall here too?

Hmm...

Do We Need Singapore To Solve Our Water Problems?

Only if we're all brain-dead.

Bagatelle or Phase 2 of Midlands Dam?

Bagatelle Dam will hold 15 million m3 and cost between Rs 3.1-3.4 billion while Phase 2 of the Midlands Dam involves 17 million m3 and by my rough estimates should come with a tag of Rs1.2 billion. Isn't that getting 2 million m3 for a couple of billions less?

Kuma Pu Regle Problem Dilo

1. Met laru anba Maro-Vakwa apre buz li kot lapli tonbe
2. Rekumans priye selman sakula diman bondie viz inpe kuma dimun
3. Mont pri dilo par 10-20% parski sa pu rempli Maro-Vakwa tudswit
4. Lans en enhensment program pu ban minis – fer cabinet miting fini dimans tanto
5. Fer ban fib optik sarye dilo
6. Fer tu tax vin zero kumsa guvernman pu gayn kas pu ranz en lot rezervwar
7. Fer pers tu ban tiyo kumsa delo pu aret perdi
8. Ranpli en de avion sitern ar dilo lapli apre fer zet sa dan Maro-Vakwa tu le zur
9. Fer Moris vin dan dis premier dan sa gran gran gran renking kiapel Doing Business la
10. Dir ban turis amen zot prop dilo

Proposed Hike in Water Charges Has No Basis

Beebeejaun's intention of raising the price of water by 10-20% is not justified. See government has already been abusing us with prohibitive fuel prices for way too long. Add to this one Ramgoolam who promised in November 2007 to change his name if we kept paying punitive electricity prices. Not only prices didn't go down but they went up by a full 10% last year. And the PM has kept his name.

Enjoy the vision.