Reform, yes, but what?

Wanting reform is one thing. Doing it correctly and ultimately improving the lives of citizens is another thing entirely!

Some sports examples have been scattered over recent years.

We wanted to reform inter-collegiate competitions for the best of reasons. I cannot swear to the official motives given for doing so at the time, but the feeling at the time was clearly that one college, in this case Holy Spirit College, was “earning too much”. As a student at Curepipe Royal College, this never particularly bothered or troubled me. In fact, a victory in “small college” sports only brought more value! Just like a small country’s victory over the American or Chinese monsters at the Olympics! The Games were a big part of the school calendar at the time, bringing young people together for a great and exciting day, and rewarding those who could fully balance their efforts with their inherent talents.

This mass exodus of young people has been broken up by the presence of nothing but mobile screens, more sexual consent, TikTok as a broadcaster of “information” and more “jockeys” selling various drugs. Much better?

We were well motivated, too, in our desire to reform the national football league and de-state it. We certainly achieved that goal, but despite the continued efforts of Paul Jones and Georges Jongdican, football has suffered greatly. All you have to do is look at the state of our major stadiums, including the George V Basin, and recall our results in our last five games in the Island Games, including two disastrous defeats to Mayotte.

Lately, it is the world of horse racing that we want to reform. The government apparently says it has every motivation and decided to “clean things up” after the release of the Parry Report in 2015. At the time, the MTC was split in two, with illegal betting estimated at Rs80 crore a year. Fixing of races was mentioned more frequently. The remedy – horses – will include the deliberate marginalisation of the MTC from 2022 and the rise of the PTP of Jean Michel Lee Shim, who is mainly involved in the betting business and was named “Person of the Year” in 2023 by the newspaper… you understand After all the traumatic events, the government this year restored contact with the MTC, apparently trying to put the pieces back together. It’s not easy without losing face!

Politics is a big mess! In recent weeks, there has been a lot of attention paid to the appointment of Adrian Duvall as Speaker. Sometimes for good reasons, sometimes for not so good reasons. And sometimes even by not so good people!

Discover.

Phokeer’s disappearance is undeniable progress. The Prime Minister’s choice to replace Phokeer so late in the current legislature would not normally have been in his favour, as it would have been too suggestive of electoral opportunism. The Prime Minister’s choice of Adrien Duval as Speaker instead of Deputy Speaker Nazirally was certainly not based on the sole criterion of “meritocracy”; especially since he had severely criticised Duval in Parliament, especially for driving under the influence after an accident. It is now clear that the opposition made a mistake by invoking Article 50 of the Constitution instead of Article 32. She cannot apologize for the unnecessary uproar she caused in Parliament two weeks ago, a sentiment that is a reflection of complacency and, in fact, has been present in all political circles for so long. XLD assures us that there is no connection between this appointment and a possible PMSD/MSM alliance, at least an improbable one, and perhaps even a fantasy. Arwen Burrell is justified in questioning the independence of the new Speaker, but this can only be judged on the evidence. The new Speaker has already quickly repudiated four previous decisions of Phokeer, which at least suggests that he is beginning to wish to make a useful contrast. Let the opposition present itself to Parliament after a brief boycott Under protest It is an embarrassing childishness. The government headed by the Prime Minister chose to laugh and sneer when the opposition returned, which did not fly higher…

Especially when the real problems don’t go away when the honorable ones are jockeying in Parliament! and demanding their attention. Maybe even their proposed solutions?

As drugs permeate everywhere and the “jockeys” are no longer confined to the Champ de Mars, tens of thousands of families are suffering, seriously affecting job opportunities for Mauritians. Putu A whole sub-productivity remains to be digested. Because garbage is growing, including illegal garbage, and even burned where it shouldn’t be. Because, with reservoirs full, water is still not available 24/7, and losses in pipes will certainly not decrease… Because the already intolerable trade deficit is getting worse. Because without the recent disturbing offshore “blood transfusion”, the current account deficit of 12% of GDP is still unsustainable. Because renewable energy did not reach the 60% target promised by 2030, but fell further to 17.2% of the total in 2023. Because the “hole” in CSG will worsen with an aging population, how can we fill it? Because there are “holes” in pension funds Determine benefits No one seems to be worried about the funding of quasi-public institutions and local authorities (Rs46 billion as of June 2022!). With Rs146 billion short in NPF funds, we don’t know exactly how much we will need to meet obligations for decades to come? Moreover, are we really going to pump sand out of the lagoon in the unbelievable hope of stopping the erosion of the beaches? Who knows if we are really the 13th most powerful country in the world?Ease of doing business Global? For that, read the work of restaurateur Rocco Evola, who has the courage to say what the private sector is silent about, what it always complains about… Who is concerned about the quality of national education, the declining standards of test scores, the lack of global and independent comparisons, PISA style? Who believes that our future will be rich, continuing our waste, our compromises, our indiscipline, but without greater productivity?

Politics has a talent for dealing first with the minor, the futile, and the ridiculous, fueled by oversized egos, or worse, our seemingly insatiable bellies. Will voters reform or will they be swallowed up?

Three more deaths from bathroom gas water heaters! Some people still think you can just leave the gas cylinder outside!

Shouldn’t the “authorities” shoulder their own responsibility for the irresponsibility of a potentially deadly facility? Where can we count the number of deaths and condemn such reckless behavior? After all, by subsidizing the price of gas, haven’t governments (at least to some extent) encouraged more widespread use of gas than would be possible without subsidies?

Small suggestion: Any gas water heater seller is now obliged to install the water heaters they sell in accordance with the standards by providing the services of a qualified technician. He simply adds the cost of a correct installation to his selling price. An obligation to add a proper insurance policy? Or, could the government reimburse the seller for the installation costs…?

It is undoubtedly difficult to track all the water heaters sold and installed to date. Unfortunately, there are probably hundreds that have been installed incorrectly. There are also thousands that are old, rusty, unmaintained, and have become potentially dangerous. Additional advice for installed water heaters: Through an advertising campaign, anyone with a water heater at home is invited to contact the seller of “their” brand for a free diagnosis, which will be reimbursed by the government.

From now on, diagnosis is in hand and everyone takes responsibility!

There I reacted to my fear by imagining myself expecting a refreshing shower but breathing in this odorless, colorless carbon monoxide gas instead and, quite stupidly, extinguishing myself. Disappear!

I hope responsible politicians and bureaucrats will respond as soon as possible, so A standing committee And end with decisive action… before the next death!

It is so stupid to lose a life like this! Looking forward to reform! A good one!