Bernard Yen : Another vision of Mauritius in 2018

10 years ago, as India was celebrating their 60th year of independence, I thought it would be a good idea to imagine what Mauritius could or should look like when we celebrate our 50th year of independence in 2018. I wrote an article about it called “A vision of Mauritius in 2018” which was published in some quarters. When I look back at it now, it is somewhat disheartening to find many of those dreams still far from being achieved.

Let us look at some extracts and compare with today’s realities.

VISION

“12 March 2018: it seems as if the whole of the population has come to celebrate 50 years of independence for the Republic of Mauritius. As I sit back on my small but comfortable plastic seat in the new 100,000 capacity multi-purpose stadium in Highlands and look around, I see many happy and expectant faces.”

REALITY

The development of Highlands still remains a pipe dream. We had high expectations for an area which is so central to the island and which could further relieve Port Louis from the crazy traffic that flows into it every morning and out of it every evening. It has a good climate for outdoor sports and I had imagined this modern multi-purpose stadium being used for professional and international football, athletics, rugby and even cricket and hockey as our expatriate population grows to include professionals from all over the world, living and working nearby.

The Heritage City project was initiated so quickly and without enough consultation that it was rightly sent back to the drawing board. In the meantime, the future centre of the island seems to have moved towards Bagatelle and Moka, thanks largely to a private sector initiative which shows once more that government is best placed to act as facilitator and referee rather than player.

VISION

“Today, it took my family only 7 minutes door to door to get from home to the stadium: 2 minutes to walk to the new train station in Sodnac, 2 minutes to wait and get on board the next south-bound train and 3 minutes to travel and get off the Highlands station just opposite the stadium entrance. Amazingly, no-one coming from as far north as Grand Baie and as far south as Mahébourg will have taken more than 30 minutes. Even those coming from areas not yet covered by the train system will have taken no more than 45 minutes by bicycle, motorcycle, bus, car, taxi or a combination with the train system.”

REALITY

It is only now we are getting started on Phase 1 of the Light Rail System renamed Metro Express. Better late than never, although there is still a lot to do in terms of planning and putting into place everything that is required to make the most of this exciting development. For example, in Port Louis, the train station should be integrated with the project of connecting or merging the 2 bus terminals, whilst ensuring that the motorway is also freed as much as possible in both directions. Park and ride facilities for buses, bicycles, motorcycles and cars should be built around each station so that people are indeed encouraged to take the Metro for any business, shopping or leisure trip.

VISION

“When our population stayed at around 1 million, we simply did not have the critical mass to make any infrastructure projects such as the train system pay for themselves. Now, with the prospect of reaching 3 million in another decade, we are getting some of the economies of scale that larger countries have long enjoyed.”

REALITY

Our population has remained stagnant at around 1.2 million and it looks as if we are not encouraging growth either biologically or through immigration. We do not need to get to the 5 million or more that Hong Kong and Singapore have on smaller territories, but we should certainly continue to promote our country not only as a unique tourist destination but also an attractive place to live, work and play. Words such as Seafood Hub, International Financial Centre, ICT/BPO Hub, Medical Tourism Hub and Education Hub should not just remain slogans but translate into reality through co-operation from all sides. The new Petroleum Hub slogan has long term risk written all over it and is not one we should pursue in my view, unless the case for it is made clear and again enough consultation is made.

VISION

“It was perhaps over the top for the government to install a sophisticated mini-camera surveillance system in all public areas and give away 200,000 mobile phones with cameras and GPS tracking for volunteers to carry them at all times and use them to send back images of anything that looked fishy to police stations.”

REALITY

Little did I know that today we regard smartphones as a must, even for the youngest members of our families. There are of course shortcomings with being connected at all times, but we can make the most of technology to combat crime, improve communication and work smarter in particular. Are we improving access to technology which can really “democratise the economy” in ways that no politician could ever achieve?

VISION

“Long gone are the days where people had to waste hours waiting at queues to get a passport or other public service only to be told to go to the “right” place or come back with the “right” documents or when the lunch break is over or when the cashier’s office is open again the next day.”

REALITY

There has been some progress here; passport renewal is much more straightforward and quick these days. However, we still waste too much time in queues these days when technology can be used and is expected by our foreign visitors.

VISION

“Our first gold medal in the London Olympics in 2012 and our football team playing in the 2014 World Cup Finals in Brazil have been wonderful catalysts in inspiring our youth to practise more sports and seek world-class excellence in everything they undertake. A young Mauritian girl has written a series of books that is selling all over the world and is approaching the popularity of Harry Potter books earlier this century.”

REALITY

Hmm, some way to go still, but we should not give up hope. Professional football is a reality now, even though more work is required to make it pay for itself. Boxing, cycling, tennis and swimming have made us proud Mauritians in recent times. A young Mauritian girl is making headlines not for writing books but for singing and overcoming difficulties (Jane Constance).

CONCLUSION

Looking back at my previous vision which was by no means far-fetched, we seem to have lost most of the past 10 years standing still. However, I believe in the Mauritian spirit and we should see much faster progress in the coming years. We owe it to ourselves, our children and our God who has blessed this country with so much natural beauty and remarkable people.In a more complex and more connected world, we must stand united. We need to address global challenges together because no country can tackle these challenges alone. Climate change, and peace and security are main challenges at global level. There are many other societal challenges including health, demographic change, sustainable energy and food security, where the EU will continue to play a key role.

The EU is committed to continue to engage with all stakeholders in the Republic of Mauritius in the spirit of a true partnership for a sustainable and inclusive development for all.