A la recherche de l’investisseur étranger perdu…

Par KRJ Yash

Ce qui compte vraiment…

Premièrement

N’en déplaise au JEC, le gouverneur de la Banque Centrale persévère dans sa lutte contre l’inflation, et protège la croissance pour le petit peuple et les petits épargnants. Le Monetary Policy Committee a décidé d’augmenter le taux directeur de 25 points de base, le Key Repo Rate passe donc à 5,5%.

Cependant, l’inquiétante baisse constatée du Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), pour le premier trimestre de cette année, doit être expliquée. En effet, le montant de FDI injecté dans l’économie mauricienne entre janvier et mars derniers n’a été que de Rs 1,4 milliards contre Rs 4,6 milliards pour la même période l’année dernière.

Est-ce que la crise économique mondiale a freiné les volontés d’expansion, de diversification et de croissance des investisseurs étrangers ?

Est-ce que les menaces de répressions ciblées contre certains investisseurs asiatiques par le MMM, relayées par certains journalistes irresponsables ont réussi à effrayer les investisseurs étrangers potentiels?

Ou bien tout simplement la politique du ministre des Finances ne les inspire pas confiance ? Se pose aussi la question de la qualité, du coût et surtout de la compétence de la main-d’œuvre mauricienne ? Sommes-nous en train de payer finalement pour les lois du travail dictées aux différents ministres de tutelle par les syndicalistes ?

Deuxièmement

What’s in a name?

Who is a ‘Swami’? I have tried to look up for a definition and here is what I found on the Internet.

“Swami is a Hindu term referring to an ascetic or yogi who has been initiated into the religious monastic order founded by Adi Shankara or to a religious teacher. ‘Swami’, when used as a prefix with a monastic name, usually refers to men who have taken the oath of renunciation and abandoned their social status. The monastic name is usually a single word without a first and last name.”

Earlier this week, India lost Swami Nigmananda, a Swami who has been fasting for 68 continuous days. Swami Nigmananda was only 34 years old. Why was he fasting? The Matra Sadan to which the Swami belonged won a court case against illegal quarrying in the Ganges riverbed. However, the illegal quarrying continued – a situation that forced the Swami to observe a fast-unto-death to save the Ganges river. How come the fasting of Swami Nigmananda never came in the limelight while his death did? Well, he happened to have been hospitalised in the same ICU as Swami Ramdev!

Lots of Mauritians, including myself, have been saddened by what happened to Swami Ramdev last week. However, unlike Swami Nigmananda who exceeded the call of duty for a Swami, Swami Ramdev has meddled himself into politics. The fundamental question is whether someone who calls himself a Swami should involve himself in politics at all. I believe a choice has to be made – it should be either politics or asceticism, not both.

Troisièmement

Pricing the priceless II

I used to be a regular blood donor. However, I must confess that I now donate blood less frequently. What are the factors that turned me into an irregular donor? Sometime back I could take my blood donor’s card to the Blood Bank and show that I am a regular donor in case a relative or friend of mine had to undergo surgery and needed blood. This is no longer the case – irrespective of whether I am a regular donor or not, my relative or friend will have to replace that additional pint of blood used. As a rational human being, I would prefer to donate the blood to friends and family as and when necessary rather than their having to find a donor when in need.

The other reason is the attitude of certain members of the staff. Normally, blood donation camps are organised on Sundays. I have witnessed them complaining (in the presence of donors) about having to work on a Sunday, sulking, complaining, among others, about the doctor or about their working conditions. The staff should adopt a professional attitude and, if need be, they should be given relevant training.

Every year, the world celebrates the World Blood Donor Day on the 14th of June. Consequently, the president of the Mauritian Blood Donors Association made a statement in the media. I must say that I was quite surprised by his statement. As far as public hospitals go, I have no problem with the utilisation of blood donated to the Blood Bank. But what about the private clinics practising medical tourism? I hope that the Blood Bank has the right pricing mechanism in place, as private clinics should not be making money on blood collected by the Blood Bank for the treatment of tourists or wealthy Mauritians. I am told some clinics are charging an exorbitant price from their patients for the blood requisitioned from the Blood Bank. It would only be ethical of private clinics to pay the Blood Bank the same price they are charging their clients…

* Published in print edition on 17 June 2011