| | Contrôler la dette : Une priorité | | | | Modifier la taille du texte: | A | | | A | | |
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| | Par:- Stéphane Saminaden
On 16/11/2011 |
Le gouvernement semble afficher une volonté de prendre le taureau par les cornes concernant le problème de la dette de l’Etat et des entreprises publiques. C’est bien.
A 55 % du produit intérieur brut, nous avons de la marge, mais il vaut mieux s’attaquer à ce dossier à temps, plutôt que d’attendre que nous soyons atteints par le syndrome grec. Il vaut mieux anticiper d’éventuels problèmes avant d’être obligés d’augmenter le taux de la TVA ou de prendre des mesures d’austérité pour renflouer les caisses de l’Etat.
Pourtant, Maurice peut réaliser des milliards d’économie chaque année grâce à la lutte contre le gaspillage des fonds publics rien qu’en gérant rigoureusement chaque projet financé par les deniers publics. Le bureau de l’Audit dresse chaque année un bilan édifiant sur la manière dont l’argent des contribuables est jeté par les fenêtres tout simplement par un je m’enfoutisme scandaleux.
Parions que la lutte contre le gaspillage sera une des priorités du consultant recherché par le gouvernement pour l’aider à gérer la dette publique.
En parlant de gaspillage, une des priorités de l’Etat serait de se désengager d’entreprises non stratégiques et dans lesquelles elle n’a rien à faire. Ce ne sont que des niches dont l’utilité première est de servir à caser les petits copains et les colleurs d’affiche.
A titre d’exemple, ce n’est pas le rôle du gouvernement de posséder et de subventionner la Compagnie nationale de transport.
Quand cette entreprise fait des profits, c’est un événement. Au contraire des autres compagnies d’autobus pour qui c’est une routine qui est leur raison d’être.
Nous n’en avons pas fini avec le problème de la dette. Car Maurice a besoin d’investir massivement dans les infrastructures pour maintenir sa compétitivité et se moderniser. Dans son analyse pré-budgétaire, le secrétaire financier, Ali Mansoor, avait estimé nos besoins d’investissements dans les équipements publics à Rs 175 milliards.
Cet argent ne tombera pas du ciel. Certes, on pourra prioritiser nos besoins et faire face au plus pressé d’abord. Mais ce ne sera qu’un pis-aller. Le technicien qui a fait carrière dans les institutions de Bretton Woods avait suggéré une remise en question de notre régime de «Welfare State» en préconisant le paiement d’un «token fee» pour les services de l’Etat comme la santé.
Cette suggestion lui avait valu une réponse foudroyante du Premier ministre, Navin Ramgoolam : Mansoor est un bon technicien, mais la politique c’est nous, avait-il déclaré. Ramgoolam, qui a élargi le «Welfare State» en rehaussant la pension de vieillesse et en introduisant le transport gratuit pour les étudiants et les vieux, comprendra-t-il un jour que Maurice ne peut se permettre de telles largesses, «ad vitameternam» ? A moins de découvrir du pétrole.
En attendant ce jour béni, le pays sera forcé, plus tôt que tard, de faire des arbitrages au nom de l’économie. Dans un monde où l’austérité est le maître mot, la politique économique de Maurice semble anachronique, pour dire le moins. Irrationnel et irréaliste seraient des qualificatifs plus appropriés.
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| Emiliano Z | | | Si Ti-Ramgoolam inn elargi Welfare State, bizin dire Bravo Navin, Si linn augment pension vieuyess bizin dire Bravo Navin. Si linn donn transport kado bann vieux ek etudiant, bizin dire - Bravo Navin. Penan okunn argiman bankal ki kapab monté kont sa. Largesse! Fasil, tire la viande ek seki gras pas ek seki maigre. Ou juge enn pei par provision ki li fer pou okip so citoyens pov, lor sa sujet la, moris kapab lev so latett bien ho. | | | Honky Tonk | | | Hey Pipol You may wonder why the hell we have to pay income tax ? A welfare state should in return provide education,housing,sustenance, healthcare,pensions,unemployment insurance,sick leave or time off due to injury. it also provides public transportation, childcare and social amenities such as parks and libraries.That's what you get in return from your tax money but if you do not contribute then are you cheating on the state. | | | Lélio Wong | | | @ Honky Tonk...A welfare state, but at which level ? The only welfare which is visible is a plate of briani or some more, every 5 years before election. Considering the conditions under which foreign workers are imported and how they are treated shows that we do have some technocrates demonstrating the poor, poorer, poorest of the world compared with those among the 1,3 millions Mauritians. And Mauritius has thousand times more millionaires than beggars. If one can balance it ? | | | chitchat | | | @Pipol, Spot on-on. If Honky Tonk did not make himself absolutely clear, Elvis surely has.
Hand in glove !!!. | | | iqbal carrim | | | It is now high time to question the theory that 60% of GDP is a generally acceptable norm of national debt. applicable to us as well.Our resilience is variable and fragile and our resources are very limited.Our annual budget proposals have a common make up:commitments and further commitments and hardly or almost never any redistribution and rational cleansing (dégraissage). Our acceptable level may well be below 55%. | | | Pipol | | | "ce n’est pas le rôle du gouvernement de posséder et de subventionner la Compagnie nationale de transport" preuve que nous avons affaire a des ignorants perroquets! Hey do your homework before saying more n'importe quoi! | | | Tryptophan | | | ….So, the Civil Service/ public service bashing goes on! But suppose that the treasury , instead of giving billions in subsidies to the private sector, distributed the money ( which it says it does not have) among the citizens who live under poverty line. Then suppose that the authorities begin a campaign of educating the populace on budgeting their finance , on the perils of borrowing on interest, and on the virtue of contentment with little, while making available to the community plots of land ( from the stock of disused , unprofitable, sugar cane fields) to landless citizens so that they may produce a variety of stuff ( vegetables, fruits, flowers, meat, dairy, etc, etc). Then perhaps the media, our local TV , could be used to further educate the population ( through interesting to watch programmes) in various skills, ranging from culinary/nutritional skills to the wisdom of SELF_SUFFICIENCY , as a national and even a PATRIOTIC project/agenda. The TV screen could also be used to expose us to ideas , and joys, of a variety of LOCAL leisure activities. Entrepreneurs would perhaps, and hopefully, set small scale businesses in leisure , by diversifying this industry, to the benefit of local citizens and our families ( of course we need to think of our children, and ways to make them enjoy life to the full, on little means). Other businesses would take root in response to the change in behaviour and activities in the local economy. When , after some time, the local population has some disposable income their NEEDS for goods will change. Producers would respond to demand in the market accordingly, and with a dose of “effective government management” we would ensure, rigourously, that goods on the market are of good standard, and as much as possible produced locally. What if we take other measures to diminish the flow of our money to other countries, as in discouraging importation? How about having our students educated “at home” instead of “despatching” billions to foreign universities , for an education that can be organised at home? How about levying a kind of ”tax” on the tens of thousands of Mauritians who have emigrated, after benefitting from “our Welfare State”, if they can afford it? Yes, about the Civil Service, of course we need a proper clean-up. Those who are “surplus to requirement” and those who are “not fit for purpose” needs to have their hands shaken with a polite and humane, “good bye”. They may or may not have compensation or pension, but they can always benefit from the measures taken, i.e nobody will live under poverty line, and everybody can engage in some sort of food production. How about if we leave the Capitalists to look after themselves, and be reminded of their “corporate social responsibility”, for a change? Perhaps we could think about the moral issue of the legality of sales of alcohol and cigarette, which no doubt cost the Welfare State a lot … a cost to society that I have never heard an economist refer to. | | | Jay | | | Good article, if we look at the figures 55%, we can consider Mtius at a fair rate, with good management in the public sector we should be today at only 30-35%, that mean we could have done better, unfortunately the public sector is not embedded with modern way of managing public funds, no culture or good governance, I doubt after 43 years why can't we have an efficient public sector, or those who has govern the country want it to be statu-quo for their own benefits, I remember when Sir B.Bacha was the Secretary of the Cabinet he was talking about public sector college and they introduced MIPAM after that they dissolve and reinvented UoT, the same for PRB, I think it is time for those who govern this country to rethink about the future of the public sector in a modern way not just to introduce a college or performance system will solve all the problems, no need to mention external consultants. The FS said that we need 175B for future capital expenditure to modernise MU, just here to give an example - the metroleger as per how much report it will cost more than 30b to implement it, we don;t have which is true but it can be self finance this project just one item oil imports will pay at least 50% of the project at the same time will reduce considerably the Co2 emmission if we can make an economy of 50% of our import with actual cost of a barrel at $120 we can pay the project in 10 years no need to increase our public debt. there are many projects that can be self finance, just need to use our brain better and think in a modern way not like a technocrat | | | Elvis | | | An acquaintance of mine had a cataract surgery for the removal of the natural lens of his eyes at a private clinic in Grand Bay but had to pay Rs 100.000 from his own pocket. Is this a welfare state? | | | Honky Tonk | | | A complete " Welfare State" should also include child benefit, redundancy benefit,illness benefit or disability benefit etc.. Mauritius has still a long way to go but anyway good luck. | | | WorldWord | | | Rutherford B. Hayes, 19eme President American est quotté:
To vote is like the payment of a debt, a duty never to be neglected, if its performance is possible.
Suivant cette logique, il est claire qui paye ses dettes s’enrichit.
Par contre, le droit de chaque citoyen, le vote, est bien plus difficile à réaliser simplement parce qu’il n’y guerre choix pour qui voter, alors que cela est précisément la réclamation de chaque citoyen qui contribue a faire rouler ce pays.
Et si on changer la constitution afin de faire en sorte q’uniquement la classe travailleuse ET ceux qui payent la income taxe auront le droit de voter !?!?
De quoi faire trembler ceux actuellement au pouvoir !
| | | Lélio Wong | | | Gaspiller c'est jeter à l'eau mais en ce moment l'argent et l'eau sont tous deux à sec. Je gouverne, tu gouvernes, nous gouvernons et quand on ne peut plus on se laisse gouverner de l'extérieur. Avec toutes ces impuissances de l'intérieur et les recours permanent aux experts et consultants étrangers on se demande si ce n'est pas plus rentable de se laisser gouverner par " remote control" et renvoyer ces élus rien à foutre "dan karo kane" ? C'est la réalité amère irrationnelle qualificative la plus appropriée. | | | bhavna | | | Good article and well stated- | |
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