“Food security remains a top priority,” said Agribusiness Minister Maheen Seeruttun during his budget speech. He recalled that meetings on agriculture took place last year and that a strategic plan for the years 2024-2030 was developed, based on its recommendations. This strategic plan, according to the minister, constitutes an essential roadmap to consolidate the country's food security.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Maheen Seeruttun appealed to planters to invest more in technologies. Those who are able to protect their plantations from the effects of climate change. He highlighted the importance of innovations to ensure the resilience and sustainability of the sector in the face of environmental challenges.
He responded to opposition criticism regarding the critical state of the economy and public debt. He noted that this is a global trend exacerbated by the crisis linked to the covid-19 pandemic. He cited several examples of countries where public debt has reached very high levels.
“Japan has a public debt of over 125%, Singapore has a public debt of 168%, while Italy has reached 144%,” he said. “It is not a crime to go into debt when you have the capacity to repay. The same goes for a country. The covid-19 pandemic has turned everything upside down, which explains why the public debt of all countries has exceeded the limits set,” he added.
He continued that global public debt is expected to continue to fall relative to GDP, according to the International Monetary Fund. Regarding Mauritius, he indicated that the trend in public debt follows this dynamic. The government has adopted prudent and proactive management in this difficult economic context.
