“A misleading and dangerous Budget is what is before us,” declared Paul Bérenger, leader of the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), during his speech on the Budget. According to him, the measures announced are misleading, because they want people to believe that they will relieve poverty and put an end to inflation. “It’s an illusion, a mirage, because that won’t be the case,” he said.
Paul Bérenger added that the government's monetary and fiscal policy as well as the depreciation of the rupee are at the origin of the problem. “The government is banking on inflation to save its budget, while inflation is above all a tax on the poor, the worst of taxes,” he said. “Whatever is given with one hand will be taken back ten times, twenty times with the other hand. The priority should have been the fight against inflation and price increases,” he insisted.
The MMM leader also pointed out that the Budget does not propose anything serious to resolve several critical issues. He mentioned the crisis in private education, the poorly negotiated agreement with India regarding the offshore sector, the construction of drains. He further pointed out the shocking situation at the port and airport, the looming crisis regarding electricity supply and the plunder of tuna in the Indian Ocean. According to him, the Budget presented does not respond to the country's real economic and social challenges, and the measures announced only temporarily mask the problems without providing lasting solutions.
In order to mitigate the effects of the cost of living, the leader of the MMM, Paul Bérenger, pointed out that it would have been more judicious to lower the prices of diesel and gasoline, and not only that of household gas. According to him, these measures would have a more significant impact on the daily lives of Mauritians.
Regarding a possible victory for the parliamentary opposition alliance MMM-PTr-ND, Paul Bérenger wanted to reassure that social benefits and the increase in pensions will not be affected in any way. “On the contrary, we will increase pensions and social benefits as much as possible,” he said.
The leader of the Heart Party did not fail to criticize the government, accusing the latter of having simply copied several social measures presented during the Budget from the 20 measures proposed by the parliamentary opposition during the Labor Day meeting. in Port Louis.
On the political level, Paul Bérenger questioned the possibility that this Budget would bring the country closer or further away from the general elections. In any case, he recalled that according to the Constitution, Parliament will be automatically dissolved on November 21. Believing that there was no “feel good factor” following this Budget, he maintained that, “the sooner the general elections take place, the better it will be for the country and its economy.”
