Raj JUGERNAUTH
8 August 2007
editorial
Port Louis — What would be the outcome of the decision of the ministry of Finance to block at the last hour the award of a contract for the construction of a new bridge at Macondé to the tune of Rs 232 million. In any country, except in banana republics, enquiries and resignations would have immediately followed and disciplinary measures taken. But, as things stand in Mauritius, we can bet that nothing will be done.
To start with, the minister will make no comment. Neither him, nor the prime minister, nor those public officials responsible for drafting the tender documents think that they are answerable to the public. No one will dare ask them why they did not go for an international bid as advised by Luxconsult.
Who would dare to ask why the RDA did not go for an international bidding exercise despite the fact that it informed the consultant that it would do so. Why did the RDA go ahead with the price quoted by a local company for the reinforced concrete piles to be cast in situ when such piles are being cast presently in the harbour by an Indian company at a price three times cheaper.
Unless there is an outcry, which would force the government to go for a commission of enquiry, these questions are and will remain unanswered. Some more embarrassing questions will also remain unanswered and we will slip further into a banana republic culture.
Ant the public is largely responsible for this state of affairs. Mauritian voters are today regularly lured by a piece of carrot to vote, very often on ethnic considerations, for most of our VIPs - Very Incompetent Parliamentarians.
Incompetence is in fact one of the main characteristics of some of our ministers.
Has the prime minister asked himself to start with, and then his minister of Public infrastructure, to what extent the construction of a new bridge at Macondé is an emergency at a time when the country is short of money for development projects. To what extent the installation of traffic lights at Caudan roundabout, to the tune of Rs 65 million is an emergency when we lack money, when consultants have time and again said that these lights will be of no avail in reducing the traffic congestion. Why doesn't the prime minister ask these questions to his deputy, Rashid Beebeejaun. If ever he starts questioning his deputy, he would better put a whole list of questions to his friend Rashid. Questions about the new hospital building at Candos and the one at Souillac. True it is that it is a legacy from the previous government. But a very poor management from the ministry of Public infrastructure has contributed to worsen the situation. The Customs House would have known the same fate.
Rashid Beebeejaun once openly thanked a special type of project management that had prevented a catastrophe concerning the construction of that Customs House. And that this project management came from the ministry of Finance. And it is this ministry, which has again blocked the Macondé bridge project when it took cognizance of the fact that it would cost Rs 232 million instead of Rs 115 million.
Let's hope that this ministry and the prime minister would convince Rashid Beebeejaun that the emergency lies in the construction of a third lane on the highway, from Phoenix to Port-Louis. Tackling traffic congestion is a must and the sooner, the better. The country is losing billion of rupees per year with traffic congestion.
If Rashid Beebeejaun does not understand this, he may end up in history as the laughing stock of the present government. Together with Navin Ramgoolam.
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