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Mauritius: The "dallpourri " Syndrome
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L'Express (Port Louis)
17 March 2008
Posted to the web 17 March 2008
Peter Craig
Port Louis
Once upon a time in Mauritius someone had the great idea of selling "dallpourri" to the public which created and met a market demand.
Another Mauritian eating his "dallpourri" slowly used his creativity to count the number of "dallpourri" buyers and estimating the costs and the profits made by the original seller, decided that it was worth his while to go into this business. Soon there were hundreds, nay thousands, of "dallpourri" sellers for a total market, including babies and housebound centenarians of a market of 1.2 million people. None of the sellers had an inkling of creativity, competitive edge or marketing. You produce and hope that someone will buy. Come to the village I live in the South and the "dallpourri" vendors are almost selling to each other as there is so little traffic.
I am no great fan of gas stations for I pay a great deal for my petrol. But they are all feeling the squeeze of the "dallpouri" syndrome. New stations are springing up all over the place for the same 1.2 million population -
I include tourists since babies can't drive. Whereas I was complaining about the cost of my petrol last year it is now my gas station manager who is complaining to me.
In the early 1980s when we introduced the textile "revolution" there were at its height about 450 companies from those working in their garages to the large companies. Today there may be - repeat may be - 100 companies of which probably 25% are viable. And with a rising rupee that number also is in danger, i.e. Manupan. What are going to be the next "dallpourri" syndrome areas? Real estate and call offices? When can we have a clear vision as in the 2020 paper and not just react to World Bank Group diktats and economic equations that try to make the country fit the model rather than the model fit the country?
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