The 800 page audit report - "Making a Difference to the Lives of Citizens" - published on Friday 20 March 2026 highlights widespread governance failures across ministries and parastatal bodies: large budgets are allocated, but weak governance and inadequate monitoring undermine their impact. According to the Director of Audit, Dharamraj Paligadu, shortcomings include inefficient procurement, inadequate revenue controls, weak monitoring of expenditures, poor project and contract management, and insufficient followup on audit recommendations. These weaknesses undermine service delivery and reduce the value the most vulnerable citizens could expect from public spending.
🟨 Introduction
The latest audit report for 2024-2025 goes far beyond listing administrative irregularities; it exposes a deeper structural problem within the Mauritian state apparatus. Public spending is high; yet a significant share of resources is lost through inefficiencies, weak controls and recurring mismanagement. What may appear as isolated financial discrepancies, when aggregated, reveal a systemic pattern: billions of rupees are effectively leaking out of the public system each year. It paints a stark picture of public spending efficiency across key sectors such as education, social welfare, gender equality and public health, where despite massive budgets, results remain weak and no progress seems to have emerged over the years.
🟨 Gender and family
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Rs 131 million spent, underfunded programmes
For the 2024-2025 financial year, Rs 176 million were allocated to women's empowerment programmes. Of the Rs 131.1 million actually spent, a large share went to administrative costs. At the National Women's Council, Rs 115.4 million in grants were largely absorbed by salaries, leaving limited resources for field activities. A similar situation is observed at the National Children's Council: of Rs 58.1 million received, only Rs 1 million was dedicated to programmes for children. At the National Women's Council, Rs 115.4 million in grants were largely absorbed by salaries, leaving limited resources for field activities. A similar situation is observed at the National Children's Council: of Rs 58.1 million received, only Rs 1 million was dedicated to programmes for children.
🟨 Public health
Poor inventory control, declining outcomes
The Government Asset Register has not been updated since June 2022, leaving Rs 489.5 million in assets unaccounted for. Stock management is equally problematic: inventories valued at Rs 723.3 million are considered incomplete and unreliable. A total of 148 health facilities failed to submit inventory reports, and pharmaceutical stock records are inaccurate. The audit also notes inefficient spending, such as Rs 460,000 in repairs on new vehicles; and major delays in procurement processes, including ambulance purchases. Health indicators are deteriorating; mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCD) has reached 664 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, far above the target of 575. The national plan against NCDs achieved only 30 % of its objectives. Equipment shortages persist, with only 32 neonatal ventilators acquired out of the 60 planned. The Mauritius Institute of Health operated for nearly a year without a board of directors, severely limiting its training capacity: only 124 doctors were trained out of approximately 1,700.
🟨 Education
Rs 17.4 billion invested, systemic underperformance
Over the past five years, the government has invested around Rs 17.4 billion in pre-primary, primary and secondary education. Yet performance indicators show a worrying decline. One of the most alarming findings concerns student retention. Of the 16,967 pupils who entered Grade 1 in 2012, only 5,857 - 34.5 % - completed secondary school up to Cambridge Higher School Certificate (HSC) level. This means that nearly two-thirds of students leave the system prematurely. Academic results also lag behind international standards, with gaps of up to 9.5 points at SC level and 8.6 points at HSC. The National Certificate of Education pass rate reached only 69.6 % in 2024, far below the 75 % target. The audit also uncovers management shortcomings: delayed financial statements, underused technological investments - such as the eRegister system costing Rs 238,822 - and insufficient monitoring of support programmes.
🟨 Social security
The audit reveals Rs 13.4 million in overpayments, mainly due to beneficiaries failing to update information such as employment status, marital status or departure from the country. In 2024-2025 alone, Rs 2.2 million were wrongly paid across 141 new cases. Recovery of arrears remains weak, with a rate of only 23 %, reflecting poor coordination between institutions. The Marshall Plan Against Poverty - costing Rs 3.4 billion since 2016 - is not meeting its objectives, largely due to insufficient assessment of beneficiary eligibility. Manual processing, lack of digital systems and unexplained discrepancies - including Rs 722,694 in social pension payments -- further undermine the system.
🟨 Conclusion
System at breaking point
Large investments have revealed a persistent gap between spending and performance. At the core of it lies a structural governance deficit: noncompliance with regulations, poor interinstitutional coordination, delayed financial reporting and an absence of performance culture. In a context of fiscal constraints, rising public debt and a volatile global environment, such systemic weaknesses threaten even more the sustainability of public finances. The report ultimately calls for deep reforms grounded in transparency, accountability and performancebased management.
Is it too much to ask from the civil servants of the Republic ultimately responsible for the implementation of government policies that, despite all the roadblocks, they roll up their sleeves so that the most vulnerable get a fairer share of their due in our so-called "welfare state"? It should also be noted that a parliamentary question addressed by MP Jhummun to the Prime minister (PM) next Tuesday states "whether, in regard to the Director of Audit Report for financial year 2024-2025, he will state whether an assessment of the content thereof has been carried out and, if so, indicate (a) the corrective measures being envisaged in relation thereto and (b) how the introduction of Performance-Based Budgeting is expected to help redress the situation?"
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It would be interesting to follow up the PM's answer and also investigate what the Public Accounts Committee appointed in March 2025 under the chairmanship of MP Adrien Duval has been doing so far.
On the other hand, wouldn't it be desirable that Government follows the Seychelles example where special audits of government entities after audit reports are referred to law enforcement for public accountability. Not later than 20 March 2026, "the Office of the President announced immediate action following serious findings in the Special Audit of the STCL Cold Storage Facility Project, with the matter formally referred to both the Seychelles Police Force (Financial Crime Investigation Unit) and the Anti-Corruption Commission Seychelles (ACCS) for investigation and further scrutiny. President Patrick Herminiehas emphasised that his Government will not tolerate mismanagement, abuse of public funds, or any form of misconduct. Where wrongdoing is established, those responsible will be held fully accountable under the law".
