https://twitter.com/home https://www.facebook.com/Shabbir.Hussain191By Shabbir Hussain
ISLAMABAD, Apr 23 (Alliance News): High Commissioner of Mauritius in Pakistan Rashidally Soobadar on Tuesday said based on knowledge economy, his country had good economic development indicators.
Mauritius was basically a welfare state, with public education, health and housing among its priorities, he said while addressing a function marking his country’s independence day.
The envoy said the country focused on education. “We improved the economy by focusing on human resources capital” and today Mauritius had a stable position in international economic rankings.
He said Mauritius spent some 6% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on education. It was ranked 23rd among 190 countries in terms of ‘ease of doing business’ and 56th for peace and security.
High Commissioner Soobadar said that with becoming independent in 1968, Mauritius had a history of 56 years of human freedom and peace.
He said that 95 percent of the Mauritius population lived in their own houses as the government fully supported them for the purpose.
Rashidally Soobadar said that diplomatic and economic relations between Mauritius and Pakistan were growing with each passing day.
He said that Pakistan was providing educational facilities, including scholarships to the students of Mauritius.
Speaking on the occasion, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed said that Mauritius was an important country in the African region which had a journey of development.
He said that Africa had an important role in global politics and economy.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s MNA Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that the 56-year journey of Mauritius after independence was a journey of development, surpassing many challenges.
He said that economic and trade relations between Mauritius and Pakistan were increasing day by day.
High Commissioner Soobadar Explained the 56 years of Freedom:
More than half century by now Mauritius is a matured nation and as such no blunders will be accepted and tolerated.
Have we run our country properly? Has independence is a boon and bane? 3 In order to understand our parcours (journey) let us turn some pages of history in order to have a clear picture of our island transformation.
History: Mauritius located in South East coast of Madagascar and in a full fledge member of AU.
The island was un inhabited no soul was living on it. 6 and 10 centauries the Island was visited by Arabs and Malays.
First European power to come on the Island was a Portuguese Sailors they did not colonies it they call it Island of Swan and they left.
The first European power to colonies the Island was the Dutch ( Lahollande) in 1595 they brought slaves and cultivated sugarcane and they named the island Mauritius in honour of their
Prince Maurice Vanddenassau. The Dutch too fail to colonies it properly and they left the Island. In 1710 came the French they state up to 1810. Britain took over in 1810 after defeated the French in a naval battle. The British state up to 1968. Mauritius took over in 1968 and we retain the name Mauritius.
High Commissioner Soobadar informed about the Post Independence Era
The country was in a very bad shape high unemployment and the prevalence of poverty there was only one economic activity on the Island sugarcane cultivation. Two British economists condemn the Island at the time they were right. There was no hope, no future it was indeed a period of gloom and doom.
The early measures taken by then Mauritius government in 1968 they wanted to raise the daunting challenges of that period. It was a struggle against odds.
The early measures taken first to build a welfare state the welfare of the State of Mauritius rest on five pillars
(i) Free education from preprimary to university, free transport for students, free text books, examination fees paid by government. Our whole education system is linked with Cambridge UK it is very costly. We spend 4 to 5 % of our GDP on education.
(ii) The second pillar health service is free for all Mauritians
(iii) Third pillar is construction of low income houses. 95% of Mauritians are house owner
(iv) Fourth pillar is basic retirement allowances for Mauritians age 60 –
Universal basic retirement Pension at age 60 (v) Fifth pillar is transport free for all Mauritians 60 and above.
The largest can be done in Mauritius for instead of spending elsewhere we invest on the welfare of the people. We have no army we have no air force and we have no military.
56 years of Freedom what has we done,Commissioner Soobadar said:
When the world is moving towards neo liberalism and free market. We in Mauritius we have been investing on the welfare state for the last 56 years. We diversified the economy from one cropped economy to seven or eight economic pillars. Our economic diversification is being used by World Bank as a model in Sub Sahara Africa.
We build a very modern and very sophisticated hospitality sector and we open recently the cruise terminal for cruise ship. We build a very strong and solid financial sectors based on global business. We are exploring a blue economy we have also developed a very strong ICT Sector.
We build a strong secular state. We build a Mauritian identity and character although we have people coming from different continents. It is to be noted that people of various faith are living together in perfect harmony and they are growing together, working together, building together and sharing together. This is the beauty of the Island. We have learned to build bridges only and not walls.
We raised our income per capita of 160 USD to 13,500 USD pre covid figure
