We grabbed Former Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam during an event. We rushed to find out more about his controversial statement of the government paying for a trip to Reunion for pensioners if the Labour Party came back to power. A statement that wasn’t received well, to put it mildly….

Before we start the interview, can I ask you one question? Should I pack my bags to go to Reunion island, compliments of the Mauritian taxpayer?
No, I don’t suggest that you rush into that, unless you want to pay for yourself! You don’t qualify. If you listened to what I said, I was referring to those who have never travelled in their lives and I was thinking out loud about possibilities that the country can consider to make their lives better. There can be many formulae. One of them is offering those who have never travelled the possibility to see the inside of a plane once in their lives, even to go to Rodrigues or benefit from reduced fares ONCE – I insist – and only to those who have never travelled before. After discussion within the party and with partners, we will decide which form is better and one that the country can afford. But I was talking just about the ones who have toiled all their lives and have never travelled even to Rodrigues.

But even first time travellers are a big chunk of the population. How will you pay for it? Dig into our threadbare pockets? Who said we would dig into people’s pockets?

Where else is the money going to come from?
Do you have an idea of the billons of rupees which are being squandered by the MSM? Thrown down the drain through irresponsible management? Look at the list of scandals and assess their cost! I’d rather the money saved through good and responsible management of public finances went to the population, particularly the deserving and needy to make a difference to their lives. I have proposed six measures over and above measures that I mentioned in the past that will go towards making that difference:

First, in pharma care, I proposed a subsidy on medicines prescribed by a medical practitioner. This is common practice in countries like Canada. Secondly, we will ensure that the rupee stops its daily slide of depreciation and keeps its value so that essential goods are affordable again. And we will, as promised before, reimburse those who lost their life’s savings in Super Cash Back Gold and which the government has taken. For that, we need to see the Financial Intelligence Unit report, which we haven’t seen yet as opacity is the hallmark of this government. 

It has become fashionable for politicians to suddenly discover that they have empathy for the elderly on the eve of elections when we all know what that ‘empathy’ is motivated by…Rather dishonest, isn’t it?
It’s not true that it’s a sudden empathy for the elderly. It’s the Labour Party which introduced the universal pension. And anyone who is honest will remember that during the 1995 elections, I never once mentioned that we would increase the old-age pension! Why? Because we knew that SAJ had been practising a policy of la terre brûlée (scorched earth – Ed) and we had to first see if it could be done. It’s only after the election, on March 12th 1996, on Independence Day, that I announced not an increase of the pension but a doubling of the pension. We have a different culture. We don’t buy people’s vote. Whenever we proposed measures beneficial to the population, like building a geriatric hospital, it was never on the eve of an election but much earlier. It is my conviction that the elderly deserve to be treated better rather than be opportunistically used as the MSM is doing on the eve of every election.

There is little doubt that the large pool of pensioners will be tapped into again by the MSM and will be offered more money and other advantages. The government will also reiterate the fact that the opposition would reduce the pension if it came back to power. Will you?
No! Pravind Jugnauth is lying when he says we will reduce the pension. We were the ones who introduced the universal pension and it’s Pravind Jugnauth as minister of finance who introduced targeting. Also, it’s the Labour Party who built recreational centres for the elderly all over the island. We will build more. And we will keep our promise of immediately removing the taxes which are superfluous on petroleum products. This will relieve pressure on the daily increase in the cost of living.

«We have a different culture. We don’t buy people’s vote. Whenever we proposed measures beneficial to the population, like building a geriatric hospital,it was never on the eve of an election but much earlier.»

There are rumours that general elections will take place next year. Wishful thinking by the opposition or a crystal ball?
You don’t need a crystal ball to know the general election will be called next year. Pravind Jugnauth cannot afford the judgement of the Privy Council as there is a possibility it might go against him. If does, it will be disastrous for him and his government! Secondly, with the continuing mismanagement of the economy, an inflation rate above 10% and a looming world recession, things will get much worse. Thirdly, Pravind Jugnauth will try to cheat again with the computer room etc. and can then use the excuse that he won because the opposition was divided! Fourthly, look at the recruitments being done. The latest example was at the Bank of Mauritius with a Rs400,000 salary! There are other signs as well. All are pointing to a looming general election!