The curtain has come down on the last shred of independence and impartiality that Statistics Mauritius (SM) managed to keep up until now.

By toeing the line of the ministry, SM thus joins the rest of the institutions that have been shamelessly displaying their allegiance to Government rather than protecting the interests of the citizens who are paying their salaries. The resignation of its former chairman, Gilbert Gnany, probably as a result of the latest massaging of figures to prove the minister of finance right, drove the last nail into its coffin. Yet, until recently, SM has been a credible institution playing a major role in boosting investor confidence and giving reliable figures that have been feeding research throughout the country and beyond, often going against the government’s spiel.

All that is gone and our once-respected institution will now be put in the same basket as institutions that have sadly lost not only their independence and credibility but also their dignity and legitimacy. The Bank of Mauritius, a once glorious and fiercely independent institution is a case in point. We all recall the heated arguments between a former minister of finance and a former central bank governor and the policies enacted by the Bank in spite of the opposition of the minister of finance. We then understood that the Bank had to do what is right for monetary policy while the ministry worried about politics and popularity.

With a single stroke of a pen, the new management of the Bank has thrown all that out of the window. Today, the Bank has noticeably moved towards becoming a subsidiary of the Ministry of Finance, being at the service of the minister, himself a former deputy governor. The Bank vaults have been put to use against the better, authorised advice of the IMF and the rupee is devalued to serve the narrow political interests of those in power, with a total disregard for the needs of the country.

This disease of subservience has gangrened almost every institution in this country. Not only have institutions become so openly partisan and eager to please those in power, but a new culture has also developed and become rampant: many heads of institutions are now proud to relinquish their independence and feel no shame in even publicly stating or showing that they are supporters of the MSM! Think of the MBC’s director general who proudly announced that he is “Pravind”. Think of the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s stand at the Privy Council. Think of our Police Force that was openly reprimanded by the magistrate in the Kistnen case for doing “an appalling job”…

How does a country get to this stage? In some cases, through targeted nominations, stupid! If you choose barely qualified people, they cannot believe their luck so their allegiance is guaranteed for life! As one minister once said, “You can beat me, ill-treat me or do whatever you like to me, I will remain your slave forever.” Equally, if you choose people who have a shady past, you improve the chances that they will be amenable to bending the rules without any compunction. Think of those who have already had brushes with the law, those who have sold their companies to notorious businessmen like Alvaro Sobrinho, those who have not been clear about the university they have been to…If your nominees fulfil both criteria, even better! In many cases, they do so there is no level to which they would not stoop to keep the privileges they have!

We are left with some parts of the press, the DPP and the Judiciary as some of the last bastions against injustice and arbitrariness – institutions strained and struggling against odds. The electoral petitions being heard as we speak and the Kistnen case might be the acid test. Keep your fingers crossed and keep praying! This is the beginning of the end. Let’s hope it’s not yet the end.