- Leaving ‘enn lake ferblan’ for those possibly to take over soon…
ENDY JAY
I have allowed the main agitation and din surrounding the last Budget of the present Legislature to somewhat subside in the public, but with the cross-fires in the NA still ongoing along with, inevitably, Zorro’s antics, to offer my humble comments and make some observations on the broader aspects of the exercise coming just ahead of the great day of reckoning, free from all partisan considerations. But not shy to call a spade a spade, even stun by the title of this note.
‘Fann lamone’’
As expected, the Chancellor in his final Budget has come up with a series of appealing electoral measures, somewhat congested, ‘fann lamone’’, as it were, presented in often rumbling language to confuse and mesmerizing figures, and incapable to succumb to the temptation of ‘outbidding’ on the heels of the flurry of unprecedented social measures promised by the Opposition forces, possibly with more to come, awaiting for the Chancellor to empty his barrel, when the electoral fever picks up momentum as that small army of Opposition formations attempt to mutually outwit others by what may possibly be other outlandish promises, an electoral campaign likely to be characterized by an unprecedented level of demagogy, or to put it more mildly promises beyond our means to sustain over the years, while we head for the final straight. Understandably so on the part of politicians whose main concern is to get elected or re-elected. The rest is subordinate.
And the Chancellor and some henchmen were quick lately to jump on some good notes of the IMF, but totally mealy-mouthed on the oft-repeated warnings relating to the sustainability of Basic Retirement Pension (BRP) over the years in ‘its present form’, suddenly overburdened to become a hell of an issue soon, staggering on the part of a qualified economist who must have read the observations and guidelines of the IMF, past and recent, but unsurprisingly so on the part of a member of ‘lakwizinn’ with their knack to ‘pi.. on everyone and everything’ that stand in the way of their thinly-veiled dubious agenda I have often stressed in previous notes. Après moi le déluge, what! A time-bomb of an issue the present ruling team has never dared to address frontally, yet accelerating its ‘implosion/collapse’ by an astonishing degree of munificence for electoral purposes. Extravagances and economic mismanagement which to the older generations must be reminiscent of those of the 1970s, and with what results at the end of that decade! Here it makes sense to remind that during the 2000-2005 mandate, when SAJ was at the helm and Bérenger Finance Minister, BRP was subjected to ‘means test’. Unfortunately reversed to universality by a successor.
Sap lor kouto’
Nevertheless, numerous must be those who had been expecting the Chancellor, on the heels of Opposition promises of the like of free Internet for all, free transport to be universal or no tax on BRP among the boldest, to come up with still bolder ones, short of only ‘tir rasyon tou dimounn’, a host of measures of ‘labous dou’ to counter their opponents. But some may have forgotten the Chancellor, for electoral purposes, has already played some of his trump cards earlier this year with an ‘all-time high salary compensation’, that could not wait for Budget time, albeit paid in a constantly devalued rupee and when he beefed-up BRP by instalments – why ahead of the Budget in this case is a strategy, if it is one, we cannot easily understand.
His government had promised to raise BRP to Rs 13,500/-, while as at now hundreds, if not thousands, of our elders are in the Rs 16,000/- monthly bracket with more to come, measures considered too early by some to have the desired impact on the great bout ahead. But nevertheless well-timed were general elections to come earlier than what is generally thought, and possibly a manner to forestall further outbidding on the issue. Above Rs 16,000/-, who could dare to bid, barring ‘Parti Malin’? Yet the Chancellor did with other increases, in deferred mode, in the present Budget.
The measures announced earlier this year and those of the present Budget do add up, while ‘lakwizinn’ possibly also having other trump cards up their sleeves to table for what they expect to be the kill! (The older generations surely remember ‘when’ SSR announced free education end 1976, a measure that certainly helped the rulers of the day to ‘sap lor kouto’.
Other tactics like the recent declaration of the Chancellor raising the prospect of a trillion-rupee economy by 2029, as if it were to be of his own making, a manner of enticing ‘lepep’ to suggest he should still be holding the strings of the purse for another mandate to see it through successfully. But careful not to mention what could be the percentage of devaluation of the rupee then were we to follow the same trend of late – an area where all were expecting corrective measures, ‘mais on est resté sur notre faim’ -, or the level of the trade deficit by 2029, the measures to increase exports to a targeted level most likely wishful thinking or merely only scratching the surface of the issue. Trillion-rupee economy, my foot! But ‘this time’ to what extent electoral promises and other dream-selling will impact the coming elections remain to be seen. There is a democracy-murder drama, indeed a quasi-dictatorship along with cases of gross mismanagement for everybody to see for some time, a ‘dégringolade’ of our rupee, ‘sans oublier Zorro’, that all now demand to be arrested, and ‘urgently at that’! And there are not multiple ways to do it.
New lambs destined for ‘labatwar’
This said, there is not much more to add after the flood of comments by qualified observers, comments that speak volumes, some really damning, and others, the protracted debates in the National Assembly, the same scenarios, albeit, admittedly, with some valuable interventions though regretfully vitiated at times by a high dose of bias. Only marvel from the Majority ranks attempting to lure us to look forward to see hope, while they can’t look around to see reality. And after the thunder of ‘tap latab’ June 7 last, it is to be wondered whether they are ‘fully aware’ for what they have so noisily applauded, nothing else than a yearly exercise the supposed merits of which readily confuted by the parliamentary Opposition and demolished by qualified commentators, and according to one ‘blatantly flouting standards of fiscal prudence’ (italics mine).
While for the Opposition it was only doom and gloom ahead, justifiably so this time. As expected there was also that fair amount of playing to the gallery, some neophytes eager to be part of that yearly carnival to show off, and for some to sing the praises of the Boss who will soon make crucial decisions, so as not to be victims when the Tsar chooses his reported ‘nouvelle vitrine’, more likely new lambs destined for ‘labatwar’.
The document itself contained some valuable measures we hope not to remain merely declarations of intent, as has often been the case. And certainly a large chunk in favour of the less fortunate. This we applaud! And expectedly a host of measures pertaining to address climate change, ‘pour faire comme les autres’ and conniving in the worldwide hypocrisy and bluff – mere balderdash inasmuch as we are already at COP… what is it by the way, COP 30?, or something like that … while climate change is still wreaking havoc worldwide, tearing the planet into pieces, as it were, with ever-increasing intensity and frequency. If humans really had the guts, indeed the capacity and will to undertake what it takes to really address successfully the causes that have triggered climate change, the Holy Bible would not have prophesied for our times ‘God will bring to ruin those ruining the Earth’. (Bible book of Revelation chapter 11, verse 18).
But whatever it be, quickly the interest in this last Budget among the general public will fade, totally eclipsed and overshadowed by the General Elections, likely nearer than most tend to believe, albeit its measures, even absence of measures, to provide lethal ammunition to Opposition forces to fire broadsides at the ruling incumbents, and without doubt the most tumultuous and scrappy electoral campaign of recent years given the little brigade to contest, among it proponents of the ‘ni Navin, ni Pravind’, with nothing more than nuisance value electionwise given what has always been the voting pattern, yet in their ranks some bright and determined guys, a class above many who stand better chances to be elected. And that is the sad reality. Between now and the General Elections we may hardly guess, on the part of a ruling team ‘qui nous a fait voir de toutes les couleurs durant leur règne’, what surprise, or ‘coup de Jarnac’, the Tsar may likely have in store for us. For him losing the coming elections cannot be an option, for obvious reasons hardly any need to specify. And already there are forerunner signs of panic in the ruling camp, tell-tale moves and decisions. And some measures with deferred implementation along with the string of popular costly measures to be effective at the beginning of the next financial year smack of ‘scorched earth policy’ – not that far-fetched as some may believe -, foreseeing a change of regime. Leaving ‘enn lake ferblan’ for those possibly to take over soon! The confirmation of that to be if they really go ahead with rumours of a ‘14th month’, or some other extravagances, while some new measures rightly expected, e.g. petroleum prices, salary adjustments. That ‘lake ferblan’ the price to pay by any possible new incumbents for having themselves started the stupid game of irrational promises and dream-selling. And the more bravados of the like of ‘nou ki pou la’, the more ‘lakwizinn’ can make the legacy more bitter, having so often demonstrated their knack and propensity for harmful ‘mesquineries’!!!
‘Les zot asiz lor zot ka…’
To come back to the Budget proper, it had the characteristics of a pre-elections one, yet nothing to really give us ‘ants in the pants’ many had expected, rather serious apprehensions even for the near future, indeed shivers down the spine for those who have ‘really’ understood what the Chancellor has just triggered with, reportedly, more extravagances to come! Had it not been for their egregious reign, it would have made sense to ‘les zot asiz lor zot ka.., les lakwizinn pran dife’ . While we may wonder: has the Chancellor presented his last Budget of the present Legislature, or his last-ever? The standing ovation, unprecedented if I mistake not, he got after his ceremonial oration, himself joining in the show, the harbinger of a grand departure? The answer soon!
‘Le mot de la fin’, that should not be considered a digression, albeit a repetition of something I mentioned in these columns not so long ago, ‘all these agitations only to serve as distractions to switch the spotlight away from what lies ahead, eminently more crucial than any yearly budget, however much a catastrophe, or general elections, something unprecedented to be a major watershed in the history of humanity, indeed nearer than the horizon’. Those world-wide forerunner signs, constantly building up, cannot lie! The scene of this world is changing for everyone to see. It is advisable we keep our fingers crossed. Even Jesus Christ, speaking prophetically for our times, advised: “Keep awake, then, all the time making supplications that you may succeed in escaping all these things that are destined to occur and standing before the Son of man.’ (Gospel of Luke chapter 21, verse 36).
June 18, 2024