Africa-Press – Mauritius. Rodrigues Minority Leader Franchette Gaspard Pierre-Louis expressed strong doubts about the revised Rodrigues budget, suggesting a high probability that the central government will revert to the original, significantly reduced proposal. The initial budget, presented on March 28th, featured a 43% decrease in capital spending, a reduction attributed by Pierre-Louis to the governing alliance’s inability to deliver on promises.
Pierre-Louis highlighted the initial budget’s unpopularity within the Regional Assembly of Rodrigues, prompting the Chief Commissioner, Franceau Grandcourt, to seek opposition support to pressure the central government for increased funding. The opposition refused this request, citing the governing alliance’s poor performance as the root cause of the budgetary shortfall. Subsequently, the budget was revised upwards, increasing capital spending from Rs 785 million to Rs 990 million and the current budget from Rs 4.8 billion to over Rs 5 billion, a total increase of Rs 481 million.
Despite the revisions, Pierre-Louis believes the central government is likely to reject the revised budget and reinstate the original, significantly lower figures. She questions the legitimacy of Grandcourt’s position should this occur, highlighting the uncertainty and disappointment the situation creates for the people of Rodrigues, calling the revised budget “false hope”.
OPR member Nicolson Lisette echoed these concerns, questioning Grandcourt’s leadership and the lack of public consultation prior to the initial budget presentation. Lisette highlighted the unilateral nature of the Rs 481 million budget increase and questioned whether it fosters trust between the central and regional governments. He further questioned whether Grandcourt would apologize to the population if the central government rejects the revised budget and reinstates the original proposal.
In conclusion, the Rodrigues opposition strongly criticizes the handling of the budget process, expressing deep skepticism about the revised budget’s chances of approval and raising serious concerns about the Chief Commissioner’s ability to secure adequate funding from the central government. The situation remains uncertain, leaving the future of Rodrigues’s budget and the regional government’s stability in question.
For More News And Analysis About Mauritius Follow Africa-Press
