On energy transition, like last year, a number of initiatives have been announced, which is a good thing. However, there is not a comprehensive energy transition strategy to meet the ambitious plan of achieving 60% renewable energy by 2030. More needs to be done in the next seven years towards this goal.

The measures announced towards the blue economy also fall short of expectations. The Government's aim to increase the share of GDP of our blue economy to 20% in the medium term is unlikely to be met under existing policy decisions.

A strategic and integrative framework is required with a new way of thinking about new sources of development opportunities. This requires transformative policy thinking and creative and workable policy instruments.

A number of initiatives have been proposed to support the agro-industry mostly in the form of subsidies and loans. However, we do not see any initiative which will significantly change this sector including policies to increase food security, support primary production and ensure that food security programmes are adequately monitored and evaluated in a participatory manner.

The intention of transforming Mauritius into a Green-Certified Destination by 2030 is a laudable one. Yet, except for the mentioned reform of the Tourism Authority to foster sustainable tourism development, little has been shared on this. We would have liked to see more on product diversification with ecotourism attributes and on the preservation of our country’s natural attractions such as wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, highlands and islands. 

At a national level, the budget lacks a coherent strategy to infuse sustainability into every aspect of economic policy-making - a truly green and ambitious transformation of our economy that will set the tone for our country’s future in line with the UN SDGs. Mauritius needs a national-level plan, with its concomitant package of regulations and legislations that will fundamentally change the way our economy operates, something similar to the EU Green Deal or the Singapore Green Plan. 

This budget has also missed a huge opportunity to position Mauritius as a hub for sustainable finance as the achievement of the UN SDGs in Africa alone requires billions of dollars in financing. Not only could we have aimed to attract funding for our own sustainable development projects but also to become a trusted conduit for channelling investments into Africa and beyond. 

As a nation dependent on its natural resources, there is a need to start thinking beyond GDP and start measuring “fully” the true wealth of our country and society. There is a need to set forth an agenda that will see our natural resources being officially recognised as a major stakeholder in our economic decision-making process.

Number of Sustainable measures announced per sector

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