Youth debate: Good governance in practice: Myth or reality

The concept of good governance has been a recurrent theme for most political leaders around the world. In Mauritius, for the first time, a Ministry of Good Governance has been created following the Alliance Lepep victory at the last general elections in December 2014. 

Good governance has eight major aspects: participatory, consensus-oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law. Normally, abiding to good governance principles ensures that corruption is minimised; the views of minorities are taken into consideration and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in the decision-making process. It is also responsive to the present and future needs of society. In Mauritius, many people complain that good governance does not prevail.

Avinash Dhondoo: “We are lacking in terms of transparency”

Good governance is about the decision making and implementing processes, explains Avinash Dhondoo. “It’s not about making ‘correct’ decisions, but about the best possible process for making those decisions. Good governance is accountability. Accountability is a fundamental requirement of good governance. Local government has an obligation to report, explain and be answerable for the consequences of decisions it has made on behalf of the community it represents. Local government should implement decisions and follow processes that make the best use of the available people, resources and time to ensure the best possible results for their community.”

However, does it prevail in Mauritius? “I think we have to ponder more about it. We may have a specific ministry for this but for me, it’s an eyewash. If you consider the type of people filling vacant positions in important offices, you can clearly see that the word Good Governance remains a myth. In Mauritius, we are lacking in terms of transparency, too many things tend to happen inside government organisations which are kept hidden and that is why corruption is perceived as being rampant and good governance can barely be achieved. For me, the main route for taking information to the public is an independent and absolute free media such as giving our national TV its full freedom. Governments should have restraints, they should not possess absolute powers and there should be legal controls over government activities.”

Abdel Ruhomutally: “Many listed companies do not fully comply”

Abdel Ruhomutally states that Mauritius has a code of good corporate governance which has been in place for a few years. “It has been recently revised by the National Corporate Governance Committee with a new team and by Mr Pierce. It has moved from the concept of “comply or explain” to the concept of “comply and explain”. My understanding of Corporate Governance is primarily based on what is in the code and what was in the previous code and based on international standards. Many listed companies do not fully comply with good governance principles. By the way Air Mauritius is a listed company! Let’s not talk about other parastatal bodies. There is a total lack of transparency and accountability. That lack of transparency and lack of accountability is deep rooted in the system of municipal councils, district councils, ministries, etc.”

Aadil Ally Jhumka: “Even the government is not as accountable”

Good governance is decision-making and implementing decisions, according to Aadil Ally Jhumka. “It is not always about making the best or correct decisions but it is about finding the best possible process to make decisions. Good decision-making processes, and therefore good governance, share several characteristics. All have a positive effects on various aspects of local government including consultation processes and practices, meeting procedures, service quality protocols, role clarification and good working relationships.”

According to him, Mauritius does not value good governance and there has been lack of transparency. “A lot of times an organisation is not answerable for the consequences of decisions made. There is no respect for transparency as such. Even the government is not as accountable as it should have been. It is not serving the needs of the entire community in a timely, appropriate and responsive manner. The public is craving for a system that is based on good governance, end of the culture of favouritism, corruption, nepotism, poverty, crimes, theft, murder, rape, etc. The basics of good governance is not being respected,” he claims. 

Nicolas Frichot: “We need more than an electoral slogan”

Nicolas Frichot argues that good governance is not just a concept, a slogan or a bill. “In 2016 there has been no good governance. We have not seen good governance prevailing. I sincerely believe in the values of effort and advocate that any person should have the opportunities in society. In order to achieve this ideal, we need more than an electoral slogan. We need values, persistence but most of all, an unwavering commitment to make this ideal a reality. Good governance is a commitment of highest importance towards the country: that of being accountable, transparent, and morally correct towards the people. Good governance will only exist if it is applied at all levels of the government, starting by the highest office itself: that of the Prime Minister. This will only be possible with a strong leadership at the head of the country, with the power to inspire and the heart to unite Mauritius.”

Ainesh Rai Jang: “Good governance exists in Mauritius”

The main objective of good governance is to ensure transparency. Favouritism, discrimination, fraud, corruption, and money laundering are being phased out from society, says Ainesh Rai Jang. According to him, good governance exists in Mauritius. “Since the last general elections in 2014, the new government along with the Minister of Good Governance and Financial Services, Roshi Bhadain, introduced several new policies and legislations to strengthen and consolidate good governance in practice. Minister Bhadain presented the Unexplained Wealth legislation in Parliament, which was unanimously adopted by both members of the opposition and the majority. This legislation has not only helped the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) to better collect money, but has also helped the police to enquire about any suspicious accumulation of wealth by people,” he says.                             

He further adds that the Minister of Good Governance is coming forward with a legislation to enable whistle-blowing. “The force of this Bill is to have a ‘birds-eye view’ of illegal activities as Minister Bhadain said in an interview. The existence of good governance inspires youngsters to not venture in illegal activities. However, the unexplained wealth legislation might also be a curse in the sense that it might discourage the private sector and foreign investors from making big investments in our country. For example, the BAI Group was accused of carrying out a Ponzy scheme and was subsequently dismantled. Since then, the economic situation across the country has been uncomfortable with ensuing job losses. This decision sent ripples across the economic landscape and as a result, the confidence of foreign investors dropped.”