The Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Dr Renganaden Padayachy, had a pre-budget consultative meeting, this afternoon in Port Louis, with representatives of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) as well as Environmental Associations.
-NGOs present today include: Mauritius Council of Social Service (MACOSS); National Social Inclusion Foundation (NSIF); CARITAS; Educational Development Youth Consultancy Services (EDYCS); Autism Mauritius; and Association de Parents d’enfants Inadaptée de Maurice (APEIM).
-During the meeting, NGOs’ representatives pressed for the setting up of a strategic plan so as to professionalise the sector.
-Issues discussed include: establishing policies for better supervision of the sector; creating more jobs through the Youth Employment Programme and allowing NGOs to benefit from the Wage Assistance Scheme; investing in additional resources so that the Central Water Authority becomes more efficient thus enabling each citizen to have access to drinking water on a 24/7 basis; encouraging rain water harvesting; and allowing each NGO to benefit from a solar panel so as to produce its own electricity.
-In a statement after the meeting, the representative of EDYCS, Mr Paramasiva Chengan, highlighted that the Finance Minister was receptive to all the representations made by NGOs, despite the difficult context of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, measures and schemes must be devised so as to enable the country to flourish with the contribution of each and every one.
-For his part, the MACOSS representative, Mr Suraj Ray, commended Minister Padayachy for having held a consultative meeting with NGOs’ representatives so as to take up their propositions for the next budget. He pointed out that Government should come up with assistance schemes so as to encourage organisations who have the means to produce vegetables in their backyard. This, he said, will help them generate revenue and they will therefore stop facing problems when applying for loans.
