'Africa is an important market for us' - Says Mauritian president

26 Décembre 2017

Port-Louis, Mauritius, December 26 (Infosplusgabon)  -  The President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mrs. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, said on Monday evening, in her traditional Christmas message, that Africa is an important market for Mauritians and that the country should act as an interface between the continent and Asia.

Gurib-Fakim said Africa is an important market with almost 1.2 billion inhabitants. "Africa will need, in the coming years, skills as engineers, researchers, computer scientists and that is why we must prepare our young talents to allow Mauritius to be an interface between the African continent and Asia, "she said.

The president said she is confident in the Mauritian youth and in its ability to help transform Mauritius, "but for that, we must work, continue to make efforts and be disciplined in order to develop a culture of merit, productivity, quality and excellence".

She said she is convinced that Mauritians have the capacity and resources to take up this new challenge together.

"We need to continue to consolidate our traditional economic sectors and accelerate economic diversification in new sectors, including the government's knowledge-based economy, green energy, ocean economy, science and so many others," said President Gurib-Fakim.

She emphasised that while the economy remains the key to a country's development, one cannot neglect the other aspects that are the values that are very important in a society.

"Here I think of solidarity, discipline, the value of work and sharing."

According to her, the world of work is experiencing a great upheaval that has never been known in the history of humanity.

"Experts call it a revolution, there are several factors contributing to this revolution: there is an increase in population, the impact of climate change, migration, the arrival of new technologies and also the phenomenon of globalization. We also note that job creation is increasing but not fast enough to absorb the new unemployed," she said.

The president said this is a move that will also affect Mauritius. This is why, she added, "we must not only create jobs but we must also ensure that there is health and safety at work and also verify that wages are reasonable and between men and women".

In terms of the environment, Gurib-Fakim said that it is the "sometimes abusive" exploitation of natural resources that has contributed, to a large extent, to climate change with damages such as floods, drought and an increase sea level.

"This is creating turmoil in agriculture that may be a threat to our food security and access to safe drinking water. So, it is important to ensure that our economic activities do not further degrade our environment. For example, we need to encourage clean energy and recycle our waste," the president said.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/AUP/GABON 2017

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