The MMM held a solo press conference on Saturday. One of the topics commented by its leader was the increase in fuel prices. For Paul Bérenger, if the population is suffering, it is first because of the depreciation of the rupee and because of the lack of vision of the government. The latter, according to Paul Bérenger, has bungled the reserves of the State Trading Corporation (STC) and the Central Electricity Board (CEB). He denounced the fact that fuel prices have increased in Mauritius while the price of oil on the world market has fallen by 15%. “You have to plan when you are in business. But this government, instead of anticipating difficult times, has depleted the reserves of the State Trading Corporation and the Central Electricity Board,” said Paul Bérenger. He also argued that the government is preparing the ground for an increase in electricity rates.
Paul Bérenger commented at length on the economic situation in a press conference on Saturday. For him, Mauritius “will end up like Sri Lanka”. He first made a parallel between the Seychelles and Mauritius. He said that Mauritius is facing a threat of downgrade from Moody’s while the rating of Seychelles has been upgraded. In contrast, Paul Bérenger argued that Mauritius has had to face criticism from the International Monetary Fund, particularly regarding the Bank of Mauritius. This was the subject of a virulent outing by the MMM leader. “Frankly, the Bank of Mauritius no longer exists … It has become an ATM for the government and the Ministry of Finance,” he said. For him, Mauritius is heading for disaster. “We are going straight into the Sri Lankan wall,” he said, indicating that the debt is mortgaging the future of the country.”