For the artists’ community, the 2022-2023 budget does not once again meet their needs. They are calling for a meeting with the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister.
“Vague”. “Announcement effect”. “Inappropriate”. This is how a collective of artists described the latest budget of the big money. During the press conference that brought together members of the Union of Artists and the Mauritian Association of Authors and Composers on June 14, the artists did not mince their words.
For Bruno Raya, the budget does not correspond to the aspirations of artists: “This budget does not bring anything concrete to artists. And yet it is not the first time that we draw attention to our working conditions. This was another missed opportunity to listen to us.”
Joëlle Coret the president of L’union des artistes was not soft either: “Renganaden Padayachy announced the introduction of several schemes for artists while those already existing are not offered in transparency.”
Jasmine Toulouse lamented that the budget put too much emphasis on the structures than on the artists themselves: “Instead of investing millions left and right it would have been much better to support us other artists who have not been able to work due to the current restrictions imposed.”
Musician and arranger Elvis Heroseau, meanwhile, called on the authorities to help local artists get their feet wet in the digital age.
