The leaders of Rezistans ek Alternativ were before the press this afternoon. Economist Kugan Parapen gave a presentation on the phenomenon of gentrification. Gentrification is the transformation of a region, a district or a country by the replacement of part of its population, generally the poorest, by more affluent newcomers.
According to Kugan Parapen, this phenomenon is accelerating at breakneck speed in Mauritius. According to him, this is due to the Smart Cities that are springing up like mushrooms, but also to the liberalisation of the property market.
Gentrification means that Mauritians will find themselves competing with foreigners in many ways, whether it’s to buy a house or to get a job. All this means that even if the international situation improves, it does not mean that things will get better for Mauritius…
For Kugan Parapen, on the eve of the next legislative elections and in a context where reforms are part of the discussions, we must also look at what needs to be changed in the way the economy works. He is asking Mauritians not to think only of the few thousand rupees that will go into their left pocket. Because they also need to realise that other thousands of rupees will be coming out on the right.
