Prime Minister of Mauritius
It is an immense pleasure for me to send this message to all Mauritians in the United Kingdom as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the independence of our country. The road to independence has been a long, passionate and arduous one. Thousands of Mauritians, both at home and abroad, have striven constantly to achieve what they believe was the fundamental right to nationhood and to be masters of their own destiny. When Sir Seewoosagur came to the United Kingdom to negotiate for independence he received the support of many Mauritians who had settled in this land. The whole Mauritian nation joins me to express our profound gratitude and to pay homage to all these men and women.
Thirty years have elapsed since the historic date of 12th March 1968. All of us can be gratified that we have, throughout these three decades lived up to the expectations of the stalwarts of independence. Indeed, we have gathered around our country as one people, as one nation, in peace, justice and liberty. We have worked diligently, and overcome adversity together. Today, Mauritius is a model of social cohesion, peace and harmony. Its achievements on the economic front are a source of inspiration for many developing nations.
Mauritians have a culture of success and achievements. We do not yield to adversity. This is our strength as a people and we must never lose it, especially now that a new world order is testing our ability to be globally competitive. The dismantling of safety nets with the pursuit of free trade by the WTO, the new regionalism, the digital revolution, the network society and cyberspace, are but some of the challenges ahead.
It is my profound conviction that Mauritius can be competitive in such a world. We are forging ahead with vigilant optimism.
Some two years ago, when I took office as Prime Minister, it was clear to me that to face the new challenges we needed a New Mauritius. A Mauritius which can harness the full potential of its human resources, and where all sectors of the economy and society are modern and at par with the more sophisticated exigencies of its people. We are building this New Mauritius.
My Government has already initiated a process of reforms in major sectors, including health, education, law and order and justice. Another feature of the Mauritius is the maintaining of international standards in the provision of services, utilities, transport and communication. All r physical infrastructure are being upgraded.
this New Mauritius, our ecology will be fully protected and we 1 ensure that the development process does not cause irreversible damage to our environment. As a compassionate Government we shall also make sure that the less fortunate of our brothers and sisters can also live a life of dignity.
Together, all Mauritians, as one people, with a shared vision, and a commonality of purpose, we can build this New Mauritius. Like our parents and grand-parents we shall then bequeath to future generations of Mauritians, whether they are in Mauritius or abroad they can be proud of. I wish you all a happy celebration the 30″ anniversary of the independence of Mauritius.
God bless you all.
The Honourable Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam
Prime Minister