Social Policy

The above assertion comes from Aneurin Bevan1 (15 November 1897 ' 6 July 1960), a
British Labour Party politician who was the Minister for Health in the post-war Attlee
government from 1945 to 1951. The son of a coal miner, Bevan was a lifelong
champion of social justice and the rights of working people. He was a long-time
Member of Parliament (MP), representing Ebbw Vale in southern Wales for 31 years.
He was one of the chief spokesmen for the Labour party's left wing, and of left-wing
British thought generally. His most famous accomplishment came when, as Minister
of Health, he spearheaded the establishment of the National Health Service, which
was to provide medical care free at point-of-need to all Britons.
In this 21st century that we are living, it is fair to say that Mauritius can now be
tagged as a developing country. More so, the island is often seen as a point of
reference in terms of quality of life, development, sustainability as well as the good
implementation of social policy and planning amongst its African counterparts.
Nevertheless, the exact opposite that is social problems are also present throughout
the island. Despite the big leap from the 80s to the new millennium in terms of
development, the government of Mauritius is still in need of new social policies to
care for the welfare of its citizens and at the same time tackle the problems that
exists effectively. But before going in depth about the above assertion and its
relevance and application in the context of Mauritius, let us have a look at the
definition of social policy first.

What is Social Policy?

"Social policy is an instrument applied by governments to regulate and supplement

market institutions and social structures. Social policy is often defined as social
services such as education, health, employment, and social security. However,
social policy is also about redistribution, protection and social justice. Social policy
is about bringing people into the centre of policy-making, not by providing residual
welfare, but by mainstreaming their needs and voice across sectors, generating
stability and social cohesion.

Social policy is also instrumental in that governments use it pragmatically to secure

the political
support of citizens, and to promote positive economic outcomes by enhancing
human capital and
productive employment. Social policies can also create a virtuous circle linking
human and economic development that, in the long run, will benefit everybody by
boosting domestic demand and creating stable cohesive societies2."

From the above definition, we have learnt that social policy is used mostly by a
particular government to enhance social services such as education, employment,
and social security. In addition to that, social policy also deals with redistribution,
protection and social justice. What is meant by this? According to us, redistribution
is the tax money of those who have contributed to it and the government using it in
order to enhance the social services for the benefit of the population. Protection is
having law and order in the country to keep things in balance and Mauritius being
one of the country around the world not using military services, it is the police force
who ensure that law and order is being respected. Social policy is also important
because governments makes use of it in different ways to secure the political
support of citizens in order to win an election. In order to win one, a particular
government has to make sure that it is fighting for the interests of the country and
its citizens by enhancing social welfare in the process as well as providing numerous
facilities for everyone to benefit from.

What are the different views on Social Policy?

Marxist views on social policy3:

"Karl Marx suggested that there is an inequality between capitalists and the working
class."
Marxists focus on the inequalities that exist in society between the bourgeoisie or
capitalists (owners of factories and businesses) and the proletariat or working class
(everyone else).
The relationship between these two groups is not equal as the working class are
forced to sell their labour to the capitalists in return for money. The capitalists make
a profit as they pay the workers less than the value of what they produce. For some
Marxists social policies such as free education, health care, and welfare state are
the result of class struggle. For other Marxists social policies are just
'smokescreens' to make life appear better.

Feminist views on social policy4:

Feminists support benefits for single parents because most single parents are
women. They argue that most women do not want to be single parents but may have
been left abusive or empty shell marriages and should be supported by the state. The
feminists argue that if benefits for single parents are reduced then the children will
suffer. Feminists are also in favor of divorce laws because they enable women to
free themselves from patriarchal control, and would welcome the recent civil
partnership law which enables gay couples to gain similar legal rights to
heterosexuals.
Feminists also argue that many social policies are sexist and stereotypical. One
example is maternity leave which although on one level is far more generous for
women than paternity leave is for men. This includes the assumption that women
will want to stay at home and look after their child whilst men will want to go back
to work. Child benefit is also normally paid to the women, which assumes they are
the primary one looking after he/she.

What are Social Problems?

"The concept of "social problem5" is a claim that some condition, set of events, or
group of persons constitutes a troublesome situation that needs to be changed or
ameliorated."

Having defined a condition as a social problem there then is a legitimate basis for
bringing public resources to bear upon it. Defining a condition as a social problem,
gaining acceptance of that definition among a significant proportion of the
population, and garnering public resources to address the problem in a certain
manner usually are not easy tasks to accomplish. A condition is not a social problem
unless it is seen as violating certain fundamental values and beliefs about how
society should operate. Achieving widespread consensus about whether a condition
contradicts these values and beliefs can be difficult to obtain.

All human problems do not become public ones. A social problem is a socially
constructed way of seeing certain conditions that provides a claim to change
through public actions. Thus, a social problem is not separate from everyday
interactions of citizens in a society. Nor is it separate from the operations, goals,
and objectives of social institutions. The process of constructing the idea of a
"social problem" also defines and reinforces what is considered to be a standard for
behavior or social conditions. That is, defining a condition as a social problem also
defines what society considers to be the "right" way to do things.

Mauritius: fact file6

Population: 1.3 million (according to UN figures for 2010)

Area: 2,040 sq km (788 sq miles)
Capital city: Port Louis
GNI per capita: US$7,240 (??4,560)
Life expectancy: 76 years for women, 68 years for men
Languages: English (official), Creole, French, Indian languages
Religions: Hinduism (52 per cent), Christianity (28 per cent), Islam (17 per cent)
Main industries: Tourism, Tea, Textiles, Banking and Business outsourcing, Sugar

Social Problems in Mauritius

For many, Mauritius is a paradise island and to protect their belief, they will usually
overlook the inherent problems in the country to avoid the challenges of the truth. To
be patriotic is a good thing but to be ignorant is undoubtedly foolish. When you're
released from the mesmerizing beautiful beaches and comforting weather, you find
yourself in a society full of knaves. As many other countries around the world,
Mauritius too have many social problems arising. Though the government has strived
very hard in implementing new social policies to counteract those problems, the
solutions seemed to make very little effect in enhancing the welfare of its citizens.
Below we will have a look at the Health problems, Aging population and
Unemployment because according to us, these tend to be the main problems that the
government has to face. We will provide new social policies that the government can
use in order to tackle these problems.

The Mauritian Health Care System

The Ministry of Health operates under the portfolio of the Minister of Health and
Quality of Life. Some of its many functions include: developing comprehensive health
care services to meet the population's Health Needs, to manage facilities for the
treatment and prevention of diseases, including mental diseases, by maintenance of
hospital, health centre and other health facilities. The Ministry regulates the practice
of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy and conducts operational bio-medical health
studies of diseases of major importance in the country. It also makes provisions for
the rehabilitation of the disabled. It is hence the organisation responsible for the
formulation of Mauritian health policy and administers the country's health system
through planning, resource allocation, monitoring and overall coordination.
According to the Health Systems Performance exercise carried out and published by
the WHO in its Annual Report 2000, the Mauritian Health Care System was ranked as
56th in terms of responsiveness but only had an average ranking of 78th out of 191
countries when taking into account 'health distribution', 'performance', 'overall
health system attainment', 'fairness of contribution to health system',
'responsiveness', 'health expenditure per capita' etc. Based on data from 1997, the
health per capita expenditure was estimated at $152. To this day 4 main sources of
financing healthcare exist in Mauritius namely: tax funded; private household out-of-
pocket payment; private firms and corporations, including health insurance and
foreign aid.

However, there have been improvements in the past decade. In 2008 the health
spending per capita was US $502, public health expenditure as a per cent of GDP
was 2% and private health expenditure as a per cent of GDP reached 2.1 %. It is also
important to note that in recent years, the public sector has undertaken efforts to
acquire its own equipment for specialised diagnostic services such as renal dialysis,
CT scanning and MRI services, which were previously provided mostly by the private
sector. At the end of 2009, there were 1,500 doctors in the Republic of Mauritius,
representing 11.7 doctors per 10,000 population. Of those doctors, 887 (59.1%) were
employed in the public sector. This shows an increase compared to the year 2000
when there was 1,080 doctors, that is, 9.1 per 10,000 population. Private healthcare
consists in the private practice of medical and dental care, private clinics with in-
patient beds and facilities for examination, consultation and diagnostic procedures.
According to the WHO the Private Sector continues to provide quality care but at a
lower volume of services. The total number of beds in the public and private sectors
as at the end of 2009 was thus 4,281, that is, 290 inhabitants per bed. In 2000, the
corresponding ratio was 264 7.

Despite this, the public health care in Mauritius has got a bad name. The reason is
simple - the service isn't good. We are not saying there are bad doctors, no. You will
eventually get treated but you would have lost all your self-respect in the process.
You will have to bow down to all sorts of stupid procedures. You will be called for an
appointment at a specific time and be seen some 3 hours later if you're lucky. You
will undergo so much frustration and stress that you'd wish you had more money to
go to a clinic. Of course, people still believe it's a good service because what can
you expect for free, eh? And they'd argue that there are too many patients to cope
with. These are the same people who go to private clinics.

So here arise the big question. How can the government implement new policies in
order for people to see the public health service as one of quality in terms of service
and treatment given?

We particular think that the government should carry out workshops and seminars in
educating the personnel of public health service on how to approach patients as well
as dealing with their problems. There should be a set guidelines in terms of speaking
to people. It is not because the service is free that we should take people for
granted. Nevertheless, the public also has the perception that if it is free, then they
can do whatever they want or more often you will hear Mauritians claiming that it is
their tax money and therefore they can abuse the free service. Campaigns should be
made in order to educate people on how to behave towards civil servants. If they feel
that respect is being shown to them, then they will surely act in a more positive
manner. It is a two way process.

Moreover, we have the problem of big queues in hospitals. The government should
make sure that people with minor problems such as contracting influenza should go
to their respective community health centre instead of coming to the hospital and
overcrowding it. People should be encouraged to adopt this approach and surely the
positive results should be seen. However, if the problem persists, then according to
us, the government should impose a fee of 25 rupees per head of patient. This will
discourage people coming to the hospital unnecessarily and only those who are
really in need of medical attention will be seeking the service. Also, the government
will be making money from this policy and this particular money can be ploughed
back in the health care system in order to ameliorate the infrastructures and
services given. This can be seen as a win-win situation for both the government and
the public.

We must also not forget that Mauritius is facing the dilemma of high rise in obesity,
cancer and cardio vascular diseases as well as diabetes amongst its population
although according to the International Diabetes Federation Atlas 2012, Mauritius,
with a prevalence of 15.53% 8, no longer features among the ten countries with the
highest prevalence of diabetes in the world amongst its population.

Obesity is one of the largest health challenges Mauritius is facing currently. Results
from the government's Global School- based Student Health Survey performed in
2011 divulged that over 28 per cent of children aged 6 to 19 years were overweight
or obese. With only 19 per cent of students assessed were physically active for a
total of at least an hour per day, and 39 per cent spent three or more hours per day
doing sedentary activities.
Recent government statistics suggest that the trend will continue beyond 30 per
cent in 2012; in 2004 child obesity prevalence was 16 per cent. The causes behind
the rising level of childhood obesity in Mauritius are the swing in diet towards an
augmented intake of fast foods and high carbohydrate meals that are excessive in
fat with vitamin and mineral content coupled with sedentary lifestyles, which include
computer games and the rise of social networking sites.
According to WHO9, the frequency has increased at a frightening rate .In
2010,worldwide the amount of overweight children below the age of 5 has been
estimated to be over 42 million. With around 35 million of them residing in developing
countries.

So what should be done to fight obesity and cancer?

We clearly think that campaigns ads should be done more often in order to captivate
the attention of the public when it comes to the problem of obesity. Having the
problem of obesity arising in children, this surely does not bode well for the future of
Mauritius. What will happen to the future workforce? If the coming generation is not
healthy, this will result in the collapse of the Mauritian economy. According to us,
taxes should be placed on fast foods as well as other unhealthy food products.
Nowadays, fast foods are prevalent throughout the island. More and more people are
seeing it as a substitute to homemade food. The government should encourage
people to buy healthy by reducing the price for healthy commodities and thus making
it available for everyone to acquire. Moreover, the government should sensitized
parents on how to control the eating habit of their children. Workshops should be
carried out in order to reach those parents because they are the first ones
concerned and if they have grasped the concept of eating healthy, then the
government can claim a first victory towards fighting obesity.

Concerning cancer10, it is the third most common cause of death after diabetes and
cardiovascular diseases in Mauritius. From 2006 to 2010, the Ministry of Health
registered 7,700 new cases of cancer, compared to 4,818 from 1991 to 1995. Every
year, 1,500 new cases are registered. Several factors are associated with cancer:
genetic deformity, cigarette smoking, alcohol, obesity and excess consumption of
meat among others. Note that 250 out of 1,000 deaths are due to cancer and 80% of
lung cancer are linked to cigarette smoking while alcohol causes mouth and
stomach cancer. Although smoking is prohibited in indoor public places, on public
transport, and in public transport facilities, the consumption of tobacco is still very
popular in Mauritius. Moreover, Mauritians have the habit of drinking too much
alcohol.

According to us, the government should impose more taxes on cigarettes and
alcoholic products. The pessimists will say that the government has already taken
that route but we cannot find any change. During each budget, taxes are imposed on
cigarettes and alcoholic products. Yet, this seems to have no effect on Mauritians.
Therefore, we think that by charging a higher rate of tax, say for example increasing
the price of a packet of cigarettes from 155 rupees to 200 rupees, we tend to think
that this will act as a deterrent to the cigarettes consumption.

Or what about the craziest idea of legalizing marijuana? The government can take
examples from Uruguay who has become the first country to do so. We clearly think
that marijuana can be used as a substitute to cigarettes. According to scientists,
cigarettes are more harmful. By legalizing marijuana, it will have many positive
effects in terms reducing cancer related to cigarettes. Furthermore, the crime rate of
using drugs will be reduced and the government can be the one responsible for
cultivating and distributing it among the public. The state will be able recover most
of the money going out on the black market and use it in order to fight poverty.

However if the government feels reluctant to choose this option, then why do we not
promote the use of electronic cigarettes? Last but not least, if the above solutions
does not work, then we think it is high time to make people who are suffering from
cancer related to cigarette and alcohol consumption start paying for their treatment
instead of receiving it for free. Now this will surely withhold people from consuming
these products!

The Problem of Aging population in Mauritius

"The process of aging goes beyond academic and didactic spheres, particularly
demography, and will soon ply all societies, of which we are part, in a very pervading
and impressive way5." (Frank W. Notestein) 11

Aging is a silent process, which remains hidden in the vicissitudes of a population

with no external and noisy display, as for example in the case of unemployment. It
manifests itself as a completely new issue in the history of mankind, upsetting age-
old balances, and there is not temporal, territory, political or operative elements and
parameters to make references to.

Mauritius has been one of the countries where the demographic transition had been
completed in a very short lapse of time. The aging process has and will continue to
be almost equally precipitous and dramatic. The two determining factors have been
the decline in the fertility levels, which took place principally between 1962 to 1973
and which is still continuing and the improvement in the health of the population that
is measured by the increase in life expectancy. The main improvements in life
expectancy set in as from 1960's and are still continuing. They increased from 60.8
years for males and 65.89 years for females in 1971-73 to 67.37 years for males and
74.62 years for females in 1998- 2000.12

The most important impact of both these phenomena - the decline in fertility rates
and the improvement in life expectancy ' has been on the age structure of the
population, and is having significant implications on the economy and the
government budget. The age structure of the population the Republic of Mauritius
has been changing as from 1962. The population below 15 and above 60 as a
percentage of the total population fell from 50.7 in 1962 to 37.7% in 1990 and
34.5% in 2000. As from 2020, this trend will be reversed and the percentage will
increase to 36.3% in 2020 to reach 42.0 % in 2040.13 The dependency ratio will
follow a similar trend.

Thus in Mauritius for example because of falling fertility rates in the past decades
and the decline in the size of women in the fertile age, the population will continue
to age. This is further accentuated by the rising survivor rates and because of the
male/female differences in survivor rates the aging of female populations has and
will continue to be more intense than for males.

So what should be done to overcome this problem?

Most governments are not prepared either from an organizational or structural point
of view to face all aspects of aging. In Mauritius as in most countries there are two
ministries dealing what the problem of the elderly. As aging is increasing the number
of chronic illnesses and the spread of disability also increases. In order to better
cope with problems and policy actions required it would be better to have a single
institution for health and social affairs. While policy making will
continue to be made at a central level, some amount of flexibility at the local level
may be required.

In Mauritius, social welfare is well decentralized and health care for the aged will
also need to be organized to allow for greater flexibility at the local level. Although
families remain the main care providers and within families the women, little has
been done to evaluate the needs of families ' in terms of physical, economic and
even emotional and psychological support - to provide this care. The challenge is to
find solutions that divide the care between the family, the state, and private
organizations in an effective way. The setting up of a National Institute of Aging to
study all the aspects ' individual and collective, bio-sanitary and socio-economic
'relating to aging needs to be given serious consideration. The Mauritius Institute of
Health could have a unit devoted to geriatric issues to start with.
Over the years, in Mauritius the over 60s will constitute an increasing share of the
total population as the baby boomers reach retirement age and because of higher
survival rates. The fiscal headache that the aging phenomenon causes is the one
that is catching the attention of policy makers. Non-contributory pension is almost
universal while other pensions schemes as Pay as you earn (PAYE) and privately
funded pensions schemes affect only a minority of the population. So the shift to
some form of private pre-funded and sustainable pension scheme may
not be the immediate answer but could provide a long-term solution. The 'parametric'
reforms that boost revenue (such as increasing pension contribution or the number
of contributors) or cutting pension spending (reducing benefits or the number of
pensioners) could help. Some of these measures could be difficult to implement as it
'would require a graying electorate to accept an erosion of its promised benefits.
Resolving pension would require gradually building a private
pension component so that it will eventually help to compensate for the unavoidable
future cutbacks in public pensions benefits without pitting younger and older
generations against each other.

While accepting the fiscal aspects of the graying population, the social implications
are more important and definitely more difficult to resolve. In fact, what appeared to
be an ideal solution to an over populated world may bring an unwelcome old age to a
large segment of the population. But the ingenuity of the human race is unlimited.
Just as over population has been managed, diseases have been conquered so that
human life span has been extended, solutions to cope with the new enigma will be
found. But it is necessary to take stock of the situation at every level. Individuals,
families, organizations, state planners and policy makers will all have to work
together. This is a situation where the solution cannot be wholly 'top down' or'
bottom up'.

Fertility control in Mauritius was pioneered by groups of concerned individuals with

the support of the Mauritius Family Planning Association (MFPA) in 1957 and another
association, approved by the Catholic church - the Action Familiale. In the case of
'aging', leadership seems to be diffused and/ or lacking. The solution appears to be
piece meal. International support also does not appear to be dynamic enough to
make much headway. Much strengthening is required to what is already on the
pipeline to have the same impact as the efforts of the early pioneers who introduced
family planning in Mauritius.

Unemployment In Mauritius

The latest official unemployment figures are alarming in Mauritius: 13,700 more
unemployed between March 2012 and March 2013. 37% of 52 500 unemployed people
under 15, while 8200 are heads of households. The government, through the YEP,
NEF, the Service program to Mauritius, SMEDA and NWEC trying to find a solution
while the Minister of Labour encourages youth emigration. The economic situation
does not inspire hope either ...
Rising unemployment starts to worry. If, at the end of last year, the unemployment
rate was 7.8%, it reached 8.7% in the first quarter of this year. The number of
Mauritians with employment was 549,200 at March 31, against 556,100 at 31
December 2012.
However, the Central Bureau of Statistics is reassuring providing an increase of
2,100 in the number of employees at the end of this year. The final rate could reach
8.3% for 2013. Of the 52,500 registered unemployed, there are 22,100 men and
30,400 women. About 19 300 people under the age of 25 years. Note that almost 10
000 unemployed people do not even have the CPE, while 17,000 others are not SC.
About 11 100 people seeking employment for over a year, while 16,700 are seeking
their first job. The most serious is that 8,200 unemployed have a family to feed.14

How about employment?

Employment ('000) 2009 2010 2011 2012
Labour Force (Mauritian) 572.2 581.3 582.8 596.4
Male 360.3 362.4 363.6 372.3
Female 211.9 218.9 219.2 224.1

Employment (Mauritian) 524.8 536.1 536.7 544.8

of which: Men 342.3 345.7 344.8 348.7
: Women 182.5 190.4 191.9 196.1
Employment (Foreigners) 21.0 22.0 23.0 24.0
Total Employment 545.8 558.1 559.7 568.8

Unemployment ('000) 41.5 45.2 46.1 47.1

Male('000) 15.8 16.7 18.8 18.6
Female('000) 25.7 28.5 27.3 28.5
Unemployment Rate (%) 7.3 7.8 7.9 8.1

The above table taken from The Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry gives
us a more easier way to see employment in Mauritius.15

They are many graduates who are unable to get a suitable job. Worse, faute de
mieux, some graduates willing to do small jobs in order to have a minimum income.
With the explosion in the number of tertiary institutions, the number of graduates
certainly increase, thanks to the policy of 'One Graduate per Family'. However, the
fear of not finding a job wins youth.

Below is a recent interview taken from Le Mauricien newspaper done by Roland

Dubois on 22 February 2014, senior adviser to the ministry of finance in promoting
Youth Employment.16

What is the unemployment situation in Mauritius?

Bureau of Statistics refers to an unemployment rate of 20 500 people under the age
of 25 in 2012. According to the International Labour Office, in 2011 there were 74.8
million young people aged 15-24 unemployed. This represents an increase of more
than 4 million since 2007 on the international scene. The rate of youth
unemployment is around 12.7 percent. And the global trend shows that three times
as many young people are affected by unemployment than adults.

What are the means put in place to hire young people?

The government is aware of the problem of unemployment. Thus, a program of Rs
330 million was proposed in the 2013 budget. The goal: to increase the likelihood of
youth employment. When young, despite his qualifications, looking for a job, he calls
what he experienced. However, it is often not obvious to one who has completed his
studies. Another problem: his qualifications do not meet the business demand. In
addition, when companies cannot find people with the skills they employ foreigners.
Thus, the government and business work together to ensure that young people
develop an industrial experience that will help them meet the hiring criteria.

How will this be practice?

A steering committee, the Skills Working Group (SWG) was established for the
implementation of this program. It will be chaired by Roland Dubois, Senior Adviser,
Ministry of Finance and Makoond Raj, Director of the Joint Economic Council. Other
members will include representatives of the Ministry of Employment, Ministry of
Education and Human Resources, the Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of ICT,
HRDC, the MQA, the MEF, the NCB and NEF. This committee meets at least once a
week.

How do you encourage young recruits?

Youth will be recruited by companies for a year. Graduates will be paid up to Rs
15,000 per month (the government will contribute half and the other half will be paid
by the company). Those who did not receive diplomas up to Rs 8000 per month, half
of which will be paid by the Government and the other by the company. In cases
where young people will follow other courses, the government will contribute half of
the cost up to Rs 7500. The Mauritius Qualifications Authority (MQA) will help
facilitate the approval of these training programs.

What is business?
The company that hires ten or younger is required to use at least half of these young
people for an additional year. But if a young person shows good occupational
provisions, it is likely that the company employed on a permanent basis. The SWG is
working on an efficient system for recruitment, employers can identify directly
recruits and make a request to the SWG for inclusion under the Youth Employment
Program. This program does not apply to areas of trade and financial services. For
more details, interested parties may contact the Ministry of Finance. Very soon, a
website will be available and employers and job seekers can register there.

According to us, if Roland Dubois and company keep their words towards promoting
youth employment, then surely the policies adopted above will be very much
welcome and appreciated.
Though unemployment is seen as a major problem Mauritius including the
government as well, we cannot hide the fact that much solutions are being
monitored and steps forward are being taken in order to face off this social problem.

The government should note that having one 'graduate per house' is a very good
policy but it should not be done and accomplish just for the sake of doing it. The
youth cannot be taken for granted because we are relying on them to contribute
towards the development of the country and the society as well. We must not be
quick to draw conclusion such as Rajesh Jeetah had done by saying " Young people
need to make the right choice. They must learn before embarking on higher
education. My ministry is to open access to higher education and not to decide the
place of youth in their career choices. Some graduates do not even know how to
write a CV correctly17."

From the above statement, we clearly think that the blame must not be put on young
people's shoulders. If they are to make the right choice, then it is surely the
responsibility of the concerning bodies to see to it that redundant courses, where
demand on the job market is very low to be taken off the program course offered by
Universities in Mauritius. Alternatively, the government should set up a career
guidance committee for young people in order for them to make the right choice in
the future. Then surely, Mauritius will not be having so much difficulty in dealing with
unemployment especially among the youths. Otherwise, they will be thinking of
migrating in other countries where their skills will be in much demand. The Labour
Minister Shakeel Mohamed, sparked controversy when he urged young people to
seize any opportunity hiring beyond our borders. This statement has caused several
reactions in the press and on social networks.
Those who are against this idea argue that it is the responsibility of government to
help create jobs for citizens through economic policy. Encourage young people to go
look elsewhere is a failure of the whole system and the government must act
immediately before it is too late!

Conclusion

To conclude, we can say that the social problems that we have seen from the
Mauritius Health Care System, the Aging Population across the island as well as the
unemployment rate are very alarming. The government of Mauritius should seek to it
that new social policies as well as its planning are being studied by the policy
makers accordingly. The above policies that we have proposed can be seen as
satisfactory in regards to the problems assigned. However, the experts that are
employed by the government should be able to find the necessary solutions and
answers to these social problems. We should note that social problems will always
exists within any country. Social policies are therefore necessary because the
benefits of economic growth do not automatically reach all. Inadequate social
policies ultimately limit growth in the medium and long term. Social policies are
justified not only from a humanitarian viewpoint; they are an economic and political
need for future growth and political stability, minimally to maintain citizen support
for their governments. "Applying social policies to particular problems is truly an art"
said Aneurin Bevan. So it is the role of the government to be successful in
conducting this particular art. Failure to do so can bring the Mauritian economy
down on its knees and this is the last thing that the State will want to face. Here is
hoping that the government of Mauritius does its job correctly so that the future
generation can look ahead to a brighter tomorrow!