( 3 minutes read)
· There are nearly 3,000 Mauritians scattered in several
countries including South Africa, Canada, Madagascar, in various
countries in Europe and in a cruise ship in Miami, who wish to return
to the country
· Of the 3000 odd people struck outside the country, only 1000
odd have the money to buy a ticket.
Covid-19 has struck Mauritius in many ways. The major causality is the
tourism sector, wherein the number of tourists have dried up and the
prospects of a quick turnaround is bleak since the high spending
tourists who visit the Island from the US and Europe would be
circumspect at least for some time. To compound the matter, there are
nearly 3,000 Mauritians scattered in several countries including South
Africa, Canada, Madagascar, in various countries in Europe and in a
cruise ship in Miami, who wish to return to the country.
Of the 3000 odd people struck outside the country, only 1000 odd have
the money to buy a ticket. The rest will have to depend on the
largesse of the government, which is keeping its option closely
guarded for fear that the not so developed healthcare infrastructure
of the country does not have the capability to handle the quarantine
requirements if its people land its shores in hordes all of a
sudden.
The government is also planning to kick start the economy by extending
liquidity to the local industries, particularly the small and medium
enterprises in the tourism sector. Though the tourism sector may take
time to recover from the pandemic shocks, experts are of the view that
fintech and IT industry can get on to the groves without much loss of
time since they mostly operate through digital platforms. In the
difficult times, there are some voluntary organizations, which are
prepared to help restore the economy. The Hive, the island’s first
multi-site co-working group, is one among them. The organization is
ready to support SMEs during and after the confinement period. The
outfit is giving a support of Mauritian Rs 800,000 from the month of
May onwards to SMEs to help them come out of the situation they are
in now.
