PM Modi congratulates Mauritius PM PK Jugnauth on electoral victory

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, November 9, took to Twitter to congratulate his Mauritius counterpart Pravind Jugnauth on this electoral victory. India is Mauritius's largest trading partner and has been the largest exporter of goods and services to the Indian Ocean island nation since 2007.PM Modi in his tweet also acknowledged that he and Jugnauth have worked closely in order to strengthen fraternal relations. 

Winning more than half of the parliamentary seats, Jugnauth secured an incumbent  5-year term as per the interim election results. Jugnauth's Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) garnered 35 of the 62 seats.

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Development in Jugnauth's term

The economic records since Jugnauth assumed office has weathered attacks over the nature of his appointment. With the help of the tourism and banking sector, the country's economy grew by 3.8 per cent in 2018. Jugnauth has also introduced a minimum wage, about 215 euros (USD 240) a month, increased pensions for the elderly and reformed labour laws. Highlighting several key development initiatives during his previous term, Jugnauth stated that he has done in two and a half years, what the previous government, led by Navin Ramgoolam, could not do between 2005 and 2014.

Mauritius has developed from a poor, agriculture-based economy, to one of Africa's wealthiest nations and financial services hub. But it has increasingly come under fire for helping global companies avoid paying taxes, often in poor African nations and was until October on a European Union watch list. General unemployment, while low compared to the rest of the continent, remains high among youth at 22 per cent, and inequality is seen to be rising. Pope Francis, who visited in September, urged the island against profit at all costs.

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