Navin Ramgoolam, the newly elected prime minister of Mauritius, announced on Friday that he will also serve as the country’s finance minister to closely monitor the economy. His decision follows a landslide victory for his Alliance du Changement (ADC) coalition, which secured 60 out of 62 national assembly seats.
Speaking in the capital, Port Louis, after overseeing the swearing-in of his cabinet, Ramgoolam said an audit of the economy is underway to assess the impact of the previous administration. “We are doing an audit of the economy to see to what extent the outgoing government has destroyed it,” he stated.
The 77-year-old leader, who previously held the prime ministership from 1995 to 2000 and 2005 to 2014, returns to office after a decade. Earlier this week, he indicated plans to review public finances as part of his strategy to stabilize the economy.
Ramgoolam is credited with introducing reforms during his earlier tenure, including streamlining bureaucracy and simplifying taxes to diversify Mauritius’ economy, which has traditionally relied on tourism, textiles, and sugar exports.
Since then, the nation of 1.3 million people has established itself as an offshore financial hub and consistently ranks as Africa’s easiest place to do business, according to the World Bank. The prime minister’s decision to personally oversee the finance ministry reflects his intention to safeguard and build upon these economic achievements.
