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!