This Monday, June 10, 2024, the few Malagasy deputies present at the National Assembly voted in 30 minutes, unanimously and without amendment, the amending finance bill. A text that is nevertheless highly explosive and intriguing due to its all-out budget cuts and which was presented by the government to deputies only on Friday June 7.
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With our correspondent in Antananarivo, Sarah Tétaud
HAS Madagascar, of the 151 deputies in the Assembly, 64 were present this Monday for the vote. The high rate of absenteeism was partly explained by a conflict of agenda: at the time of the vote, many of the deputies candidates for their re-election were tied up in extremis their application file to be filed before 3 p.m. the same day, with the High Constitutional Court.
In the audience, pro-regime people, but also some opponents. However, everyone voted unanimously the textin an expeditious manner and without debate, even though they had 30 days to be able to study it, enough to once again disappoint civil society, which expected, as every year, more analysis from elected officials.
For Hony Radert, specialist in finance bills within the Citizens’ Collective and citizen organizations, the text is surrounded by gray areas. “ In absolute terms, it is a good thing to reduce expenses. But today, in Madagascar, we need investments in priority sectors. The government said it was going to prioritize human capital and that is a good thing. But what bothers us is to see that the State is not going to recruit at the level of education or for health, but has decided to maintain recruitment at the level of law enforcement. When we are told that we will not have any recruitment when we know that we are seriously lacking in numbers of doctors and teachers. For us, this means that this will still be a shortfall in terms of the development of children and therefore in terms of the development of the country. »
The considerable drop in external investments
Another source of concern: the considerable drop in external investments, in other words subsidies, donations or loans from TFPs, technical and financial partners. “ Why were there these sharp decreases? Do we have a lack of trust in the State from donors today? We do not know. We have to ask questions. But it will be up to the State and the PTFs to answer us so that we also know where the country is going », adds Hony Radert.
Civil society is also questioning the unprecedented increase in the budget allocated to the energy sector, “ dedicated a priori at the Jirama », recalls Hony Radert. Until when will Malagasy citizens have to subsidize the public company, with its abysmal debts? “ Today, we do not have a clear or transparent recovery plan on the duration or the amounts to be committed. We must demand this transparency from the authorities regarding this », underlines the expert in public finance law.
RFI tried to contact around ten deputies present during the vote. None wanted to respond. The text must be voted on today in the Senate.
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