“The situation was awful when we arrived here. The economy was sluggish. Most projects that were announced years ago faced delays in implementation. Poverty was rampant and an air of discontent and mistrust pervaded the atmosphere,” Roussety says.

The island, he adds, didn't have any  economic orientation and didn't know where it was heading.” The new MR team had first taken such measures to bring back confidence within the population, to make them believe in their country and its future, and, above all, tackle the problem of lease of land in the island most of which belongs to the State.

“We had to clear an awful backlog on the lease issue. Besides we had to re-energise the fishing sector and revive agriculture that was almost abandoned. The area under cultivation had nosedived. Today, it’s doing fine with maize and chick peas output touching unprecendented high levels.

“The tourism sector was in a mess. Arrivals were insignificant and many hotels were downing their shutters. We had to set up the proper infrastructures and a Tourism Office to renew and revive hope in the sector.

It is only after this initial work that, Roussety points out, the administration embarked on sectorial institutionalisation. For instance, a Rodrigues Water Company has been set up to manage water resources in the island, monitor the day to day situation  and offer customer care. For the fishing sector, there's a Maison des Pêcheurs and the cold room has been renovated.

“We are also working on a geographical information survey, a sort of cadastre, to better manage the land surface. In fact, we are doing everything to promote and preserve the Rodriguan identity.

However, the immediate  priority of my priorities goes to putting on solid grounds the institution, set up with funds from the administration, to modernise the distribution of water in the island. Until now nobody pays for water in Rodrigues in spite of unlimited use and limited supply situation. It will be like the CWA in Mauritius but softer in its approach. We are now recruiting the staff and we hope it will be operational by 2011 and hence a rational management of the water sector,” he adds.

Another top priority for the administration is the creation of jobs in the island. The sector that is expected to grow big and get all-out support  is tourism. More hotels, guest houses and table d'hotes are on the anvil.
“There's tremendous potential in this sector. However, to tap all the possibilities, we are keen to expand our airport so that we can receive bigger carriers with higher load of passengers,” says Roussety.

Also on the priority list is the fishing sector with strong emphasis both on a protected lagoon and high sea fishing. Along with it, other value-added activities are also expected to emerge with the setting up of a new fishing port.

“Rodrigues is definitely on the march. Even the Central Government in Mauritius is convinced with what is being done here and there's better communication with us,” says Roussety.