The mission of the Indian Ocean Commission, a regional
organisation grouping together Mauritius, Madagascar,
the Comoros, the Seychelles and Reunion Island, is to
support its members through developmental projects. Its
Secretary-General, Jean-Claude de l’Estrac, a fervent
believer in the region’s potential, strongly asserts that economic progress is within its reach, provided that sea and
air links are improved and the countries concerned are
able to see beyond their own national interests.
You declared that the Indian Ocean islands could become
a centre of economic growth. In concrete terms, how do
you envisage this?
Our countries are at very different stages of development.
But far from seeing this as a constraint, we see it as providing opportunities. Our economies are growing, in spite
of the difficult international situation. This growth, if it
can be sustained through our projects promoting food
security, renewable energies, a consolidation of the tourism industry and a rational exploitation of the ocean, will
reinforce the position of our region, which is ideally
situated between two centres of growth: Africa and Asia.
Exchanges within the region are very limited. What are
the main obstacles to regional commerce?
Commercial exchanges within the region are estimated to
count for less than 5% of the total exchanges between our
countries, and there are two reasons for this. The first is
political. The chronic instability in Madagascar has prevented the full development of its economic and commercial
potential. That country is, however, one of the keys to our
future, with its 22 million inhabitants, 43% of whom are
under 15. This demographic force has undeniable entrepreneurial potential. Madagascar also possesses 90% of
our cultivatable land. Our food security depends on it. The
second reason has a direct impact on our region’s competitiveness and concerns sea and air links. The links between
our countries are expensive, on the whole inefficient and
therefore not competitive. There is a need to rethink the
whole strategy. We are looking into it.
You have proposed the idea of a regional airline, a fusion
of the different national airlines. How did the operators
respond to this idea?
The IOC has not proposed a merger between the region’s airlines. What we do feel, ho ݕٕȰ