Currently, "the UK will pay Mauritius an annual average of £101 million for 99 years in 2025/26 prices, totalling around £3.4 billion" [1]. Meanwhile, the island is probably worth north of $20bn to the U.S.
If the U.S. bought the island for $20bn and then had the UK pay it $135mm/year for 99 years, it would effectively be getting the island for $10bn–that's a good deal. Mauritius, meanwhile, would get enough money to launch the entire World Bank climate-resiliance portfolio ($5 to 6bn for stuff like coastal protection, climate proofing Port Louis, et cetera); build the series of mini reservoirs and leak repair projects proposed for water resilience (<$250mm); complete the road improvements they've been discussing with India ($3bn) and enact their energy-transition roadmap to get to 60% renewables (from 80% fossil fuels today) by 2030 ($2bn).
That still leaves $10bn, enough to endow a research university ($2.5bn), give every obese Mauritian the option of going on GLP-1s (sourced from India, where patents expire this year) and set up a nationwide system of diabetes treatment and prevention centers ($2bn altogether). Then set up a sovereign wealth fund with the remaining $8bn, paying out 3% a year or $189/citizen/year, this amount representing about 5.5% of median income (similar to ~$2,500/person/year in America).
This materially improves the lives of Mauritians while safeguarding their long-term prospects without paying a cent to overseas financiers for e.g. debt reduction in exchange for something of dubious value to Mauritius as it is.
JumpCrisscross•1h ago
Currently, "the UK will pay Mauritius an annual average of £101 million for 99 years in 2025/26 prices, totalling around £3.4 billion" [1]. Meanwhile, the island is probably worth north of $20bn to the U.S.
If the U.S. bought the island for $20bn and then had the UK pay it $135mm/year for 99 years, it would effectively be getting the island for $10bn–that's a good deal. Mauritius, meanwhile, would get enough money to launch the entire World Bank climate-resiliance portfolio ($5 to 6bn for stuff like coastal protection, climate proofing Port Louis, et cetera); build the series of mini reservoirs and leak repair projects proposed for water resilience (<$250mm); complete the road improvements they've been discussing with India ($3bn) and enact their energy-transition roadmap to get to 60% renewables (from 80% fossil fuels today) by 2030 ($2bn).
That still leaves $10bn, enough to endow a research university ($2.5bn), give every obese Mauritian the option of going on GLP-1s (sourced from India, where patents expire this year) and set up a nationwide system of diabetes treatment and prevention centers ($2bn altogether). Then set up a sovereign wealth fund with the remaining $8bn, paying out 3% a year or $189/citizen/year, this amount representing about 5.5% of median income (similar to ~$2,500/person/year in America).
This materially improves the lives of Mauritians while safeguarding their long-term prospects without paying a cent to overseas financiers for e.g. debt reduction in exchange for something of dubious value to Mauritius as it is.
[1] https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-...