Huh, Inona Indray? Yes, we’re systematically told how quickly this highway can get from point A to point B, and certainly that’s its main purpose.

… but? But has anyone on this team of champions bothered to consider all the economic and tourist activities that could take place BETWEEN points A and B, along this 270-kilometer route?

Yes, of course, there are motorway rest areas, but let’s not be naive; these will only benefit a few private operators, not the locals.

No, I’m really thinking of the economic activities in the towns crossed by this motorway. POIs, as they’re called, meaning points of interest.

Spots that justify getting off the motorway or even making these spots a destination, just a few dozen minutes from Tana.

POIs, what? Well, all the tourist and leisure activities we can do, let’s see. Hotels, restaurants, lodges, local specialties, tours, amusement parks, and what else?

For example, with these 8 kilometers, they’re pestering us with Ambohimanga… so reassure me, we can exit the highway at Ambohimanga?

Visit this Rova in Ambohimanga, for example? Taste the specialties of this organic farm “Banana Rova” and so on, among other activities?

And a scenario to be repeated every 10 kilometers, for example? So planning highway exits… every 10 kilometers? Is that a bad idea? 🤣

I’m not a highway construction technician, but the good news is that I think we can build these highway entrances/exits much later, after the highway construction is complete?

As you can see, we’re not fundamentally anti-highway, but what we can’t stand is the “kitoatoa,” quite simply the “zara ara misy anzao” of the previous column.

And unfortunately, compliance with standards is expensive. And so this would be an excuse to ignore them. Are we doing it the Malagasy way, ve?

In that case, it’s pointless to criticize the previous 65 years, as well as the leaders involved, since… you’re going to do exactly the same thing, perpetuate the same “traditions” izay tsy ita izay maha ratsy azy. Understand, mediocre, then.

Someone might also object: yes, but keeping up with the standards… with 33 million T3s… would that make any difference?

Indeed, jam being fed to pigs. The priority would be to bring the 33 million endemics… up to standard?

The chicken or the egg first? No idea, and it’s not my back problem, I’m not the President of Madagascar 🤣

That being said, I do have a little idea. If we’re going to throw billions of dollars out the window, we might as well invest them… in people?

Or else, and we’ll end on this note, the pessimistic observation: isn’t it unfortunately too late to get things back on track? I unfortunately have the impression that this is the case.