Luxury Indian Ocean LUXURY MAURITIUS No 5 EDITION 2018 | Page 29

VISION nous préférons mettre l ’ emphase sur nos offres . L ’ île Maurice n ’ est pas une coquille vide . Des activités à forte valeur ajoutée y ont cours , et le système fiscal mauricien bénéficie au business en général . Le fait d ’ utiliser les avantages fiscaux comme unique argument de vente est dépassé . Notre attractivité va bien au-delà de la fiscalité . Nous disposons d ’ une main d ’ œuvre polyvalente et compétente , d ’ une infrastructure robuste , d ’ un système juridique solide et d ’ un système bancaire diversifié .
Quel est le prochain changement qui peut impacter votre activité et comment vous vous y préparez ? Actuellement , l ’ OCDE exerce une intense pression internationale en matière de déclaration fiscale et de conformité . Notre crédit d ’ impôt étranger est scruté avec attention , ce qui a engendré une fusion entre l ’ Association of Trust and Management Companies et les protagonistes du secteur financier mauricien en vue de délibérer sur le meilleur moyen de le remplacer , tout en minimisant son impact sur les entités constituées conformément aux lois mauriciennes . L ’ adhésion de l ’ île Maurice au projet BEPS ( Base Erosion & Profit Sharing ) et au CRS ( Common Reporting Standards ), pour autant qu ’ ils soient mis en œuvre , impliquera des transformations importantes dans notre réglementation et nos pratiques commerciales . Nous demeurons indécis sur la manière de se conformer à l ’ OCDE tout en prospérant comme centre financier international . L ’ urgente nécessité d ’ authentifier les droits fiscaux à Maurice requiert que nos clients renforcent leur capacité à se conformer aux exigences les plus sévères et prouvent qu ’ ils apportent à notre économie . C ’ est là que nous intervenons .
Un plafond de verre représente un obstacle invisible présent dans de nombreuses organisations . Primée comme ‘ l ’ une des femmes les plus influentes d ’ Afrique ’, vous avez percé ce fameux plafond . Quel est votre secret ? Rien n ’ arrive sans un dur labeur et beaucoup d ’ efforts . L ’ important , c ’ est d ’ avoir confiance en soi . Le contraire pourrait vous empêcher d ’ avancer . Il faut avoir confiance en ses propres valeurs et s ’ entourer des bonnes personnes . Personne ne se retrouve tout en haut sans soutien . Pour avancer , je m ’ appuie sur les conseils de mon époux et de mon partenaire d ’ affaires .
Quelle est l ’ erreur que commettent régulièrement les leaders ? Une erreur courante que font les leaders , c ’ est de trop déléguer , ou alors , pas suffisamment . Les conséquences sont souvent graves . Ceux qui essaient de tout faire seuls se privent d ’ opportunités , alors que ceux qui délèguent en excès symbolisent un manque de leadership . Il est difficile de trouver un juste milieu . L ’ expérience aide à trouver l ’ équilibre . Une fois atteint , votre entreprise fonctionnera comme sur des roulettes .
Her early introduction to the world of Law and her entrepreneurial spirit led her to helming a Management Company in Mauritius , one that specialises in Global Business Transactions and international tax planning . When she isn ’ t providing corporate , fiduciary or wealth planning solutions , she is busy shattering the corporate glass ceiling - and winning awards while doing it .
Nishi Kichenin , can you summarize your life in three minutes ? Steve Jobs once said : “ If today were the last day of my life , would I want to do what I am about to do today ?” His words resonated within and brought me where I am today . Being a leader is challenging , but my secret lies in accepting criticism and failure - I owe much of my success to my pitfalls . Endurance , passion and tenacity are the keys . I come from a modest family , but I made strides by building a strong educational foundation . My life has been a series of opportunities - and I seized them all . I taught Law for eight years before crossing paths with my future business partner . We saw a common challenge facing organisations : a lack of understanding of the Mauritian tax system . We founded Juristax , instilling a collegial style in our organisation that reflects the dynamism of our industry .
Mauritius is on the OECD ’ s “ Compliant ” list for information exchange practices . How can it upgrade its status to a “ Largely Compliant ” jurisdiction ? It is worth mentioning that Mauritius ’ classification as a “ Compliant ” jurisdiction was a conscientious process that resulted in being recognised as a pioneer in tax transparency and compliance across Africa . Bearing in mind that a “ Compliant ” jurisdiction fully implements all the essential principles , and that a “ Largely Compliant ” one only displays minor shortcomings in implementing them , Mauritius does not fall short of best practices in transparency . Our rating is praiseworthy .
You have sixty seconds to pitch Mauritius ’ tax infrastructure to a person looking to invest in Africa . In our current era , tax arbitrage is curtailed . As a responsible fiduciary company , I cannot put our tax infrastructure at the fore of our offering . Mauritius positions itself as a jurisdiction of substance , where high-end , value-added activities are performed , and where our tax infrastructure benefits our Global Business consumers . Simply put , tax benefits as the unique selling argument is obsolete ; our appeal extends far beyond taxation - we have a skilled and versatile workforce , a robust infrastructure and legal system , and a diversified banking system .
What is the next disruptive change that is going to impact your business , and how are you preparing for it ? The GBC sector is facing immense international pressure on tax disclosure and compliance matters by the OECD . Our foreign tax credit is under scrutiny , leading to the Association of Trust & Management Companies joining forces with protagonists of the Mauritian financial sector to deliberate on how best to replace it , while minimizing its impact on the entities set up under Mauritian laws . Mauritius ’ adherence to the BEPS ( Base Erosion & Profit Sharing ) Project and CRS , ( Common Reporting Standards ), if implemented , would also demand far-reaching changes to our regulations and business practices . We remain uncertain about how to comply with the OECD while still thriving as an international financial centre . The pressing need to authenticate taxing rights in Mauritius demands that our clients strengthen their substance to fulfill the more stringent requirements and prove that they add commercial substance to our economy - that ’ s where we come in .
As one of the “ Most Influential Women in Africa ”, you have incontestably shattered the glass ceiling . What does it take to challenge the status quo ? Nothing has ever been achieved without hard work - you must put in a great deal of it to make it to the top . But first , believe in yourself . Sometimes , a person ’ s confidence in his own abilities holds him back , and we ’ ve got to change that . It starts with knowing your worth and sense of self . Above all , it ’ s about the people you surround yourself with . The truth is , nobody reaches the top without support ; I rely on both my husband ' s and business partner ’ s guidance to propel me forward .
What is one mistake you witness leaders making far too often ? A common mistake leaders make is they either delegate too much or too little , and both have dire consequences . Those who attempt to take on everything themselves are closing doors to opportunities , while handing everything over suggests slack leadership . It is challenging not to fall in one of these traps , but experience teaches you to find an equilibrium - once you achieve it , your business runs like a well-oiled machine .
JURISTAX Contact p . 139 EDITION 2018 - N O 5 27