VISION
" L ' ÎLE MAURICE A DES ATOUTS UNIQUES AU MONDE, QUI GARANTISSENT UNE EXCELLENTE QUALITÉ DE VIE."
" MAURITIUS BOASTS ASSETS WHICH ARE UNIQUE IN THE WORLD, ENSURING AN EXCELLENT QUALITY OF LIFE ON THE ISLAND."
le transport maritime et aérien. Un autre défi est d’ étendre l’ espace économique africain aux entreprises mauriciennes. Dans cette perspective, le Mauritius Africa Fund a pour mission d’ élaborer une stratégie pour la promotion de l’ investissement en Afrique et d’ aider à la concrétisation de partenariats entre les entreprises mauriciennes et africaines.
Quel impact pourrait avoir le développement annoncé de Smart Cities sur l’ île? La création des Smart Cities s’ inscrit dans une logique qui vise à relancer l’ industrie de la construction pour redynamiser l’ économie, en attirant des investissements dans les différents secteurs des affaires. Pour faciliter la réalisation de ces projets, le gouvernement a mis en place un Smart City Scheme, qui propose tout un éventail d’ avantages, un assouplissement des procédures administratives et une ligne de conduite à suivre. Notre objectif est d’ encourager la participation du secteur privé, tout comme l’ expertise étrangère. L’ État se chargera de faciliter les procédures et d’ accorder tout le support possible pour faire avancer les projets. Ce sont des initiatives d’ avenir qui contribueront à faire la transition vers une économie moins dépendante du charbon, et plus axée vers les énergies vertes. Des projets de développement urbain hors pair qui transformeront la République de Maurice en un pays intelligent, avec un pôle de développement durable et innovant que nous souhaitons léguer aux générations futures.
One of the primary duties of the BOI( Board of Investment) in 2006 was to attract foreign investments in Mauritius. Economically speaking, can we say that today, Mauritius is one of the most attractive destinations in the world? We have come a long way during the last decade despite a financial crisis that has severely hit the global economy in 2008. Today, Mauritius bounces back by offering a very attractive framework for foreign investments. The geostrategic position of the island, between Asia and Africa; its modern infrastructures and communication networks; its air and maritime connectivity; a qualified workforce or even a fair and equitable tax policy are all assets that are often underscored by foreigners settling in Mauritius. The Mauritian destination inspires trust and becomes a much sought-after platform insofar as Doing Business in Africa is concerned.
From where do these foreign investors mainly come? The top-three has remained unchanged. France comes first, followed by South Africa and England. However, some investors from China who are slowly starting to get acquainted with our regulatory framework have done well this year. The same goes for some Indian and American investors, who have done well this year. As we had hoped, we are currently witnessing a diversification in the channelling of investments. Cash flow now extends to other business sectors besides real estate and construction to encompass areas like tourism, logistics, banking activities, consultancy services, commercial enterprises, high finance, ICT or even the manufacturing sector.
The building of luxury residences also contributes to this strong attractiveness. How is the market evolving? Since their creation in 2002, IRS and RES development projects have been a great success. Between 2005 and 2016, about 2000 IRS and RES residential units have been sold. French nationals represent nearly 50 % of foreign buyers, ahead of South Africans( 30 %) and British( 10 %). To stand the fierce international competition, in particular from Singapore, Dubai, Portugal( Algarve), Bahamas, or even Southern Spain, Mauritius bets on its differentiating factor: its tropical setting, business-friendly environment, political stability and tradition of hospitality. These world unique assets guarantee an excellent quality of life on the island.
What major challenges will Mauritius have to face in the coming years? Mauritius already aspires to become the financial and commercial platform of the region, acting as a bridge between Asia and Africa. Those last few years, there have been significant capital transfers, particularly from China and Australia. For Mauritius to take advantage of these new development opportunities, the island must become the strategic hub for maritime and air transportation. Another challenge resides in the extension of the African economic area to Mauritian companies. In this regard, the Mauritius Africa Fund is purposed to set up a strategy for promoting investment in Africa and helping in the building of partnerships between Mauritian and African companies.
What impact could the announced development of Smart Cities have on the island? The rationale behind the creation of Smart Cities is grounded in a plan that aims at reviving the construction industry to revitalise the economy, by attracting investors in the different business sectors. To ease the implementation of these projects, the government has established a Smart City Scheme, which offers a wide range of advantages, greater flexibility in administrative procedures and an appropriate course of action. Our objective is to encourage the participation of the private sector and foreign expertise alike. The State will be responsible for facilitating the procedures and granting all possible support to help move projects forward. These future projects will contribute to making the transition towards an economy that is less dependent on coal and more geared towards green energy. These unparalleled urban development projects will transform the Republic of Mauritius into an intelligent country, firmly focused on innovative sustainable development as something to be bequeathed to future generations.
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