Why Mauritius

Key advantages of Mauritius

Situated approximately 2400 kms off the south-east coast of Africa, Mauritius is strategically located at the crossroads of Africa and Asia; Mauritius is one of the leading economies in the region and has enjoyed economic growth averaging 5% over for the past 20 years. The Mauritian government promoted offshore activities with the aim to diversify the economy and introduced global business incentives in 1992. Mauritius is now recognized as a leading regional and international financial centre and is featured on the G-20 white list for international financial centres. 

Various types of offshore activities are already being carried out including fund management and administration, holding companies, operational headquarters, captive insurance, ship management, financial and consultancy services, shipping, aircraft financing and leasing, and trading.

The Political and Economic Environment

Mauritius is politically and socially stable, with a population which comprises of people of African, Indian, Chinese and French origin.
The Republic of Mauritius has had a democratic system of government since its independence in 1968.  The President is the Head of State and full executive power is vested in the Prime Minister who is the Head of Government. Mauritius has experienced exceptional political and social stability.  It has strong democratic institutions, including an independent and efficient judiciary.  The use of both the English and French languages in the country provides Mauritius with easy access to the international business community.

The Legal System

Mauritius has a transparent and impartial legal system which acts as a further guarantee for the soundness and security of any investment made through Mauritius. The legal system in Mauritius is a hybrid one incorporating both the British and French legal systems. This framework has enabled local practitioners to be at ease with the laws in force in most major foreign jurisdictions. Appeals from the Supreme Court lie with the Court of Civil Appeal or with the Court of Criminal Appeal. The ultimate court of appeal is the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in England.

Mauritius is a member of the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency. The legal framework of companies constitutes the Companies Act 2001, the Financial Services Act 2007, the Financial and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2002, the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2002, the Prevention of Corruption Act 2002 and the Insolvency Act 2009. All companies must register with the Registrar of Companies.

The attractiveness of Mauritius is further consolidated by the fact that it enjoys a solid reputation as a well regulated centre and provides for guaranteed confidentiality for those engaged in legitimate business.

Your Business Partner

Mauritius is among the most competitive and successful economies in Africa. Mauritius is recognised as being an excellent place for doing business and has received the acknowledgement of international agencies such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OCED), the Financial Action Task Force (FAFT) and the World Bank (WB). Mauritius is ranked 1st in the 2008 Ibrahim Index of African Governance and 1st in Sub-Saharan Africa and 17th globally in the World Bank Doing Business Report 2010, Mauritius is the springboard for investment and doing business in Africa, Middle East and Asia.

The island’s economic stability continues to attract foreign investments which are actively encouraged to set up their head quarters in Mauritius.  The Mauritian economy is based on free enterprise with the private sector playing a vital role in the development of the country.

Mauritius is also a member of the British Commonwealth, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern African (COMESA), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the World Bank. It is a founder member of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) as well as of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Co-operation (IOR-ARC) and one of the member states within the ACP/EU Convention. Through its membership of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Mauritius offers access to a regional market of over 500 million consumers with a substantial import and export market value.

Mauritius has an established Stock Exchange.  Trading is on scrip less basis.  The Exchange is open to international funds seeking a primary or secondary listing and has adopted new listing rules in line with the UK yellow book.

Courier services to most countries of the world are provided by DHL, Fedex, SkyNet, TNT, UPS, and World Courier.  The air and seaports offer the most up-to-date facilities with air and sea connections in all directions to important business centers. 

The banking system in Mauritius is well developed, highly organized and efficient, offering freedom of movement of foreign currency.  The banking services are capable of meeting the diversified and continually increasing needs of businesses and individuals.

Mauritius has an attractive fiscal regime allowing investors to effectively plane their tax exposure. Mauritius has a flat income tax and corporate tax of 15%. Companies in the global business sector are afforded tax credits which can reduce their effective tax liability to a maximum of 3%.

The factors favouring Mauritius include:

• Flexible, modern and user friendly legislation based on international norms;
• Economic and political stability;
• Regulatory framework modeled on the industry's 'best practice' principles and compliant with internationally accepted norms of supervision;
• Cooperation with organizations such as OECD, FATF and the UN and its agencies;
• Excellent telecommunications, business and IT infrastructure. Mauritius is connected to the SAFE fibre optic network;
• Sound corporate governance code based on international norms;
• A pool of bilingual and qualified professionals;
• Low cost administration and support staff;
• Strategic time zone (GMT+4);
• Membership of the International Court of Justice, the International Centre for Settlements of Investment Disputes and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency;
• Member of SADC and COMESA;
• Favourable trade links with India, China, South Africa and the United States of America;
• Guaranteed confidentiality;
• Presence of international banking institutions and audit firms;
• An established and international stock exchange;
• No exchange control;
• Hybrid legal system based on English and French laws. The Highest Court of Appeal is the Privy Council in the UK.
• Occupation and residence permits for eligible expatriates within 3 days, and business licences and permits generally within 15 days; 
• A large network of double tax treaties;
• No withholding taxes on dividends, interests and royalties;
• No capital gains tax;
• Free repatriation of profits.