Mauritius

To be updated soon ...

MAURITIUS GENERAL INFORMATION
                                   

Population of Mauritius

Mauritius an island nation in the indian  ocean was formed by volcanoes. More than a third of the peoples' income comes  from the sugar industry with about 90 percent of the famland planted as sugar  cane. People grow vegetables in small gardens for their own use. 

About 70 percent of the people are Asian Indians.                   

Mauritius National Anthem

The music of the National Anthem of Mauritius was written by Philippe Oh San (former band master of the Mauritius Police Force).The lyrics written by Jean Georges Prosper.But on official records,it has been stated that Mr Philippe Gentil wrote the music.

NATIONAL ANTHEM OF MAURITIUS 

Glory to thee, Motherland

O Motherland of mine.

Sweet is thy beauty,

Sweet is thy fragrance,

Around thee we gather

As one people,

As one nation,

In peace, justice and liberty.

Beloved Country,

May God bless thee

For ever and ever.

Date of Adoption:9 January 1968

Flag Description

four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green

Flag History

The red stripe represents the struggle for freedom and independence, the blue stripe stands for the color of the Indian Ocean. The yellow stripe symbolizes the new light of independence, and the green stripe represents agriculture and symbolizes the color of lush, green Mauritius throughout the year. 

Mauritius Climate and Weather

Mauritius has a maritime climate with slight differences between tropical summer and
subtropical winter. Humidity is high, and annual rainfall along the central plateau's western slopes totals nearly 200 inches. In Floreal the winter low can drop to 50°F with high winds and rain, making it seem much colder. The summer daytime high is in the 80s with nighttime temperatures about 10°F cooler. Temperatures in Port Louis and at the beach are about 10°F higher than elsewhere on the island. Rainy and dry seasons are not well defined, and vegetation remains green all year. Cyclones threaten the island between
November and April.

History of Mauritius

While Arab and Malay sailors knew of Mauritius as early as the 10^th century AD and Portuguese sailors first visited in the 16th century, the island was first colonized in 1638 by
the Dutch. Mauritius was populated over the next few centuries by waves of traders, planters and their slaves, indentured laborers, merchants, and artisans. The island was named in honor of Prince Maurice of Nassau by the Dutch, who abandoned the colony in 1710.

The French claimed Mauritius in 1715 and renamed it Ile de France. It became a prosperous colony under the French East India Company. The French Government took control in 1767, and the island served as a naval and privateer base during the Napoleonic wars. In 1810, Mauritius was captured by the British, whose possession of the island was
confirmed 4 years later by the Treaty of Paris. French institutions, including the Napoleonic code of law, were maintained. The French language is still used more widely than English.

Mauritian Creoles trace their origins to the plantation owners and slaves who were brought to work the sugar fields. Indo-Mauritians are descended from Indian immigrants who arrived in the 19th century to work as indentured laborers after slavery was abolished in 1835. Included in the Indo-Mauritian community are Muslims (about 17% of the
population) from the Indian subcontinent.

Franco-Mauritians control nearly all of the large sugar estates and are active in business and banking.

As the Indian population became numerically dominant and the voting franchise
was extended, political power shifted from the Franco-Mauritians and their
Creole allies to the Hindus.

Elections in 1947 for the newly created Legislative Assembly marked Mauritius' first steps toward self-rule. An independence campaign gained momentum after 1961, when the British agreed to permit additional self-government and eventual independence. A coalition
composed of the Mauritian Labor Party (MLP), the Muslim Committee of Action (CAM), and the Independent Forward Bloc (IFB)--a traditionalist Hindu party--won a majority in the 1967 Legislative Assembly election, despite opposition from Franco-Mauritian and Creole supporters of Gaetan Duval's Mauritian Social Democratic Party (PMSD). The contest was interpreted locally as a referendum on independence. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, MLP leader and chief minister in the colonial government, became the first prime minister at
independence, on March 12, 1968. This event was preceded by a period of communal strife, brought under control with assistance from British troops.

Environmental Issues: water pollution, degradation of coral reefs

Mauritius Geography: The Island of Mauritius, volcanic in origin,  lies in the southwest Indian Ocean just within the Tropic of Capricorn, 1,250  miles from the African coast and 500 miles east of Madagascar. It is about 40  miles long and 30 miles wide, with an area of 720 square miles. In the center,  an extensive plateau rises to 1,900 feet with three mountain ranges bordering  the central tableland. 

MAURITIUS: COUNTRY INFORMATION

All countries forming part of the Republic of Mauritius i.e. Mauritius, Rodrigues,
Agalega, St Brandon, Chagos Archipelago and Tromelin.

• Government Type:          

Independent since 12^th March 1968.  Status of Republic since 12^th March 1992.  The Republic of Mauritius is a parliamentary democracy and is governed by the Prime Minister, a Cabinet (council of Ministers) and a National Assembly.  The President who is elected by the National Assembly on a motion made by the Prime Minister serves as Head of State.

• Legal System:      

Legal system based on the concept of the rule of law.  Substantive and adjectival laws are largely inspired from the English common law and the French Codes.  The Constitution of Mauritius is the supreme law of the country and entrenches inter alia fundamental rights
of the citizen and the principle of an independent judiciary.

• Executive Branch:           

The executive authority of Mauritius is vested in the President but the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister and consisting of other Ministers holds the effective executive powers. 
Ministers are appointed from among the elected members of the National Assembly except for the Attorney General (Minister of Justice) who may or may not be an elected member of the National Assembly.

• Legislative Branch:         

The National Assembly consists of 62 members elected by universal suffrage in 20 three-member constituencies and one two-member constituency plus a maximum of eight "best losers" who are nominated from amongst the defeated candidates at general elections.  General Elections are held every five years.

• Judicial Branch:        

The independent judiciary is headed by the Chief Justice.  The Supreme Court of Mauritius has unlimited jurisdiction over subordinate Courts.  Litigants may also have recourse in certain specific cases to the jurisdiction of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council sitting in the United Kingdom. Judicial and legal appointments are made by the Judicial and Legal Service Commission which is chaired by the Chief Justice.

Mauritius People

Age Structure:
Age Structure is the distribution of the population according to age. The age
structure of a population affects a nation's key socioeconomic issues.
Countries with young populations (high percentage under age 15) need to invest
more in schools, while countries with older populations (high percentage ages
65 and over) need to invest more in the health sector. The age structure can
also be used to help predict potential political issues. For example, the rapid
growth of a young adult population unable to find employment can lead to
unrest.

Mauritius Literacy

Literacy Rate:
The ability to read and write at a specified age. Information on literacy,
while not a perfect measure of educational results, is probably the most easily
available and valid for international comparisons. Low levels of literacy, and
education in general, can impede the economic development of a country in the
current rapidly changing, technology-driven world.

The recent crises have shown the extent to which economic and financial policies failures and poor governance can affect global progress and put at risk hard earned gains from globalization and trade expansion. There are now increasing concerns over the ability of international institutions and governments to predict potential risks and vulnerabilities having global dimensions. Successive failures of the global surveillance and early warning systems to predict the recent crises have had damaging effects on world economic progress
and on the poverty eradication initiatives in many countries.    

The recent downturns continue to provide lessons on the importance of sound economic and financial policies and good governance.  The debt crisis in the Euro-zone and US was
the most remote event analysts around the globe would have predicted. The crisis is already having ripple effects on BRIC economies and is likely to further delay global recovery and put at risk poverty eradication initiatives.

Most countries are now reviewing their economic outlooks for fear that the euro debt crisis might turn into a banking crisis across Europe. This could lead to a situation like in 2008-09 where banks were unable to extend credit - leading to a credit crunch with a slowdown in consumption, investment and growth. The lack of fiscal room for stimulus packages in Europe and in US to combat possible economic downturn poses additional challenge. There is still concern over the effectiveness of policies taken by the US and the Euro-zone to address their debt woes. Some analysts believe that more needs to be done to boost
confidence, improve trade, reduce debt, increase commodity supplies and address the challenges facing the international financial system. 

Mauritian Economy

These developments in the global economy have wide implications for Mauritius given
its level of openness and high dependence on the regions that have been most affected. Though Mauritius has been resilient so far, the extended duration of the turmoil due to the Euro and US debt crisis is already impacting on the confidence level of economic operators. There are indications that the growth will remain below historical average at least in the medium term and much lower than the 6% - 7% target set out prior to the global economic crisis in 2008.  

Real Sector

In 2010 the share of the manufacturing sector in the GDP amounted to around 18.0%, wholesale and retail trade 11.8%, real estate, renting and business activities 12.4% and
transport, storage and communication 10.0%. All the sectors of the economy, except sugar, recorded positive growth. The economy grew by 4.3 per cent compared to 3.1 per cent in 2009. Growth was mainly driven by strong performance in sectors like the ICT (13.1%), seafood (10.4%), real estate and business activities (6.5%), hotels and restaurants (6%) and financial services (4.3%) as well as manufacturing (2.1%). The export oriented sectors grew by 6.5% compared to a contraction of 0.9% in 2009.

In 2011 growth is projected at around 4.5%. The main sectors that are likely to contribute
towards this growth are real estate, renting and business activities (0.8%), manufacturing (0.7%), financial intermediation (0.6%) and transport, storage and communications 0.5%).

The investment rate (as measured by GDFCF as a share to the GDP at market price) was 24.9 per cent last year and current indications are that it will remain around the same level in 2011.  As regards FDI, it amounted to Rs 13.9 billion (USD 450 million) last year. Latest indications are that the FDI will drop to around Rs 7 bn this year.  

Saving rate defined as the ratio of Gross National Savings to GDP at market prices
rose to 15.6%, in 2010 and is projected to reach 16.6% this year.

Prices

The rate of inflation, as measured by growth in the 12 months average Consumer Price
Index, dropped to 2.9% in 2010. For the year ending July 2011, the rate of inflation was 5.5%. Developments in the international commodity market, mainly food and energy markets, are likely to impact negatively on domestic prices. The upward trend is thus likely to persist in the short term.

Fiscal Sector

As regards the fiscal sector, Mauritius closed its 2010 financial year with a lower than
estimated budget deficit and improved debt ratios. The overall budget deficit dropped to 3.2% of GDP in 2010 compared to 3.9% of GDP in 2009 while public sector debt reached 57.7% of GDP by 2010 end. For 2011, the overall budget deficit is estimated at around 4.3% of GDP. The focus is, inter-alia, to keep the deficit at sustainable level and consistent with achieving the debt target of 50% of GDP by 2018 and to improve the quality of deficit by diverting relatively more resources towards capital investment.

The 2011 budget is likely to be presented in November this year with main focus on
unlocking growth, expediting fiscal reforms to bring in more fairness and efficiency in the system, improving the social welfare system and dealing with the crisis.

External Sector

Net exports of goods and services showed a deficit of Rs 33,967 million in 2010, higher than the deficit of Rs 26,454 million registered in 2009. This represented 11.3% of GDP compared to 9.4% in 2009. In 2011, the projected deficit in net exports of goods and services is estimated at Rs 43,106 million, which represents 13.2% of GDP.

The country's net international reserves (NIR) rose from Rs 105.7 bn in 2009 to Rs 108.0 bn in 2010, representing more than 41 weeks of imports.

Labour

In 2010 some 12,300 job were created on a net basis. The rate of unemployment rose to
7.8% from 7.3% in 2009. The increase in the rate of unemployment has been noted from 2009 and is mainly attributable to the effects of the global economic crisis. Bulk of the employed remained female workforce (13.0%). In 2011 the rate of unemployment is projected to remain around the same level. 

Per Capita GDP

The GDP per capita for the economy reached USD 7,400 in 2010 and is projected to rise to around USD 8,950 this year. As regards per capita GNI, it is likely to reach around 9,100 this year. Mauritius is among those countries which belong to the upper middle income group.

Doing Business Index

Mauritius has been among the top 30 in the Doing Business report of the World Bank since it was first included in 2006. In, 2011 Mauritius was ranked 20^th out of 183 countries and first in Sub-Saharan Africa for Ease of Doing Business. Mauritius also scores highly in terms of Starting a business and Protecting investors (12^th on both sub-indices).

Risks and Vulnerabilities

Financial soundness indicators for Mauritius reveal high capital adequacy ratios, few non-performing loans, and sound liquidity positions. The Mauritian banking sector has so far withstood the downturn well. Banks have remained liquid and well-capitalized, even above the proposed Basel III requirements. The share of non-performing loans (NPL) decreased and banks were profitable with 16.7 percent return on equity despite low leverage ratios.
Stress-tests conducted by BOM in June 2010 indicated that the domestic banks would be resilient to significant increases in NPLs and losses on large exposures.

As regards macroeconomic fundamentals, the public sector debt as a share of GDP is on a downwards track. In the IMF's latest Article IV consultation Report mentioned that "Mauritius is well placed to comply with the legally-mandated public debt limit of below 50 percent of GDP by 2018". The challenge is to balance the need for heavy investment in infrastructure while at the same time reducing the public sector debt. Priority is being given to measures that address infrastructural constraints and improve potential growth. On the external front, Mauritius has been able to improve its external balances with NIR representing more than 40 weeks of imports - which is well above the required level.

The degree of openness of the economy, as measured by total of exports and imports of goods and services as a ratio to the GDP, improved in 2010 and 2011.

The stimulus measures taken in the Economic Restructuring and Competitiveness Package (2010) and in the annual budgets have not only been effective in mitigating impact on growth, job creation, FDI, external balances, but have also supported restructuring initiatives to better manage risks and vulnerabilities arising from external developments.

To overcome risks Mauritius has also been taking a number of initiatives to deepen diversification with the development of new sectors, specially service oriented ones, and to support private sector initiatives to diversify their markets. Countries with high potential growth such China, India and Russia are the main markets where Mauritius is now trying to increase its share of exports. 

 Mauritius Economy:

Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low-income,  agriculturally based economy to a middle-income diversified economy with  growing industrial, financial, and tourist sectors. For most of the period,  annual growth has been in the order of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement  has been reflected in more equitable income distribution, increased life  expectancy, lowered infant mortality, and a much-improved infrastructure. The  government's development strategy centers on expanding local financial  institutions and building a domestic information telecommunications industry.  Mauritius, with its strong textile sector and responsible fiscal management,
has been well poised to take advantage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act
(AGOA). 

• 
  Macroeconomic  indicators 

 *forecast Exchange rate as at November 2011: USD 1=MUR 30 (MUR: Mauritian Rupee) 

• 
  GDP  Contribution per sector

Foreign Direct Investment  (FDI) 

In the year 2010, Mauritius  attracted a record level of FDI to the tune of USD 470M. Mauritius gets its FDI  mainly from France, UK, South Africa and India. FDI to Mauritius goes to a wide  array of sectors ranging from real estate, construction, to financial services,
ICT/BPO, healthcare, knowledge, manufacturing among others. 

The Mauritius Board of  Investment (BOI), the official investment promotion agency of the Government of  Mauritius, is responsible for the promotion of FDI in the island. The BOI is
also a one-stop shop for foreign investors interested in developing business  and investment ventures in Mauritius. 

To read more on the manifold  business and investment opportunities in Mauritius, please connect to the  website of the BOI namely www.investmauritius.com.

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The Prime Minister`s Office has come up with new guidelines that set out in details the procedures to be followed for obtention of student visa and residence permit for foreign students.

Application forms, guidelines and other useful information are obtainable from the following URL addresses:

http://pmo.gov.mu or http://passport.gov.mu

• or from the

Passport and Immigration Office (Residence Permit Section)

8^th Floor, Sterling House, 9-11Lislet Geoffroy Street, Port Louis

Tel:       + (230) 2109319

             + (230) 2109312

Fax:      + (230) 2109322

Email:   piomain@mail.gov.mu

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Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry
3, Royal Street, Port Louis, Mauritius
230 2083301 (t)
230 2080076 (f)
www.mcci.org
mcci@mcci.org 

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Mauritius Top Hundred Companies

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The University Mobility in the Indian Ocean Rim Study Exchange Consortium (UMIOR SEC) is a group of universities from the Indian Ocean Rim which are committed to increasing internationalization at their institutions. UMIOR functions as a network to facilitate the formation of partnerships to provide student exchange opportunities. UMIOR is also a forum for members to share good practice and policy on all areas of internationlisation. The aim is to promote student exchanges between universities under the UMIOR SEC.Only universities who have signed the UMIOR SEC agreement are eligible to participate in the UMIOR exchange.

In October 2008 the UoM offered the following facilities for placement of students from IOR-ARC member states:

(a)    A 50 % discount on tuition fees be extended to the IOR-ARC countries

(b)    Students from the IOR-ARC countries be offered scholarships, tenable at the University of Mauritius, by the Mauritian Government via a multilateral agreement. However, such an agreement shall entail an element of reciprocity to enable UoM students to benefit from similar scholarships tenable at institutions of IOR-ARC countries.

The member countries of the IOR-ARC are Australia, People's Republic of Bangladesh, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Madagascar, Malaysia, Republic of Mauritius, Republic of Mozambique, Sultanate of Oman, Republic of Seychelles, Republic of Singapore, Republic of South Africa, Republic of Sri Lanka, Republic of Tanzania, Kingdom of Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Republic of Yemen. The table below shows the number of students from the IOR-ARC member states studying in Mauritius.

 
The table shows that a total of 355 students from IOR-ARC member states are pursuing their studies in public and private tertiary education institutions in Mauritius.

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Mauritius is at the cultural cross roads of Europe, Africa and Asia and anyone can adapt easily to its living environment

English and French are commonly spoken

Mauritius is well located geographically (Surrounded by Africa and Asia) and is served by
many airlines, namely, Air Mauritius, British Airways, Condor, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Emirates, Air France and many more.

Simple and hassle-free visa procedures.

Safe and comfortable place to study

Social and political stability

Affordable cost of living and low tuition fees compared to developed nations

Multi-cultural studying environment

Tertiary-level programmes based on both British and French systems

Natural beauty of the country with sandy beaches and unpolluted environment

What to study in Mauritius?

As at 2010, 770 programmes were being run locally. These programmes encompass a wide range of areas and the main fields of study include the following:

Accounting, Banking, Finance, Administration, Management, IT, Fashion and Design, Travel, Tourism, Hospitality, Hotel Management, Engineering, Medicine, Law and Psychology among others.

The level of the programmes available ranges from certificate, Diploma, Advanced/ Higher Diploma, Degree, Post Graduate Certificate, Post Graduate Diploma, Masters Degree, Doctoral and Professional Qualifications.

Where to study in Mauritius?

A total of 66 institutions are presently in operation including 55 private ones and 11 publicly-funded. Whilst most of the qualifications of the publicly-funded institutions are awarded by the two public universities namely University of Mauritius and University of
Technology, Mauritius, the private institutions operate in collaboration with overseas awarding bodies:

Tertiary Education Commission

Website:          www.tec.mu

Study Mauritius Office  

Email:  studymauritius@mail.gov.mu

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No documentation found except in the Concept Paper "Developing Countries Partnership Scholarship (DCPS)" where there is a clause on health insurance whereby students are eligible to check up their health condition at a public health centre referred by the university and health insurance given to the student is based on the recommended doctor's statement. Students should bear the costs if ever they have to consult a specialist including dentists, eye
specialists and maternity specialists

The University of Mauritius (UoM), the Mauritius College of the Air (MCA) and the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE) are the three main providers of publicly-funded tertiary institutions that are involved in the provision of distance learning. The UoM is a conventional university which provides some of its courses through distance education. The MCA offers programmes exclusively through distance education and awards degrees, diplomas or certificates through the University of Mauritius. The MIE is a teacher training institute with its degrees awardedthrough the University of Mauritius. Despite offering conventional courses, it also a significant part of its courses through distance education.

Tertiary Education Commission

Website:          www.tec.mu

University of Mauritius

Website:          www.uom.ac.mu

Mauritius College of the Air

Website:          www.mca.ac.mu

Mauritius Institute of Education

Website:          www.mieonline.org

The Prime Minister`s Office has come up with new guidelines that set out in details the procedures to be followed for obtention of student visa and residence permit for foreign students.

Application forms, guidelines and other useful information are obtainable from the following URL addresses:

http://pmo.gov.mu or http://passport.gov.mu

• or from the

Passport and Immigration Office (Residence Permit Section)

8^th Floor, Sterling House, 9-11Lislet Geoffroy Street, Port Louis

Tel:       + (230) 2109319

             + (230) 2109312

Fax:      + (230) 2109322

Email:   piomain@mail.gov.mu