Mauritius and France have signed three agreements to bolster economic ties and protect investments between the two countries.

Sugar cane growers  in Mauritius claim they are facing  great injustice.
“Instead of getting Rs 9 800 per tonne of molasses, the farmers receive only Rs 1600 .Even in the case of  a tonne of bagasse, the farmers  get Rs 100.03 instead of Rs 1500 which is not justified.

The Central Statistics Office recently indicated that the amount of food imports has declined from Rs.28.2 billion in 2008 to Rs 22.1 billion in 2009. Two basic commodities like rice and wheat have increased the import volume but  decreased in amount.

Work from home
The Work From Home (WFH) Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) model will start in Mauritius in April 2010. The project, as announced in the 2010 Budget, aims at creating opportunities for full time or part time employment, particularly for women and disabled people who want to work from home. while attending other responsibilities.

The textile sector is poised for growth and in a bid to reinvigorate the textile industry, operators are urged to seek ways and means to produce goods with  added value to remain competitive in the global market.

The Mauritius Revenue Authority expects tax receipts to the order of Rs4.1 billion this year.
According to the MRA Director General Sudhamo Lal, the figure is approximately the same as the amount collected for the last financial year.

External trade deficit
Figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) indicate deficit on external trade for 2009 was lower at Rs 57.7 billion compared to Rs 64.2 billion in 2008. Exports for 2009 were Rs 60 billion, lower than in 2008 (Rs 67.9 billion).

The Mauritius Revenue Authority has oiled all its engines to encourage taxpayers to settle their dues voluntarily and fast through new e-filing facilities by April 5 this year.

The loan agreement for an amount of USD 20 million was signed between the World Bank and Ministry of Finance and Economic Empowerment at the Government House, Port Louis on Tuesday.

The  Government plans to invest on infrastructural projects without disturbing the ecological balance and, for this, it is providing a sum of Rs  200 billion spread over the next decade.

Tourism receipts up
Although the  tourism receipts plummeted last year  following the impact of the global economic crisis,this year seems to be promising with a recovery estimated at 12.5 per cent contribution to the GDP.

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has identified the need for secure and reliable payment structure to enhance business development in the region through the introduction of regional payment and settlement system.

A report  of the Mauritius Audit Bureau reveals fraud cases in the distribution of construction materials financed by the Trust Fund for the vulnerable groups.

BPO scheme
The MoU signed between the Board of Investment (BOI) and Quatrro for the new concept   “Work from home BPO scheme” will prove to be a boon for the country.

Delegates from Turkey and Fininance Ministry officials  started the third round of  talks on how to improve trade between the two countries. They met at the Government House on Tuesday.