Building on the outcome of the 2021/2022 budget, the 2022/2023 budget is about:
- Strengthening the economic growth and resilience to future shocks
- Accelerating the transition to a sustainable and inclusive development model
- Investing in the people
KEY ECONOMIC INDICATORS
- GDP will exceed its pre-pandemic level, reaching MUR520 billion by 2022 compared to MUR465 billion in 2021
- Unemployment is expected to go down to 7.8 % from 9.1 % a year ago
- Exports of goods and services will reach MUR169 billion from MUR141 billion in 2021
- Investment rate will increase to 21.2 % from 19.2 %
- FDI will exceed MUR20 billion from MUR 15.4 billion
- Tourist arrivals will reach 1 million in 2022 compared to 179,780 in 2021
- Public sector debt will be on a downward trend from 96.1 % in June 2021 to 87.4 % in June 2022
- Government debt will fall from 87.1 % in June 2021 to 77.3 % in June 2022
- Inflation rate is expected to be at 8.6% in 2022
With the theme: “WITH THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE”, this year’s budget had a main focus on formulating socio-economic policies in view of strengthening economic growth and resilience to future shocks. A “Maurice Stratégie” will be set up to increase jobs, higher skills, higher production, greater investment, lower inflation and lower debt.
FINANCIAL SERVICES – What should be retained.
The financial services industry has demonstrated strong resilience in the face of the crisis with a growth rate of 4.2 % last year. Moving out of the FATF, EU and UK lists, the Mauritian government intends to build on this momentum and announced:- The Bank of Mauritius together with the Bank of China will launch a regional Renminbi Clearing Centre this year
- The Bank of Mauritius will collaborate with the National Payments Corporation of India for the issuance of “RuPay” cards and Indian QR Code in Mauritius
- A National payment card will be introduced
- The FSC will revamp its framework to enable Re-Insurance companies to set up operations in Mauritius
- To adapt its legislative framework to converge the domestic and the global regime
- Introduction of a domestic minimum top-up tax to ensure that resident companies of large multinationals are taxed at a minimum rate of 15%
- To cater for specialist trainings in the sector, the Financial Services Institute will become an awarding body
- The BOM and the FSC will renew their one-year graduate training programme on AML, targeting 100 graduates
- The Financial Crime Commission will be set-up to ensure an effective coordination in the fight against financial crimes.
AMENDMENTS TO ACTS:
THE FINANCIAL SERVICES ACT
- Will be amended to remove “Global Headquarters Administration”, “Global Shared Services” and “Global Treasury Activities” from the scope of “financial services”.
- Will be amended to create a separate section for regulation of global activities in line with FATF requirements.
BANK OF MAURITIUS ACT
- Will be amended to clarify that BOM may open accounts and accepts deposits from persons for the purpose of issuing digital currency
- Will be amended to increase the functionalities of the Central KYC system and the Central Accounts Registry, with a view to facilitating collection, verification, validation and extraction of KYC records.
BANKING ACT
- Will be amended to modify the criteria for the BOM to grant an in-principle approval in the context of an application for a banking license. This will be issued to the applicant only if all the conditions imposed are fulfilled and all the required documents are submitted.
INSURANCE ACT
- Will be amended to establish a framework for Structured Investment-Linked Insurance Business activities
SECURITIES ACT
- Will be amended to also allow an Official Exchange to investigate for market abuse cases involving issuers on securities exchanges
VIRTUAL ASSET AND INITIAL TOKEN OFFERING SERVICES ACT
- Will be amended to allow the FSC and investigatory authorities to make use of software/digital tools in carrying out supervision and investigation
- Will be amended to allow information obtained by the FSC and investigatory authorities from such software/digital tools to be admissible as evidence for purposes of a criminal investigation, prosecution or other related criminal or civil court proceedings.
For more information, please contact: office@rosemont.mu