Mr. Sunassee could you give to the readers a brief historic of
background of Mauritius economic evolution since the beginning of the 90’s?
Beginning of the 90’s. Mauritius was known and worth a mono crop
economy cultivating sugar-cane introducing sugar and after independence there was new
forms Mauritius to look again at its pattern of economic development and for a short spell
of time it was evident that an import substitution regime would help economic growth in
the country. However very quickly it was realised that because of the size or smallness of
the island and the size of the population and the purchasing power in the country, people
with such substitution was not going to bring us very far in our development and in the
early 70’s we started working out a fresh and an industrial development program
whereby we came up another concept: the Export Processing Zone, commonly known as the
EPZ. All the package of incentives in line with what we followed at that time would be of
interest to potential investors and also a new approach to processing zones, in the sense
that we turn the whole island into an economic zone not like it exists at that time in
other countries where there were specific areas demarcated .So we in Mauritius we are a
newly independent country with a multicultural population, bilingual educated, open to the
world because we also at the same time started developing our external relationship, and
very quickly we became the members of different both national, international and regional
organisation and we also through the EEC join the Lome group which later on became the ACP
group. With the open economy and all the background that was mentioned. We started
attracting investors in Mauritius from everywhere from France, from Hong-Kong, from UK.
To come back to the Export Processing Zone what were exactly the role
of those zones in the economic growth more precisely?
More precisely. now the economic group growth rate in the economy of
Mauritius 71 was 10.6. 87 not equal down because there was war recession (I give you the
table later) and the EPZ growth rate itself between 83 to last year has been between 8.9,
and last year it was 6 it was from 8 to 22, then started 87 was the big then in 91, 95, 97
was in the region of 5 to 6% compared to the normal growth in the global economy, for
example last year was 5.3, so I leave it to you what has happened, that in fact, the
sugar-cane which use sugar-cane plantation and production of sugar, which used to be the
biggest, the most important activity in the island has now been placed by the EPZ and has
been for years now by the EPZ and then in term of employment we see the same pattern there
is about 83,000 people now employed in the manufacturing sector, specifically the EPZ
sector, not the manufacturing, but the manufacturing within the EPZ sector.
We have seen that there are not a lot of public companies in Mauritius
so the question is what is your role between the private sector and the public sector?
My role, facilitator, that’s in fact the role not of just the
ministry but the role of government has received in Mauritius our role is a facilitator.
Last month the VAT tax was introduced it seems now that it has some
negative effects on the economy that the prices are increasing so what are you doing to
solve that problem?
I’m not sure that one can after one month talk of negative effects
if we are going to analyse things on a daily basis and change policy every 24 hour or for
that matter every 30 days I’m sure of one thing that we interrule the country and its
economy I think that everything that is planned has to be looked in the long term so we
are talking of a modern mauritian economy we are talking of our obligations at national,
international and regional level, one cannot pretend to be able to run an economy as if it
was in 1960’s when we are of two years before the next century. that is not true we
have not and we do not pretend that we have invented VAT, VAT is a rule to be an economic
measure that has been used throughout the world and has brought results and there is one
thing that one should not forget that prior to VAT there was the Sales Tax in Mauritius
and the difference between the Sales Tax and VAT, is that one is the following system and
the VAT, is the new way of looking at things and the difference between the quantum is
only 2%. Sales Tax at 8% existed in Mauritius before VAT . It is also true to say
that certain sectors that were not covered by Sales Tax are now some services which were
not on now covered by VAT but one should not forget that with VAT there is also
modernisation of the custom regime which means reduction in custom duties, so, I
don’t think it is proper to try to qualify the result of VAT after 30 days.
Which is in your opinion the most attractive economic sector in
Mauritius?
It seems I like to work very hard but I also like my pleasure I would
say tourism by definition it has to be the nicest.
What kind of foreign investment do you expect in the near future and in
which sector?
Ok, I mentioned tourism, there’s a lot to be done there ,
I’m not trying to assume the role of my colleague the minister of the tourism but
tourism is not just building hotels all the other aspects that goes with him from
restaurant, I think there’s a lot room to be done, there is the service sector, there
is the offshore, there is the Freeport and there is still the manufacturing sector in
Mauritius: I think Mauritius has over the past 25 years established itself as a textile
centre in the region and we believe that there is still room for development for expansion
where the target of approach ; right segment, target marketing and appropriate
commercial strategy. One has also seen that during last 3 years certain big names in
fashion have been visiting Mauritius most of the fashion magazines are now using
Mauritius, well may be there is still room for other things but at least they started
recognising Mauritius as not just a place for manufacture but a place where they can come
and present their models and designs.
| And particularly in the industrial sector could you mention precisely
some investments opportunities?
The whole IT systems need to be developed and I mentioned the textile,
but in the agreement talking of the type of textile that we attracted in the 80’s we
are now talking of not ‘Haute Couture’ but let say products with design
innovation, value added . Printing is another sector that is also very interest to us
in Mauritius, jewelry, fashion accessories which goes to the textile sector and then
anybody who believe that they’ve got a good project are welcomed.
Mauritius is a member of a lot of International organisations what are
your future plans to develop the front economic relations of the country and here
I’am thinking about a plan in Mozambique?
I think we’ve already announce together with our friends in
Mozambique the close relationship that we have, and the fields of co-operation and the
important part is not by just the government announcement of its intention ; is the
full participation of the private sector at all level, from the top to middle businessmen
so the government has pave the way but neglecting the population the business centre
involve in our relationship economic and other social with Mozambique. One should not
forget that it is not a new contact with Mozambique in Mauritius. I think it’s
something that was there which needed development, and that we are very happy we’ve
been able to move that fast with our friends in Mozambique.
Are the United States of America an important trade partner and foreign
investor in Mauritius?
Well, they are important partners yes, trade partners yes, they buy
sugar from us, they buy manufacture goods from us I myself was with a new approach between
the region and the states, I think there is a new approach by the United States that it is
part of the world. Mauritius is a member of the SADC and the relationship between SADC has
a grouping and the states is now well known. Their initiatives have been presented there
is this bill which has that has been made will be in actedearly next year but I
think the base is important but the approach is much more important than the base but
where leaders talking of ‘Renaissance d’Afrique’ then we are talking of
recognition of the region that was neglected for years.
As a more global question how confident are you in the future of your
country?
I wouldn’t be minister I will gone fishing. I think the facts are
there we move from a mono crop economy in 1968 to where we are today. The future of the
country is to me it doesn’t cause any problem, it’s true that there are
challenges, it’s true that there are changes at the global level its true that things
are changing, we are changing century so we cannot expect all things not just in Mauritius
but throughout the world does not stagnant, things are supposed to move forward, things
are supposed to change and this is what we are preparing Mauritius for. We are preparing
Mauritius for the years ahead to face the challenges the changes and to be able to make
full use of each and every opportunity. We have as objectives to see to it that each and
every Mauritius get the same chances after all it is how the Mauritian is going to make
the future of the country obviously, there is international influences that affects the
well being of the country but specially in Mauritius a country without any other ressource
except the human resource.
Is there specialised schools specialising in the manufacture of
textile, of tourism in each sector?
We have special institutions, we have the tourist sector there is, in
the textile there is a centre for the textile and clothing, there is an institution for
the IVTB which is responsible for training at different level in different fields training
they go from plumbing, electricians ,the private sector also is involve in training.
As post graduate
level ?
As post graduate level the university is the only one we are talking of
academic qualifications as post graduate technical.
If you want to go further into your tourism studies you can do it or
you go abroad?
You go abroad but depends what you want to do in tourism
Now as a more personal issue what has been your biggest satisfaction as
the Minister of Commerce and Industry?
I’ve never satisfied that I have done but I always believe that
there are more things to be done better ways of doing things.
As a final issue what would be your final message to our readers?
I think that Mauritius has been able to achieve over a period of 25
years part of it. What I would ask to your readers to look at our achievements look at the
strategic geographical position of Mauritius, look at our track record, by this I mean the
political stability in the country, the type of regime that we had and in their
evaluations for future development of the companies but Mauritius in the puzzle and
evaluate the potential and as a country with a multiracial multi -language population
people from any corner of the world should find himself at home in Mauritius. |
