 Modern infrastructure in the Sea Port |
The sea port has recently been innovated. Mauritius has over the last
few years been involved in modernising the infrastructure. With the help of the World Bank, a new quay, a new
container terminal, a modern and huge portico have been developed so as to increase
facilities in the port. The sea port have been organised in such a way that its working
hours is 24 hours. A new Mauritius Ports Act has been voted in order to modernise the
framework and it is the Cargo Handling Corporation that is responsible for all the
handling operation within the port area.
| Freeport: optimism for the future |
With the Freeportactivities the main aim is to develop Mauritius as a regional base for international
trade. About 550 companies have been issued with a licence by the Mauritius Freeport
Authority which was set up in 1992.
| A pro-business and out-ward looking policy has led to
the development of the Mauritius Freeport which derives its competitive edge from established air, sea and trade links
with Southern and Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands. With the help of road shows
in some countries, development has been gradual and the growth, though slow, is on the
right path. The turnover is increasing satisfactorily year by year. It is expecting that
through a further aggressive marketing, and using the advantage that Mauritius is a bridge
between Asia and Africa and other parts of the world, there is no doubt that this sector
will know significant growth in the future. The Freeport legislation provides for a
liberal and comprehensive package of incentives for companies looking for a cost effective
storage, assembly and a redistribution location. These include a zero rate tax on the
corporate profits, dividends not taxable, exemption from customs duties on all goods
imported into the freeport Zones, reduced port handling charges for all goods destined for
re-export, free repatriation of profits, 100% foreign ownership, access to offshore
banking facilities and a possibility of selling a percentage of total turnover on local
market.
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