Dear Readers,

Welcome to the very first edition of the Economic Development Board’s monthly newsletter.

The EDB, born out of the merger of the Board of Investment, the Financial Services Promotion Agency and Enterprise Mauritius, has been as you are aware, mandated with the promotion of Mauritius as an investment, trade and services platform, facilitation of investments, and perhaps more importantly, the provision of the short, medium and long-term economic strategy of the country to achieve the growth and development objectives of the Government.

These objectives do not limit themselves to GDP growth. They are broader in scope, as we aim towards improving the living standards of the population. For that to happen, we should ensure that the progress we make as an economy results in a fair redistribution of wealth and opportunities, and to achieve this, we will indulge in policy advocacy guided by the tenets of economic independence, sustainability and social inclusiveness.

Incidentally, this issue coincides with the celebrations of our 50th anniversary as an independent nation, which is an opportune time to reflect on the path we have tread on so far, as well as on the journey ahead.

Our model of development and the structural transformation that we have undergone have often earned the plaudits of international organisations and neighbour countries. The sustained growth that we have achieved has furthermore translated into an improvement in the quality of life of the population. We have today modern infrastructure, excellent connectivity and free access to healthcare and education.

Several factors have been attributed to this success, including preferential access to markets, strong institutions or favourable conditions. The most important variable however was the peerless determination of the Mauritian population to succeed where they were expected to fail, and the willingness to go beyond established frontiers is today stronger than ever.

This resolve in fact stems through an innate capacity to adapt to challenges and make the most of opportunities. The Economic Development Board is yet another example of this trait that has characterized our nation even before independence. There have been constant changes in our institutional landscape over the last five decades to propel Mauritius where it is today, and the EDB has been created in this very spirit.  

Indeed, the current mercurial global environment warrants that we adopt dynamic, flexible and proactive approaches to policy advocacy. The EDB will provide the basis of this new élan. Research-based policy, market driven promotion of investment and trade and effective business facilitation are some of the key engagements of the new institution.

The work has already started, and the Board of the EDB is joining the final pieces of the puzzle to obtain an organization that is fully able to deliver to expectations. The motivation to achieve our objectives is well present, even more so with this prospect to perhaps influence the next 50 years, and we will spare no efforts in planning and realising the Mauritian dream.

Joseph E. Charles Cartier
Chairman

 (Source: Economic Development Board March 2018 Newsletter)