The Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry

On many counts, 2007 has been an exceptional year for our institution. For the first time in its long history, our Chamber has brought to fruition and invested in two major trade facilitation projects in a single year. The projects, which are under implementation, will not only bring significant benefits to the business community; they will also equip our country with state-of-the-art trade and logistics facilities while bringing meaningful and secure returns to our Chamber in the long term. After the investment of the Chamber in the ‘Tradenet’ project in 1993-1994 and the Building in the Ebène Cybercity in 2005, these two projects are major milestones on the road to making of the MCCI a proactive institution in tune with the expectations of the business community in this new century.

2007 has also been an exceptional year in terms of the number and quality of events organized during the year. The organization of sensitization workshops on the latest developments in international, regional and bilateral trade negotiations, meetings on proposed or new legislation of interest to the business community, trade and investment promotion events and a record number of visits of foreign business delegations have resulted in an impressive calendar of events as witnessed by reports in the media. And among these events it is worthwhile to mention the ‘Forum Economique des Iles de l’Océan Indien’ which was a huge success.

The past year also witnessed further recognition by international institutions and other foreign business organisations of the capacity of our institution to represent them carry out their mission and collaborate with them. The ‘Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency’, a specialised agency of the World Bank, chose our Chamber to be its Private Sector Liason Office in Mauritius.

The international agenda of the Chamber during 2007 also made a heavier call on its resources. In addition to its involvement in trade and investment promotion activities abroad and other on-going trade discussions, the need to conclude the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations by the end of 2007 compelled our Chamber to participate in the intensive negotiations during the second half of the year. It was quite a feet for our Chamber to be part and parcel of the various trade negotiating processes during the whole year in addition to the EPA negotiations.

The agenda of the Chamber to defend and promote the interests of the business community at home was intense. Macro-economic orientations, budgetary measures, new trade laws (competition, price control), new business facilitation measures prompted strong reactions, representations and intensive lobbying by our Chamber.

In spite of this heavy agenda, our Chamber, although being a non-profit organization, engaged itself further in CSR activities. In addition to its involvement in the ‘Mauritius Young Entrepreneurship Trust’ activities, it provided support and contributed financially to the private sector participation in the ZEP schools project. It also lent its services for the Empowerment Programme.

During the year it also continued its pursuit to achieve higher governance standards in its internal management through continuous audit of its various activities and review of existing procedures.

And to crown it all, the Chamber did exceptionally well in its financial performance, providing it with the means to consolidate its existing services to the business community and to take advantage of new opportunities which would arise in the future.

After examining in detail the activities of our Chamber, we shall have the opportunity to look at the prospects for the coming year.

In working towards its mission to serve and promote the interests of the business community in playing a leading role in the economic development of Mauritius, the Chamber has always recognized the value of its Membership and has paid due attention to the concerns of Members.

During 2007, the Chamber has welcomed some 30 new Members, who have enriched further diversity and representativeness of our membership. In fact, in addition to the traditional sectors, the new sectors, particularly the services sector, are being represented more and more. The activities represented include auditing, finance, consultancy, architecture, advertising, restaurants, data processing and business process outsourcing. This diversity of sectors proves that the Chamber is consolidating its stand as a multisectoral organization.

To consolidate and expand its membership, the Chamber has dedicated itself to a continuous improvement of its wide spectrum of services. These include networking events, access to useful information, government advocacy, listing in the Annual Report and on our Website and business referrals. Fueled by a constant focus on member value and results, the Chamber is working towards implementing new services and benefits for Members.

ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE

Fully aware of the fact that the quality of its services depends mainly on the skills of its staff and the efficiency of its work processes, the Chamber has put a lot of emphasis on the development of its human resources. During the past year action was taken to reinforce the management structure of the Chamber, to pursue the skills development programme, to give greater exposure to the staff and to consolidate the team building exercise with the support of outside expertise.

As far as the financial situation of the Chamber is concerned, there has been a further improvement in the financial performance of our institution. The financial resources generated have enabled a high-level of investment in new projects without having recourse to borrowing. We are confident that these investments will yield new revenue flows in the years to come.

During the year 2007, there were four new staff recruited. At the Head Office, in line with the decision of Council to reinforce the management structure, a post of Manager Finance & Administration was created and Mrs. Sarada Moothoosamy has been recruited to fill the post. Mr. Vagen Amoomoogum and Ms. Luvna Arnassalon have both been recruited as analysts to fill existing vacancies.

At the Centre for Business Studies, Mrs. V. Durgadoo joined the Centre as Attendant. Mrs. Catherine Sooky also joined the Chamber as Clerk at the Duty Refund Counter.

Furthermore, Ms. Jennifer Teeluck resigned from the post of Assistant Documentalist after 5 years spent at the Chamber.

In December last, as part of the drive to bring greater cohesion and efficiency in our Chamber, a team building exercise was organised for all staff of the Chamber. The first part of the team building consisted of a one day activities at Domaine de La Grave. The objective behind such an activity was to promote team work and bring people from different divisions to work together to achieve the goals set by the Chamber. It was also an opportunity for staff to interact and to know each other better in a friendly and fun environment.

Staff participated in various activities such as trekking, construction of raft, fishing etc. The exercise proved to be a real success among staff and it is proposed that other activities be organised to increase team spirit.

The second part of the team building exercise is in progress and consists of a survey of all staff and interviews with a sample of staff from different division at various levels in order to identify different obstacles to an effective teamwork. This will enable management to take remedial action and better equip the staff to work towards the objectives of the Chamber.

Miss Vichittra Santokhee, analyst of the Economics Analysis and Industry Division, participated in a training programme entitled “Public Relations and Statistics: Building Bridges between Statistics Users and Producers” organised by InWEnt, a German based centre for economic, environmental and social statistics. The training was organised in two phases, firstly in Bonn (December 2007) and then in South Africa (February 2008), each for a duration of one week. The aim of the training was to build up confidence in statistics and policy-making and to strengthen the ability of critical interpretation of statistical data.

The Manager of the Communications and Promotion Division, Ms. Faeeza Ibrahimsah participated at a training session on India-Africa relations organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry in August 2007. She also attended a training organised by Eurochambres in France in June 2007 on the new role of CCI.

The Analysts of the Communications and Promotion Division and of the Business and Legal Facilitation Division, Mrs. Arline Sookahet and Ms. Anjana Khemraz respectively, participated at a seminar on China-Africa relations organised by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade in Beijing in July 2007.

Mr. Vagen Amoomoogum participated in the 5th edition of the Academy International Trade Forum which took place from 27 to 30 January 2008 in Brussels, Belgium. The training was organised by EuroChambres and covered issues such as trade policy formulation, the organisation of trade missions and discussions on export documentation and trade promotion instruments. The Academy Forum was followed by a 2-day workshop at the Pro-Invest offices in Brussels. The workshop consisted of a debriefing of the Academy Forum and definition of additional training needs.

The Audit Committee, set up in 2003 was chaired last year by Vice-President, Mr. Ahmed Parkar.

In addition to its usual role of overseeing the effectiveness of the Chamber’s financial reporting and internal control procedures, and of examining the Accounts of the Chamber, the Audit Committee has ensured that proper and thorough scrutiny is given to the Chamber’s expenditure, particularly regarding the implementation of new projects.

The Audit Committee examined a number of reports prepared by the internal auditors and made recommendations for their effective application. These reports included the Internal Audit Report on Book Closing Procedures, Fixed Assets, Accounting, Budgeting and Reporting, the Report on the IT General Controls Review, Duty Refund Counter and the Report on the Centre for Business Studies.

Important issues were also examined. The Audit Committee also examined and made recommendations on the Business Network Project for Duty Free shops, placement of deposits to increase the interest income, and the tenders for the procurement of equipment for the Business Facilitation Network Services.

Given that major projects are being undertaken by the Chamber, the role for the Audit Committee has become more critical. Special meetings have been called by the Chairman to address urgent issues.

The recommendations made to Council have been well received and have helped the Council in taking informed decisions.

There has been an improvement in the financial performance of the Chamber with a greater surplus for the year compared to 2006. This improvement reflects better returns from existing activities, specially the Duty Refund Counter at the Airport, revenue from the organization of new activities and a better investment of existing funds, which led to an increase in interest income from deposits. The surplus also reflects savings on a number of expenditure items.

During the past year, the Chamber has been active on a number of fronts to promote and defend the interests of the business community. At the local level, trade issues have kept the Chamber busy during the whole year. However, business facilitation issues, budgetary measures, the promotion of the local industrial sector, assistance to new emerging sectors have also been high on the agenda of the Chamber.

At the international level, the Chamber participated in intensive trade negotiations to seek better and new market access for the export of our goods and services, while at the same time safeguarding the defensive interests’ of our economic operators. The Chamber also organized and participated in promotional events overseas and established new links with business organisations overseas.

The dramatic increase in prices of commodities on the world market and its impact on the price of food products on the local market resulted in real threats for an extension of price control. Not only did the Chamber succeed in averting such threats, it also managed to obtain that the maximum mark-up system on milk be reviewed, with provisions that the system might be relaxed for other products in future.

Fighting price control has again been among one of the main priorities of the Chamber this year. Several meetings were held with the Minister of Commerce as well as with the Minister in charge of Consumer Protection to discuss the problems encountered with maximum mark-up system. The tight margins given to importers, local packers and distributors were having a negative impact on the supply of milk on the local market and did not provide any incentive for new operators to enter the market.

In February this year, the Ministry of Commerce proposed a draft regulation for setting up a Maximum Recommended Retail Price (MRRP) as an alternative to the maximum price and maximum mark-up systems. For the Chamber, the MRRP is a positive step towards the gradual elimination of price control. Under the proposed system, a code of practice will be established where importers will themselves set the MRRP for their products and submit the details of their price structure to the Ministry within five days. Discussions with the Ministry are being pursued in order to finalise the draft regulations.

The Chamber is proposing that the MRRP be extended to other products subjected to maximum price or maximum mark-up system with a view to the complete elimination of price control once the Competition Commission becomes operational.

The significant appreciation of the rupee against major foreign currencies has also been a major issue this year at the Chamber. As result of the appreciation of the rupee, there was an expectation from the public in general that prices of imported commodities would be brought down.

In order to react and communicate on this issue, the Chamber had several meetings with importers to discuss the impact of the appreciation of the rupee on prices of imported goods. The discussions with our Members indicated that although the rupee had appreciated, there were a number of other international factors that were influencing prices on the world market such as high inflation on food products, unfavourable climatic conditions in the major food producing countries, increased global demand and market speculation that had led to an unprecedented increase in the price of commodities. For most products, the positive effect of the appreciation of the rupee was being cancelled out by new increases in import prices. However, where possible, importers indicated that the prices were being reduced. Our Chamber has been working with importers / distributors to better communicate on this issue. A Press Conference was organised by the Chamber to give a balanced view on the impact of the appreciation of the rupee.

The past year has been unprecedented in the Chamber’s involvement in trade negotiations with the main highlight being the series of meetings to conclude the negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union by the end of December 2007. The main objective of the Chamber has been to safeguard and promote the interests of its members on the various negotiating fronts.

The negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union were the main focus last year with a succession of technical meetings and meetings of the Regional Negotiating Forum held to conclude the negotiations. The deadline for completion of the negotiations of the EPA between the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) regions and the European Union was 31 December 2007, which was also the deadline of the waiver given by the WTO to make the Cotonou Agreement compatible with the WTO rules.

For the Chamber, the key objective was to ensure that there was no trade disruption for our exports as from 1 January 2008. Given that negotiations of a number of core issues could not be concluded in time, an interim EPA text was proposed by the EU to prevent trade disruption. The Interim EPA provided for continued duty-free and quota-free market access to the EU for ACP countries that had made a WTO-compatible market access offer to the EU. The Chamber organised a National Workshop in December last year to sensitise the business community on the main provisions of the interim EPA Agreement. Again this year, the EPA negotiations will be high on the agenda of the Chamber. A number of implementation issues that arose as a result of the new interim agreement still need to be resolved. In addition, a number of core issues remain to be finalised for a full EPA to be in place by the end of 2008.

Following the resumption of the Doha Round of WTO negotiations in July 2007, there was very little progress made last year on the key issues of interest to our Members namely market access for non-agricultural products. However since February this year, there are indications that the WTO negotiations are gaining momentum since there has been some progress in the discussions in Geneva. Our Chamber has been actively involved in the national WTO Committee to ensure that the interests of our Members are safeguarded.

Last year, the agenda of the regional trade negotiations both at the level SADC and COMESA were centered on the setting up of a Customs Union. For COMESA, the Custom Union is scheduled to be launched in December 2008 whereas for SADC the target is the year 2010. The Chamber participated in several meetings both in national committees and at regional level to discuss issues relating to the establishment of the Customs Union namely the rates of the common external tariff, the list of sensitive products and setting up of regional trade policies.

In addition, a number of regional meetings were held in SADC to improve the rules of origin so as to make them more flexible. Subsequently in September last year, the SADC rules of origin were significantly improved on a number of products where agreement had been reached among the Member States.

The main objective of the Chamber has been to ensure that the interests of our Members are taken on board in these negotiations. In this endeavour the Chamber is paying special attention to the preservation of the market access of our exporters to the SADC and COMESA countries when the Customs Unions are effectively launched.

After two years of negotiations, the PTA was signed on 30 July 2007 in Mauritius by Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Co-operation, Mr. Madan Dulloo, and the Federal Minister for Commerce of Pakistan, Mr. Humayun Akhtar Khan.

The Chamber has since day one been deeply involved in the negotiations leading to the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between Mauritius and Pakistan. The objectives of the PTA are mainly to strengthen the economic and commercial relationship and to increase the volume of trade in goods and services between the two countries. Under the PTA, tariff concessions have been granted on a list of products of export interest to the both countries, which will allow our local operators to trade with Pakistan on preferential terms. In order to enable the Mauritian business community to benefit fully from this agreement, a workshop is being held to sensitise operators on the main provisions of the PTA, and meetings of the JBC Mauritius-Pakistan will be held shortly in Mauritius and Pakistan

(v) Trade and Investment Framework Agreement with the U.S.

The TIFA between the US and Mauritius was signed on 18 September 2006 in Washington DC with the objective of strengthening and expanding trade and investment relations between the two countries.

Following the first TIFA Council meeting held in Mauritius 5-6 February 2007, a number of meetings were held via digital video conference to work out on the priorities and propose the way forward for the TIFA work plan. The main priorities identified were the negotiation of a Bilateral Investment Treaty between the two countries, implementation issues relating to the AGOA and export promotion. In addition, one of the main recommendations of the TIFA Council meeting was the setting up of a Joint 4 US-Mauritius Private Sector Working Group with a view of enhancing the business linkages between the two countries.

As in past years the Chamber participated actively in the development of our national economic policy. Our contribution was specially important in the context of new economic strategy which was being implemented since 2006.

In its memorandum relating to the 2007/2008 Government Budget submitted to the Minister of Finance in May 2007, the Chamber presented its views on several issues including fiscal policy, investment promotion, trade liberalisation, entrepreneurship development, the role of Government as an enabler, and the importance of a targeted approach for a more effective social programmes. In this context it should be noted that the proposal of the Chamber to fast-track the process of uniformisation of the corporate and personal tax rates at 15% and that on the need to observe a standstill on reducing the level of protection to the local industrial sector, were both included in the 2007/2008 Budget. These two measures have played a key role in making the new fiscal strategy more acceptable to economic operators and taxpayers alike.

It is also worthwhile to note that the targeting of subsidies and social transfers, that we had recommended in this memorandum, and previous ones, has become the subject of a national debate during the course of the year.

After the presentation of the Budget the Chamber has had the opportunity of making other submissions and comments to Government on national economic policy through its own publications, articles in the press and views expressed in meetings convened by the Public Authorities. In doing so the Chamber has taken into account, as far as possible, opinions expressed by Members either on the invitation of the Chamber or on their own initiative. These views are very import because they provide the legitimacy for our submissions to Government.

Since some time the Chamber has been advocating the need to develop a new industrial policy as major changes both in Mauritius and at the global level have given rise to new challenges. The phasing out of the Multi-Fibre Agreement, developments at the WTO, the conclusion of new trade agreements and the emergence of new competitors in export markets have created a new global environment. At home the decision to bring the EPZ and non-EPZ sectors into one industrial sector and the drive towards a Duty-free Island are creating new challenges and opportunities.

During the year the Ministry of Industry set up a National Committee, of which the Chamber is a member, to chart out a new industrial strategy. Preliminary work has started. External expertise is being sought to conduct the exercise.

The Chamber has been working very closely with the Association of Mauritian Manufacturers (AMM) to develop proposals for developing competitiveness in the local industrial sector. That was the main condition on which the Ministry of Finance agreed not to reduce import duties further in the 2007/2008 Budget. During the year a paper, entitled ‘An Action Plan for the Manufacturing Sector’, was prepared by AMM with support from the Chamber and submitted to the Ministry of Finance. The latter has endorsed the proposals contained in the paper and Cabinet approval has been sought to set up a Task Force on the Industrial Sector. The Secretary-General has been appointed as Co-Chair of the Task Force.

As Members are aware, the Chamber provides administrative and technical support to the Association of Mauritian Manufacturers. This is in line with our policy to develop effective networking and strategic partnership with professional organisations and also with our commitment for the promotion of industrial development. In addition to the Action Plan for the Manufacturing Sector, mentioned earlier, the Chamber also contributed in a survey on export potential among local manufacturers.

In 2007/2008, the Chamber carried out two Demand Surveys for ITC. These surveys can be obtained from the Secretariat. The first one dealt with the agro-industry and it was prepared in the context of a Buyers-Sellers meeting organised for businessmen of the Indian Ocean Commission countries held in June 2007 in Mauritius. The second one was on the textile industry and has been prepared as a background study for an another Buyers-Sellers meeting which is being held in Madagascar at the end of March 2008.

During the past year, the Chamber has constantly endeavoured to better serve the business community and to improve the business environment. It has invested in infrastructure and reviewed the processes in the delivery of its specialised services, namely the Duty / VAT Refund services at Plaisance, barcoding activities, arbitration and ATA Carnets.

The Chamber has also made submissions to the relevant authorities and participated in various committees to improve the general business environment.

Last year the Chamber embarked on a major modernisation programme to improve significantly the quality of the service and process of delivery and refund of Duty Free/Paid goods. The main objective of the project is to create an integrated network for the Operators and the Authorities which will contribute to facilitate and simplify existing Duty and Vat Free proceedings by using the latest technology. The first phase of the project has been fully implemented at the Plaisance Counter and a number of shops have already been linked to the system.

The second phase, which is a logical follow-up to the first phase, is the setting up of a secured and integrated computerised network which shall link the MCCI, all Duty / Vat Free Operators and the MRA. Depending on the type of links to the system, including through a vocal server, the Operators can have access to a number of value-added services.

In addition to the main hardware (servers, etc) and the software, of the system, the project also proposes to put at disposal of the users, if they wish so, essential equipment (a PC and related equipment and software). In return for the service provided (depending on the package they will subscribe to) they will pay a monthly fee

The ambition of this project is to make all operators in the Duty Free / Vat Free business part of an advanced IT network which will modernise and simplify their back office work, ensure greater compliance with MRA requirements and speed up the delivery of services at Plaisance.

In addition, it is expected that this project comfort the central role of our Chamber in this activity which will bring a stable flow of revenue to the Chamber.

Demand for the Chamber’s barcode service increased by around 23% during 2007. Most new subscribers were sole traders and SMEs who took advantage of the reduced subscription fee, introduced mid-2006, to better market their products in supermarkets and large retail stores.

The Chamber has also been working with major distributors to ensure that the GS1 barcoding standards system – which provides for unique identification of trade items worldwide – is efficiently managed.

The ATA carnet, which the Chamber issues since 1984, facilitates duty-free temporary imports of certain categories of goods in a number of countries. The ATA carnet is currently accepted in a total of 64 countries, with two new countries – Pakistan and Ukraine – joining the ATA Carnet Convention in 2007.

The Chamber issued ATA carnets for goods of a total value of around Rs 22 Millions during 2007.

The Permanent Arbitration Court of the Chamber gained a new dynamism this year as new cases were registered.

Working sessions between African Foundation of South Africa, the Chamber and members of the legal profession took place during the course of the year to lay the foundation for a Regional Arbitration Center, which is expected to contribute significantly towards improving the business and investment climate in the region.

During the year, the Chamber also pursued discussions with the State Law Office for an early introduction of an International Arbitration Law, to modernise the legal framework for resolution of international commercial disputes through arbitration.

The Chamber participated in several committees set up by Government to improve the general business environment. The following committees were of special interest to us:

In addition the Chamber made a number of submissions through various memoranda to address specific constraints to better business in Mauritius.

With the development of new activities in the services sector and companies from these activities joining the Chamber, it was a logical step for the Chamber to support these companies in a structured manner.

The Chamber was involved in the Steering Committee and working groups set up to elaborate the National ICT Strategic Plan (NICTSP). The NICTSP 2007-2010 was finalised in December 2007. The Chamber now looks forward to playing an active role in the implementation of the plan.

During 2007, the Chamber also actively supported the sector’s main association, ACT, by hosting its secretariat, and assisting in the organisation of its events and activities – namely an ICT Workshop in October 2007, and an ICT Information Campaign in Schools during early 2008, to cater for growing mismatch between available human resources and industry staffing requirements.

The Chamber also represented ACT at the Novatech 2008, an ICT International Conference held in Addis Abeba, in February 2008, which led to its election to participate in the CeBIT, the world’s largest event on IT and Telecommunication, held in Germany, in March 2008.

The Chamber continued to be represented on the ICTAC (Information and Communication Technology Advisory Council) during 2007.

The Chamber has been hosting the Secretariat of the Association Professionnelle des Transitaires (APT) since the year 2005. So far, this collaboration between our two organisations has been very successful. The Chamber has been providing the necessary facilities for the Secretariat of the APT and is responsible for all the administrative and secretarial task of the Association. This close collaboration between our two organisations has further enhanced our contribution towards our common objective of trade facilitation.

Our institution keeps Members of the business community systematically updated on a wide range of topics in relation to local and external trade, industry and services. Members are kept informed on business proposals, commercial events and conferences. All such information is made available through circular letters, the weekly bulletin, other publications and the website.

A series of workshops and seminars were organised by our institution in order to sensitize Members on issues that affect their business. It was an opportunity for Members to discuss pertinent legislation and issues with the Ministers present. Among topics discussed were IPR, Competition law and international trade negotiations. These workshops were the right fora to share views with the authorities on a number of issues.

The staff of the Chamber also attended a number of workshops organised by the government and international institutions where they were apprised of new developments of interest to the business community.

During the past year the Chamber organised the following workshops and seminars.

A workshop was organised in collaboration with the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA) to sensitise the legal community on the benefits of alternative methods of dispute resolution for commercial disputes. The workshop also addressed the need for a regional arbitration framework within the Southern African Region, and a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Chamber and AFSA in this context.

In its objective of sensitising the business community on international trade developments, our Chamber with the collaboration of the International Trade Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Customs Department organised a National Workshop on the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). The workshop was held on the 19 December 2007 and apprised the business community on the main provisions of the agreement relating to markets access, fisheries, development, and rules of origin.

The MCCI held a workshop on Competition on Friday 23 November 2007. The objective was to familiarise the business community with the forthcoming law on Competition, which was being debated in Parliament.

The Minister of Commerce, Honourable Rajesh Jeetah was the guest speaker and he made a presentation of salient points of the Competition Bill 2007. The other main speakers were representatives of Webber-Wentzel-Bowens, one of South Africa’s leading law firm and commanding a rich experience in Competition Law and practice.

The Chamber held two workshops on IPR this year. The first one took place in September 2007 and was organised jointly with the Mauritius Duty Free Shopping Paradise. It dealt with the legal framework of IPRs in Mauritius as well as the strategy adopted by the authorities to fight against counterfeiting and piracy. Speakers also addressed the link between IPR Business Strategy and creativity. The Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Hon. Rama Sithanen, officially launched the Workshop.

In its endeavour to facilitate commerce and industry, the Chamber is constantly identifying commercial tools that can help its members and the business community at large better position themselves on a competitive, global market. Franchising for instance was identified as one of those tools, especially in view of the ambition of developing Mauritius into a “Duty-Free” Island. It was the subject of the second IPR related workshop organised during the course of the year, in collaboration with the Mauritius Commercial Bank.

The Chamber also took part in a regional workshop on the same subject, in February. Held in South Africa, the objective of this workshop was to look into various legal and developmental aspects of franchising, and examine ways of developing the right environment for franchising on both a country and regional basis.

With a view to encouraging creativity and innovation in certain activities the Chamber participated in the organization of the first “Fashion Festival” which attracted traders, industrialists but also designers from emerging countries.

The Chamber, in collaboration with the Board of Investment, organised an information workshop on the 28th September 2007 at Le Labourdonnais Hotel in the context of the forthcoming Agro-Industry 2008 Sector Partnership Meeting (SPM), which will be held in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania from 6-8 May 2008. The broad objective of the SPM is to promote business contacts between SADC entrepreneurs and EU investors interested in investing/ establishing partnerships with SADC companies in agriculture, food and agri-business sectors.

As at date, out of the 149 project proposals received by the SADC Sector studies & Investment Proposals Specialist (SPI), 11 are from Mauritius.

The Chamber also participated in the following workshops whose outcome have implications for the local business sector.

A National Workshop on Trade Facilitation was organised and conducted by WTO experts on 22 October 2007. The main purpose of the Workshop was to help the public and private sector institutions in identifying their needs and priorities in technical assistance and capacity building support for the implementation of any eventual disciplines in the area of Trade Facilitation.

One of the main recommendations of the workshop is the setting up of a National Trade Facilitation Committee/Unit involving all stakeholders, including private sector institutions, which will ensure that the appropriate mechanisms are in place for the implementation of the trade facilitation measures identified. In addition the creation of a Trade Facilitation Portal will ensure that all trade-related information required by the business community is available on a common web-based platform.

Given the increasing importance of the services sector in the Mauritian economy in terms of its contribution to GDP and employment, a workshop on trade in services was conducted by UNCTAD experts in Mauritius on 13 September 2007.

The Chamber, as well as some of its Members in the services sector, participated in the workshop. The aim of the workshop was to explore ways to improve the performance of the priority services sectors for Mauritius and to review the state of play of WTO services negotiations including an appraisal of offers made to date and the possible ways to improve Mauritius' offers. The workshop also considered the services negotiations at regional level namely in SADC and COMESA.

While trade is the prime driver in attaining economic growth, it must also be complemented with a strong dose of development in terms of measures to fight poverty, unemployment, production deficiencies, infrastructural gaps, food security, environmental challenges as well as the need to promote human co-operation and equity.

In this context, our Chamber participated in a Regional Seminar on Trade and Development organised by the WTO at in Mauritius from 20 to 23 August 2007. The aim of the seminar was to enable the participants from both the private and public sectors to take stock of the state of play on the development issues in the ongoing Doha Round of negotiations and to deliberate on how to move the development agenda forward from the African perspective. Participants of the seminar were given the opportunity to formulate specific proposals on special and differential treatment needed by African countries in the current round of negotiations. The seminar also encompassed a work programme on small economies and the Aid for Trade initiative.

For the Chamber, the elimination of non-tariff barriers has always been a priority given the high impact of NTBs on the movement of goods within the region and its direct consequence on the day-to-day trade activities of our operators. The Chamber participated in two regional workshops held in Nairobi and in Malawi in 2007 to identify the main NTBs in the COMESA region. Areas such as cumbersome customs procedures and documentation, sanitary standards, pre-shipment inspection and import/export permit requirements were among the main NTBs identified. One of the main recommendations of the workshop was the adoption of a standard NTB Reporting Form and the setting up a National Enquiry Point through which operators would report the NTBs.

In its drive to serve its Members and the whole of the business community efficiently, the Chamber authors various publications which aim at disseminating trade and economic information. These are as follows:-

The 2006 Annual Report was released in May 2007. In addition to the Report of the President, it contained an analysis of the Mauritian economy and a full updated list of Members by sectors.

This is also an annual publication which is designed to be a handy instrument for businessmen as it contains figures on the major sectors of the economy. The 2006 edition was released in June 2007.

Through this weekly publication, the Chamber endeavours to bring to Members the latest news available at the Chamber for their information and interest. As in previous years 50 issues were released during 2007 (Issue no. 351 to 400)

This is a half-yearly publication with a wide distribution going beyond the Membership of the MCCI. It gives an account of the Chamber’s activities over six months and also contains articles and in –depth analysis of issues related to trade and industry. The latest issues came out in November 2007.

The Chamber’s website gives an overview of Mauritius across all sectors of activity. In order to cater to the increasing demand for trade information, the contents are systematically upgraded.

The website has proved to be an important and complete reference site for Mauritius to browsers in all fields and from all over the world. Our website receives more than 27000 visits a month.

2007 has been an unprecedented year as far as meetings with foreign organisations are concerned.

(i) Meeting with representatives of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA)

A meeting has been held at the Chamber on 4 May 2007 with the representatives of ACMA. The delegation, led by the President of ACMA, Mr. Raghu Mody, was on a prospecting mission to Mauritius. Mr. R. Mody said that he felt that there is tremendous scope for Mauritian companies to partner with India in the growth of Automotive business. Members of the delegation have also expressed the wish to use Mauritius as a hub to export to SADC and COMESA.

The delegation was accompanied by the Ambassador of Mauritius to India, H. E. M. Choonee.

A high level delegation from Pakistan, led by Mr. Tariq Pervaiz, Director of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan had a working session at our Chamber on the 2 May 2007. The delegation was accompanied by the Ambassador of the Pakistan to Mauritius, H. E. Syed Hasan Javed.

Members of the delegation were looking for opportunities to set-up joint ventures with their Mauritian counterparts. Various sectors were represented namely: pharmaceuticals, readymade garments, furniture, home textile, rice and pulse, fresh fruits and vegetables, herbal medicines and surgical equipment.

A meeting was held with Members of the Association of Reunion technology professionals, Informatics and Communications (ARTIC) at the MCCI in May 2007.

The delegation was led by Mr. Anil Cassam Chennai, President of the ARTIC. At the meeting with representatives of the MCCI, Mr. A. C. Chennai, spoke of the objectives of the ARTIC. He placed particular emphasis on the development of the export of services, products and ICT content to enable businesses in Reunion Island not to be limited to a market the size of an island.

A delegation from South Africa, led by Mrs. Deidre Penfold President of SACOB visited Mauritius from the 7th to 11th May 2007. The mission was organised in collaboration with the Randburg and Blaaumberg Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The mission was coordinated by the Board of Investment.

In this context, the Chamber had organised a meeting on the 8 May at 11h30 at the Swami Vivekananda International Conference Centre.

A high-level delegation from Qingdao visited Mauritius from the 24th to 26th May 2007. The delegation comprising officials and business people was led by the Mayor of Qingdao, Mr. Xia Geng.

A Memorandum of Understanding between CCPIT Qingdao and the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry was signed in the presence of the mayor of Qingdao on this occasion.

A meeting with members of a delegation from the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade was held at the Chamber in May 2007.

The delegation was led by Mr. Dong Songgen, Vice Chairman of CCPIT. The sectors represented were water supply projects, power generation and transmission, agricultural engineering, building materials, infrastructure, textile, metals and timber.

The delegation comprised 47 business people from 36 companies representing various sectors namely construction, industrial equipment, pharmaceuticals, silk fabric, textile and garments, electronics, petrochemical products, vehicles, electrical and mechanical equipment, chemicals and home textiles.

A delegation from the Bihar Chamber of Commerce led by its president, Mr O.P.Sah, visited the MCCI on the 1st of August 2007 to discuss avenues of cooperation between the State of Bihar and Mauritius.

A delegation from Malaysia, led by the Malaysian Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Hon. Dato’ Haji Ahmad Husni Mohd. Hanadzlah visited Mauritius on the 6th August 2007. In this context, a seminar on “Malaysia-Mauritius Business Opportunities” was organised jointly by the High Commission of Malaysia in South Africa and the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the 6th August 2007 at the Labourdonnais Waterfront Hotel.

The objective of the seminar was to apprise Mauritian businessmen of the trade and investment opportunities which exist between the two countries.

A delegation from the ‘Organisation Patronale des Comores’ (OPACO), led by its President, Mr. Ahmed Chamsouddine, has held a working meeting with representatives of the Chamber in June 2007.

A delegation from the Chamber of Commerce of Djibouti, led by His Excellency, Mr. A. Araita Ali, Ambassador and including the President of the Chamber of Commerce of Djibouti, Mr. Said Omar Moussa, was in Mauritius as part of a prospecting tour in August 2007

A delegation from ‘Chambre de Commerce d’Industrie, d’Artisanat et d’Agriculture d’Antsiranana’ headed by its President Mr. MZE Said, has held a working meeting with representatives of the MCCI in August 2007.

The purpose of the meeting was to strengthen ties between the MCCI, and the Chamber of Diego-Suarez. Members of the delegation from Malagasy explored prospects of trade and investment between Madagascar and Mauritius.

The Secretary-General formed part of a public/private sector delegation who participated at the US-Africa Business Summit which was organized by the Corporate Council on Africa from the 14 to 16 November 2007 in Cape Town, South Africa.

The delegation was led by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Hon. R. Sithanen. The Secretary-General intervened in the workshop dedicated to Mauritius alongside the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. R. Jaddoo from the Board of Investment and Mr. M. Meetarbhan from the Financial Services Commission.

The Chamber also participated in the Exhibition which was organised back to back with the Summit.

The President of the Chamber, Mr. Azim Currimjee and the Secretary-General, Mr. Mahmood Cheeroo had a working session with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation in May 2007.

An MoU was signed between the MCCI and the CCI of the Russian Federation on this occasion.

The Secretary-General participated in the World Chambers’ Congress held in Istanbul in June 2007. It was an exceptional opportunity to forge links with other CCI and be apprised of the latest developments in Chamber business.

The Secretary-General was a Member of the International Jury for the 2007 World Chambers Competition organized in the context of the WCF Congress.

The President and the Secretary-General participated in the Annual General Meeting of the Association of SADC Chambers of Commerce & Industry (ASCCI) in August 2007 in Johannesburg, South Africa. A major conference was organised on that occasion with former President Kenneth Kaunda as Chief Guest and interventions from Ministers, business leaders and Government officials from the region. Both the President and the Secretary-General made presentations in the plenary sessions.

It has become almost a tradition since quite a few years now that dignitaries pay a courtesy call on the Chamber during their visits to Mauritius. The past year was indeed an exceptional year in terms of the number of dignitaries who called at our Chamber.

H. E. Prezemek Niesiolowski, Ambassador of Poland, paid a courtesy call on the President and on the Secretary-General of the Chamber in May 2007.

The Chamber received in May the Ambassador Designate of Croatia, H. E. Mr. Ivan Picukaric. The latter said that trade and economic relations can be strengthened between Mauritius and Croatia.

H. E. Mr. Vratislav Vajnar, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Mauritius based in Pretoria paid a courtesy call on the Secretary-General in May 2007.

(iv) Visit of the High Commissioner Designate for the Republic of Ghana to the Chamber

H. E. Dr. Jimmy Ben Heymann, High Commissioner Designate for the Republic of Ghana to the Republic of Mauritius, with residence in Pretoria, visited the Chamber in May 2007. He was accompanied by Mr. Ibrahim Abass, the Head of Chancery and Mr. Samuel Adotey Anum, Minister-Counsellor.

In the course of the meeting, Ambassador Heymann expressed the wish that Mauritius and Ghana strengthen their trade and economic relations.

H. E. Mr. Bjarne Henneburg Sorensen, Ambassador of Denmark to Mauritius who is based in Dar-es-Salaam, paid a courtesy call to the Secretary-General of the Chamber in June 2007.

Various avenues of cooperation in the key sectors of the economy were at the centre of discussions between the Secretary-General and the Ambassador.

The possibility of strengthening relations between Mauritius and Zambia was raised during a courtesy call in June 2007 by H. E. Mr. George Chulumanda, the High Commissioner of Zambia with residence in Mozambique, on the Secretary-General of the MCCI.

(vii)Visit of the High Commissioner Designate for the Republic of Malawi to the Chamber

Her Excellency Ms. Agrina Mussa, High Commissioner Designate for the Republic of Malawi to the Republic of Mauritius, with residence in Pretoria, visited the Chamber in September 2007.

She was accompanied by Mr. Clement A.Kumbemba, the Consulate General for Malawi. The Chamber was represented by the Secretary-General, Mr. Mahmood Cheeroo.

(viii) Visit of the High Commissioner Designate of the United Republic of Tanzania to the Chamber

His Excellency Mr. Adadi Rajabu, High Commissioner Designate for the United Republic of Tanzania visited the Chamber on the 5th October 2007. He has presented his letters of Credence to the President of the Republic of Mauritius on Thursday 4th September 2007.

In the course of the meeting the Ambassador, expressed the wish for the strengthening of trade and economic relations between Mauritius and Tanzania.

His Excellency Mr. Luis Cabrera, Ambassador designate of Mexico to the Republic of Mauritius paid a courtesy call on the Secretary General on the 15th February 2008.

As mentioned earlier, an MoU was signed between the MCCI and the CCI of the Russian Federation in May 2007.

The objective of the MoU is to strengthen business relations between the two countries. The CCI of the Russian Federation was represented by the Vice-President of the organisation, Mr. George Petrov, whereas the MCCI was represented by the President.

With a view to developing cooperation and promoting trade and economic relations between China and Mauritius, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Qingdao Sub-Council and the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry signed an agreement of cooperation in May 2007.

It was agreed that the two parties promote joint ventures, and economic and technological cooperation in their respective countries.

An Agreement of Cooperation was signed between the MCCI and the Chamber of Commerce of Djibouti. The objective of the MoU is to develop trade and economic relations between the two countries.

A Cooperation Agreement was signed between the Chamber and the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie France-Maurice (CCIMF) in May 2007.

The Agreement provides, inter-alia, for more cooperation between the two organisations particularly as regards training and exchange of trade information

(ii) Appointment of the Chamber as the Private Sector Liaison officer for the World Bank Group

In April 2007, the MCCI was appointed as the PSLO for the World Bank Group. The role of the PSLO is to serve as the focal point in promoting awareness and participation of local companies in World Bank supported activities in Mauritius and across the world.

Launched in Europe in January 1999 as a joint World Bank, International Finance Cooporation and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, the PSLO network includes today some 93 PSLOs in around 72 countries.

The appointment of the Chamber as the PSLO for Mauritius clearly bears testimony of the trust and confidence which the World Bank Group has in our institution.

A working session between representatives of the Chamber and of the MIGA was held in July 2007 at our Chamber.

The third ‘Forum Economique des Iles de l’Océan Indien’ which was held over a three day period from the 24 to 27 October 2007 at La Plantation Hotel in Balaclava, was the largest event organised by our Chamber at least in the recent history.

The annual Forum, which was first organised in 2005 in Madagascar, has become the region’s strategic think tank, focusing on regional and international economic issues. The ‘Forum Economique des Iles de l’Océan indien’ has set the benchmark for business gatherings across the Indian Ocean region and has gained increasing recognition since its launching in 2005.

The event attracted around 200 business people from France, Réunion island, Seychelles, the Comoros Islands, Mayotte, Madagascar and Mauritius. Around 300 B2B were organised during the event. The Forum addressed key economic issues relating to regional integration, the industrial environment, technical assistance, shipping and ICT. Keynote speakers at the 2007 Forum included the Secretary-General of the Indian Ocean Commission, Mrs. Monique Andreas Esoavelomandroso, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Hon. M. Dulloo, the Minister of Industry, Small & Medium Enterprises, Commerce & Cooperatives, Hon. Dr. R. Jeetah and the Head of Delegation & Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Commission, H.E. Mrs. Claudia Wiedey. Distinguished speakers from the World Bank, the UNIDO and the Agence Française de Développement formed part of the different panels. The sessions were very interactive.

The Forum was also marked by the signing of an MoU between the IOC and the UCCIOI. The formalisation of the relations between the two organisations has opened the door for further cooperation between the IOC and the private sector institutions of the region.

The ‘Livre Blanc’ of the Union of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the Indian Ocean was officially was launched during the Forum. The ‘Livre Blanc’ sets the objectives and the action plan of the UCCOI for the next five years. Issues relating to the business environment in the region to sustainable development, to trade information, capacity-building and promotion have been identified.

The Annual Dinner will be held on 26 March 2008 at Hilton Mauritius Resort & Spa, Wolmar, Flic en Flac. The Guest Speaker is Mr. Paul Vergès, ‘Président du Conseil Régional de la Réunion’.

The Centre for Business Studies has continued its smooth progress since it has moved in the new premises at Ebène Cybercity in 2005. It continues to lay very strong emphasis on the quality and on the improvement of its assortment of services.

With regards to school leavers, it offers three mainstream specialization areas in the 2-year French Higher National Diploma Courses (“Brevet de Technicien Supérieur (BTS)”) in the fields of Information Technology, Marketing and Management of SME’s. These training programmes result from a collaborative effort with the “Académie de la Réunion” the awarding body, the “Rectorat de la Réunion”, the coordinator for of the examinations and the Lycée Labourdonnais, a pedagogical partner in the project. The courses are organized under the aegis of the French Embassy

In addition, two French Bachelor courses (i.e. the final year characteristic of the French education system) namely, the ‘Licence de Sciences de Gestion’ and the ‘Licence Professionelle en Commerce Eléctronique’. The former is a joint initiative with the University of Poitiers whereas the latter is a partnership with the IUT of Saint-Pierre, Reunion Island.

the MAE, i.e. ‘Master Administration des Entreprises’, which is the equivalent of a Master’s degree in Business Administration.

the MCI, i.e. ‘Master Sciences du Management, Spécialité Commerce International’, which is the equivalent of a Master’s degree in International Marketing.

The Portfolio of courses has been enriched with the launching of a new Master degree in International Management in October 2007. Thirteen students are currently enrolled in this new training programme.

Furthermore, a diploma course in Accounts and Finance (Diplôme Universitaire en Comptabilité-Finance) is in the pipeline for September 2008. The launching of this new curriculum forms part of the MOU which our Chamber has signed with the “Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie France-Maurice”. A foundation course to enable persons not holding the minimum entry requirements for this diploma was launched in February 2008.

These above programmes result equally from the collaboration with the University of Poitiers in France.

Two award of certificate ceremonies were held in 2007. Both took place at the Cyber Tower No1 conference room. The first one was meant to reward all the successful students in the 2007 BTS examinations. It is to be highlighted that the success was 100% in the marketing field and of 85% on average for the three BTS. We were honoured by the Minister of Education and Human Resources, Hon. Mr. Dharam Gokhool and the French Ambassador, H. E Mr. Jacques Maillard, who attended this function.

A second award of certificate ceremony was held on the 7th of December 2007 where 56 students were rewarded for their efforts. These students had successfully completed the following degree course: Licence, Maîtrise and Mastère.

So as to better satisfy the growing demand for more organizational effectiveness in the business community in Mauritius, the Centre has planned the launching of a series of short courses aimed at professionals and non-professionals, the latter especially from Small and Medium Enterprises. A first seminar on effective communication techniques was held in November 2007.

The Centre is continuously striving to ensure that its customers be very satisfied with the level of service offered in terms of facilities in its physical environment. Last year, all the lecture rooms have been equipped with air conditioners. Furthermore, a lift was added in the building. These efforts will render its infrastructural facilities more customers friendly.

Members will recall that our Chamber has been involved in CSR activities since a number of years, with the Mauritius Young Entrepreneurs Trust Project. During the past year a number of new initiatives were taken to enhance the role of the Chamber in CSR activities.

In April 2007, the Chamber has taken over from the JEC the management of the private sector participation the ‘Zones d’Education Prioritaires’ (ZEP) project. The philosophy of the ZEP is based on the premise that positive reinforcement is required to create favourable learning conditions for children living mostly in the less developed regions. This approach aims to combat inequalities by providing equal opportunities to all primary school children.

Given the positive results so far the MoU between the Chamber and the Ministry of Education and Human Resources will be renewed for a two-year period.

Our Chamber has also during the past year co-financed with the National Economic and Social Council, a study on the ‘The Employment of Foreign Labour in Mauritius’, which has already been released to the public.

The Chamber has submitted to the Ministry of Finance, for consideration under the Empowerment Programme, a proposal to reference and expand the Mauritius Young Entrepreneurs Trust Project. The proposal is under consideration.

We have also volunteered to be a service provider for SME Partnership Programme. A few projects are being channeled through under this programme.

The Chamber has had discussions with the Donors in Mauritius. We will be working shortly with the United Nations Development Programme on an extension of the ZEP programme. We have also submitted a project to the Decentralized Cooperation Programme of the European Union on related social projects.

Members will recall that in his Budget Speech 2007/2008, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Hon. R. Sithanen, expressed the wish that the private sector forge a partnership with Government and NGOs to expand the reach and effectiveness of a national effort to assist those who cannot help themselves. The Minister has also made an appeal to the private sector that companies contribute at least 1% of their profit to CSR activities run by them.

We are of the view that, given the quality of CSR projects which are being developed by our Chamber, Members might be interested to contribute to them as part of their own CSR activities. In this context, Chamber Members have been invited to contribute financially on a voluntary basis to the CSR activities conducted by our institution. We are pleased to note that some Members have responded positively to our request. We are confident that more and more companies will support the CSR projects of the Chamber.

After the high investment in Ebène Cybercity Building in 2005, it was the intention of our Chamber to consolidate its existing activities for some time. However, in the dynamic environment in which we are being called upon to operate we have to take advantage of the opportunities which arise and face the challenges we had not foreseen. In reacting pro-actively to developments in our news fields of activities, we have during the course of last year embarked on two major projects and initiated a third one. These are in relation to the Cargo Community System, our Refund Counter at Plaisance and our Training Centre at Ebène.

The Cargo Community System (CCS) project consists of an electronic platform which links all stakeholders along the logistics chain with a view to expediting the movement of goods being imported, exported or transhipped.

The project, which was being discussed since 2006, got a new momentum in May 2007 when an MoU was signed between the parties having an interest in it and a Project Management Team (PMT) set up to steer it through.

Our Chamber had a prime interest in the CCS project for several reasons. First, it was a Trade Facilitation project, an area of activity which ranks high on the agenda of the Chamber. Second, the CCS was complementary to the ‘Tradenet’ project, which our Chamber had implemented through ‘Mauritius Network Services Ltd’. Third, it had the potential of bringing another long-term stable source of revenue to the Chamber.

At the last AGM, approval had already been obtained to invest in the project. Our Chamber played a leading role in the take-off of the project. The Secretary-General chaired the PMT and our Chamber provided its Secretariat during eight months of intensive negotiations among the potential stakeholders and between the Mauritius Shareholders and SOGET, the French strategic partner. A public company, the ‘Mauritius Cargo Community Services Ltd.’, was incorporated in January 2008 to implement the project. The Chamber has subscribed Rs. 16.5 million, representing 22% of A class of shares and the President and the Secretary-General have been elected on the Board of Directors.

The recruitment of a CEO and other staff is under way while the designated staff of SOGET is already in Mauritius to implement the project. The day-to-day management of the company has been entrusted to an Executive Committee of the Board comprising the Secretary-General with support from our Chamber.

In 2006 our Chamber invested in a Vocal Server system to link the Duty free shops with our Plaisance Counter to expedite our refund operations. We did not put into place a full electronic system because of the very low level of computerization of duty-free shops. We intended to do so in a few years time. However, during 2007 the Customs Department of the MRA decided to enforce an existing legislation which makes it mandatory for Duty Free Shops (as opposed to Vat free shops) to have computerized systems in place. Our Chamber had to react quickly to come up with a project, as there were risks that another service provider could step in. We associated ourself with a software development company, with which we worked to develop the Vocal Server system, to propose a new system which has been described earlier. Council approved an investment of Rs. 8 million in this project, which is already under implementation.

It is to be noted that before the Chamber embarked on this project, or the CCS one, full feasibility studies were carried out and the projects were examined thoroughly by the Audit Committee.

After the huge investment of the Chamber in 2005 in the Building for the Centre for Business Studies, there was no intention of further investment in the medium term. Again events have compelled us to think otherwise. First, the ‘Business Parks Mauritius Ltd’, from whom the land has been leased, has started pressing the Chamber and the MEF, with whom we are associated on the Ebène project, to come up with new projects to fully utilize the land put at our disposal. Given the demand for land in that area, there are risks that the remaining land might be taken back if not used. We have started discussions with the MEF to examine how best we could put the remaining land to good use and the Chamber is seriously considering a new major building project.

It is remarkable how the Chamber has, over a short period of time, adapted to the changing environment, invested in major projects, which have undoubtedly given it greater resilience. But at the same time this positive evolution of our Chamber has given rise to new challenges.

First, the expansion of the activities of the Chamber, specially with the new projects, calls for additional internal management capacity. The recruitment of a Finance and Administration Manager has certainly reinforced the management team. The organizational structure of the Duty Free Counter will have to be reviewed to cater for the greater complexity of the operations, with the installation of the Electronic Network. Similarly, the increase in the range of training courses at the Centre for Business Studies and the scope for further development will require additional management and marketing resources. Third, the property development at Ebène will require high-level specialized project management skills. With the strong IT content of new projects being developed and the modernization of existing activities, there is perhaps need for higher internal IT management skills. The Chamber will have to decide how best to harness all these skills to enable it to fulfill its goals.

As experienced during the course of last year, new unexpected developments will have to be dealt with, in an effective and timely manner. We are well aware that some activities which bring substantial revenue to the Chamber might be reviewed. We must be as swift as we have been in recent years to come up with new proposals that can safeguard the role the Chamber has been playing in the delivery of these services.

The sprouting of all sorts of business organizations in recent years should prompt our Chamber to better project itself. It is by far the business organization which offers the widest range of services to the business community. Yet its direct membership does not fully reflect this leading role. It will have to develop its outreach services and build bridges with the emerging sectors. The time has maybe also come to review its constitution to make it more open to new activities and members.

Linked to the previous issue, is the challenge to improve the image of the Chamber and its members in the wider community. On several issues during the course of the past year, we saw how difficult and tricky it was to put across our arguments when the public debate is so biased against the business community. We shall have to invest more in our communications strategy.

These are some real challenges. However, on the basis of the past performance of our Chamber, I am confident that we have the resources to rise to these challenges.

I firmly believe that our Chamber has a bright future in store. The reason of my optimism lies in the team that we have at the Chamber which I would like to thank here.

First, let me pay tribute to Members of the Council who has put their precious time, skills and wisdom at the service of our Chamber. I would like to extend special thanks to Vice President, Ahmed Parkar and members of the Audit Committee. A special word also for Past President, Marday Venkatasamy for the leading role he played in the success of the ‘Forum Economique des Iles’. Many thanks also to our Members who participated in our meetings and events in Mauritius and in trade missions overseas and to all those who gave their advice and comments on a list of issues.

Finally, the remarkable year I have spent with the Chamber would not have been so eventful and successful without the strong Secretariat of our Chamber. The Staff of the Chamber, under the leadership of the Secretary-General, demonstrated during the whole year a high level of professionalism and commitments. I would like to thank them all for their unflinching support to the Council and to me.

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