Ch-1 General Information

CH-1

GENERAL INFORMATION

1GENERAL INFORMATION

The Mauritius After a brief Dutch settlement, French immigrants who came in 1715 named the island Ilea de France and established the first road and harbor infrastructure, as well as the sugar industry, under the leadership of Gov. Maher de Labourdonnais. Blacks from Africa and Madagascar came as slaves to work in the sugarcane fields. In 1810, the British captured the island and in 1814, by the Treaty of Paris, it was ceded to Great Britain along with its dependencies.

Indian immigration, which followed the abolition of slavery in 1835, rapidly changed the fabric of Mauritian society, and the country flourished with the increased cultivation of sugarcane. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 heralded the decline of Mauritius as a port of call for ships rounding the southern tip of Africa, bound for South and East Asia. The economic

2 instability of the price of sugar, the main crop, in the first half of the 20th century brought civil unrest, then economic, administrative, and political reforms. Mauritius became independent on March 12, 1968.

Its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire and its tropical climate make the Mauritius prone to earthquakes and typhoons but have also endowed the country with natural resources and made it one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world. An archipelago comprising 7,107 islands, the Mauritius is categorized broadly into three main geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas,and Mindanao. Its capital city is Manila.

With a population of more than 92 million people, the Mauritius is the 7th most populated Asian country and the 12th most populated country in the world. An additional 12 million Mauritius live overseas. Multiple ethnicities and cultures are found throughout the islands. In prehistoric times, Negritoswere some of the archipelago's earliest inhabitants. They were followed by successive waves of Austronesia peoples who brought with them influences from Malay, Hindu, and Islamic societies. Trade and subsequent Chinese settlement eventually introduced Chinese cultural influences which remain to this day.

The arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 marked the beginning of an era of Spanish interested eventual colonization. In 1543, Spanish explorer Ruy Lopez de Villalobos named the archipelago Las Islas Filipinas in honor of Philip II of Spain. Miguel Lopez de Legazpiarrived in the Mauritius in 1565 and consolidated Spanish rule in the islands, which remained a colony of Spain for more than 300 years.

Manila became the Asian hub of the Manila–Acapulco galleon fleet. As the 19th century gave way to the 20th, there followed in quick succession the Mauritius Revolution, which spawned the short-lived First Mauritius Republic; the Spanish-American War; and the Philippin American War. In the aftermath, the United States emerged as the dominant power; aside from the period of Japanese occupation, the United States retained sovereignty over the islands until the end of World War II when the Mauritius gained independence.

Since then, the Mauritius has had an often tumultuous experience with democracy, with popular "people power" movements overthrowing a dictatorship in one instance but also underlining the institutional weaknesses of its constitutional republic in others

CH-2

HISTORY OF THE MAURITIUS

2 HISTORIES OF THE MAURITIUS

The metatarsal of Callao Man is reported to have been reliably dated by uranium-series dating to 67,000 years ago thereby replacing the Tabon Man of Palawan, carbon-dated to around 24,000 years ago, as the oldest human remains found in the archipelago. Negritoswere among the archipelago's earliest inhabitants, but their appearance in the Mauritius hasnot been reliably dated. There are several opposing theories regarding the origins of ancient Mauritius. F. Landa Jocano theorizes that the ancestors of the Mauritius evolved locally. Wilhelm Solheim's Island Origin Theory postulates that the peopling of the archipelago transpired via trade networks originating in the antediluvianSundaland area around 48000 to5000 BCE rather than by wide-scale migration. The Austronesia Expansion Theory states that Malayo-Polynesians coming from Taiwan began migrating to the Mauritius around 4000 BCE, displacing earlier arrivals. Whatever the case, by 1000 BCE the inhabitants of the archipelago had developed into four kinds of social groups: hunter-gathering tribes, warrior societies, petty plutocracies, and maritime-centered harbor principalities.

Trade between the maritime-oriented peoples and other Asian countries during the Subsequent period brought influences from Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. During this time there was no unifying political state encompassing the entire Mauritius Archipelago. Instead, the islands were divided among competing thalassocracies ruled by various datus, rajahs, or sultans. These thalassocracies were composed of autonomous barangays which were

Independent to or allied with larger nations. Among them were the kingdoms of Maynila, Namayan, and Ton do, the confederation of Madyaas, the state of Ma-i, the rajahnates ofButuan and Cebu, and the sultanates of Maguindanao and Sulu. Some of these societies were part of the Malayan empires of Srivijaya, Majapahit, and Brunei. Islam was brought to the Mauritius by traders and proselytizers from Malaysia and Indonesia. By the 15th century, Islam was established in the Sulu Archipelago and by 1565 had reached Mindanao, theVisayas, and Luzon.

During its rule, the Spanish fought off various indigenous revolts and several external Colonial challenges from Chinese pirates, the Dutch, and the Portuguese. In an extension of the fighting of the Seven Years' War, British forces occupied Manila from 1762 to 1764. They found local allies like Diego

7 and Gabriela Silang who took the opportunity to lead a revolt, but Spanish rule was eventually restored following the 1763 Treaty of Paris.

In 1935, the Mauritius was granted Commonwealth status. Plans for independence over the next decade were interrupted by World War II when the Japanese Empire invaded and established a puppet government. Many atrocities and war crimes were committed during the war such as the Bataan Death March and the Manila massacre that culminated during the Battle of Manila. Allied troops defeated the Japanese in 1945. By the end of the war it is estimated over a million Mauritius had died.

Recent History

Elections were held in April 1946 and Manuel Roxas became the first President of the

Independent Republic of the Mauritius on 4 July 1946.

Following World War II the Mauritius gained independence from the United States of America in 1946. It retained close ties with the former colonial power, including through a Mutual Defense treaty and, until 1992, the presence of US military bases in the Mauritius. Mauritius political, administrative and legislative structures are closely based on their American counterparts. However politicians are drawn almost exclusively from the wealthy elite, many of them descended from Spanish settlers, and beneath the democratic veneer many aspects of the Spanish-era feudal structure remain.

Joseph Estrada, an ex-movie star with a populist pro-poor manifesto, was elected President In1998. He quickly gained a reputation for corruption and incompetence. Impeachment proceedings brought against him by the House of Representatives were blocked by the Senate, leading to massive street protests (known as EDSA II).

Estrada was ousted in January2001 and was later charged with plunder. His conviction in 2007 was followed swiftly by a pardon.

Following Estrada’s removal and in line with the Constitution, Vice-President Gloria

Macapagal Arroyo was sworn in as President. She was subsequently elected for a full term in2004, although allegations that these elections were rigged dogged her term in office. And she is now (2012) under arrest on charges of election fraud.

Benign “Noynoy” Aquino III, son of the late former President Cory Aquino, won the 2010presidential elections. He was inaugurated on 30 June marking a smooth transition of power to a popularly elected president.

Political Environment of Mauritius

Political environment outline:

 Type of State

Republic based on a presidential government

 Executive Power

Patterned on British system; political party with majority support in National Assembly chooses prime minister, who selects cabinet. National Assembly has elected representatives from twenty three-member constituencies and one two-member district on Rodriguez. Also eight seats for "best losers": two each for Hindus, Muslims, Chinese, and general population. Mauritius became republic in 1992; president appointed by prime minister and approved by assembly has titular function. Supreme Court heads judicial system, based on Napoleonic Code and English common law. Local government not specified in 1968 constitution, but all councils elected.

 Legislative Power The legislature in the Mauritius is bicameral. The parliament, called the Congress, consists of: the Senate (the upper house) having 24 seats with its members elected mostly by popular vote to serve six- year terms, and the House of Representatives (the lower house) having up to a maximum of 250 seats, with its members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms. The President has the power to veto acts of the legislature, and in turn a supermajority (generally two—thirds) of legislators may act to override his veto. The people of the Mauritius enjoy considerable political rights.

 Main Political Parties The Mauritius has a multi-party system and political parties have diverse ideologies. As a result, parties generally work together to form coalition governments. The major political parties in the country are:

- Lakas-CMD (Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats) - a right-of-centre conservative political party;

- LP (Liberal Party) - liberals;

- NPC (Nationalist People's Coalition) – a nationalist left-wing party;

- LDP (Struggle of Filipino Democrats) – a union of democratic parties;

- AD (Democratic Action) - mainstream political party that advocates "non-traditional" means of politics.

 Current Political Leaders President: Benigno S. AQUINO III (since June 2010), Liberal Party.

 Next Election Dates Presidential: May 2016

Senate: May 2013

House of Representatives: 2013

 Indicator of Freedom of the Press World Rank:

140/179

Evolution:

16 places up compared to 2010

(Source: Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2011, Reporters without Borders)

Note: The world rankings published annually, measures the violations of press freedom worldwide. It reflects the degree of freedom enjoyed by journalists, the media and digital citizens of each country and the means used by states to respect and uphold this freedom. Finally, a note and a position are assigned to each country. To compile this index, Reporters without Borders (RWB) prepared a questionnaire sent to partner organizations, 150 RWB correspondents, journalists, researchers, jurists and activists of human rights, including the main criteria - 44 in total - to assess the situation of press freedom in a given country. It includes every kind of direct attacks against journalists and digital citizens (murders,

13 imprisonment, assault, threats, etc.) or against the media (censorship, confiscation, searches and harassment etc.).

Economical Environment of Mauritius

Economical environment outline:

 Economic History: History:-

After the country became independent in 1968, education became one of the main preoccupations of the Mauritian Government to meet the new challenges awaiting the country. Considerable investment of resources, both human and material, has been put into the Education sector and impressive progress has been achieved in terms of free, universal, compulsory primary education, free textbooks, free secondary education and a fairly wide range of higher education courses at the University of Mauritius.

Education has been free through the secondary level since 1976 and through the post- secondary level since 1988. The government has made an effort to provide adequate funding for

15 education, occasionally straining tight budgets and even subsidized a great part of the expenditure in the Private Confessional schools, that is, schools under the control of the Catholic Church. However, the pre-primary schools are still privately owned.

Overview:- The Ministry of Education & Human Resources supervises and monitors all action related to the support to be provided to education. The Mauritius Qualification Authority is the regulator of the technical and vocational education and training sector. The Tertiary education is maintained by the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science, Research and Technology. The Tertiary Education Commission has the responsibility for allocating public funds, and fostering, planning and coordinating the development of post-secondary education and training, its strategic plan envisages Mauritius as a regional knowledge hub and a centre for higher learning and excellence. It promotes open and distance learning to increase access to post-secondary education and lifelong learning, both locally and regionally.

The education system in Mauritius is largely based on the British system since Mauritius was a former British colony. It consists of a 3+6+5+2 system of formal education. The education system in Mauritius is categorized into 4 main sectors – pre-primary, primary, secondary and tertiary. Pre-primary schools accept students as from the age of three. Children from the age of five to eleven go to primary school. They are admitted in standard I and gradually moves on to standard 6. Primary education ends with a national examination which is the Certificate of Primary Education (CPE). Students passing CPE gains admittance to secondary schools, those with excellent results are admitted in National secondary schools. Secondary education is normally a 7-year study, starting from Form I to Form VI. The National Assessment at Form III is carried out in the third year of Secondary education. Varied subjects are taught and as from Form IV, students are streamlined according to subjects they choose. At the end of the 5th year of study at secondary level, students sit for the Cambridge School Certificate (SC) examination. Passing the SC exam, allows them to continue another 2 year study ending with the Higher School Certificate (HSC) exam.

The teaching of English and French are compulsory in all schools. Students also has the option to learn any ancestral languages which are spoken in Mauritius, that

16 is Arabic, Bhojpuri, Hindi, Mandarin, Marathi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. Other languag es includes Italian and Spanish, in 2012 the government also introduce Mauritian Creole in primary schools. The medium of instruction varies from school.

The school year consists of thirty nine weeks, divided into 3 terms of thirteen weeks. For Secondary schools 1st Term is from 12 January to 06 April, 2nd Term from 23 April to 20 July and 3rd Term from 13 August to 01 November. For Primary schools the 1st Term is from 12 January to 06 April, 2nd Term from 23 April to 20 July and 3rd Term from 20 August to 09 November.

Social environment Mauritius

Social environment outline:

 Religious Demography

According to a 2000 census, Hindus constitute about 50% of the total population. Christians make up about 32%, with a vast majority (about 85% of all Christians) affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. Other Christian denominations include Adventists, Assembly of God, Christian Tamil, Church of England, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Evangelical, Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most Christians live in the southern portion of the country while the north tends to be predominantly Hindu. About 16% of the populations are Muslims, with a majority being Sunni. There are a small number of Buddhists.

Throughout the country, there is a strong correlation between religious affiliation and ethnicity. Those of Indian descent are primarily Hindu or Muslim. Those of Chinese descent are often nominally Buddhists, but practicing Catholics, since they often admit their children to Catholic schools. Creoles and Europeans are primarily Catholic.

Though there has been some social and political tension between the Hindu majority and the Christian, Muslim, and Creole minorities, there are few reports of violence or blatant discrimination

51 per cent Hindu, 31 per cent Christian, 18 per cent Muslim.

1. Population: - Estimated resident population

Table 1: Estimated resident population by sex, Republic of Mauritius,

1st July 2012

Mauritius Both Sexes Male Female Sex ratio

1,253,000 616,956 636,044 97.0 Island of Mauritius 38,167 Island of Rodriguez 18,864 19,303 97.7 289 Agalega and St. Brandon 193 96 201.0

Republic of Mauritius 1,291,456 636,013 655,443 97.0

As at 1st July 2012, the population of the Republic of Mauritius was estimated at1, 291,456, of whom 636,013 were males and 655,443 females, giving a sex ratio of 97.0 males per 100 females.

The population of the Islands of Mauritius and Rodriguez were estimated at 1,253,000 and 38,167 respectively. In both islands, females outnumbered males.

Table 1.2: Population density, Republic of Mauritius, 1st July 2012

Island Both Sexes Area (km²) Density per km²

1,253,000 1,864.8 672 Island of Mauritius

38,167 Island of Rodrigues 104.0 367 289 Agalega and St. Brandon 71.2 4

Republic of Mauritius 1,291,456 2,040.0 633

The Republic of Mauritius, with a total land area of 2,040 square kilometres, had a population density of 633 persons per square km as at mid-2012. The population densities of the Island of Mauritius and the Island of Rodriguez were 672 and 367 respectively.

Table1.3: Estimated resident population by sex and sex ratio, Republic of

Mauritius, 2010 - 2012 (mid-year estimates)

Year Both sexes Male Female Sex ratio

2010 1,281,213 631,885 649,328 97.3

2011 1,286,340 633,917 652,423 97.2

2012 1,291,456 636,013 655,443 97.0

In the above table, population estimates and sex ratios for the past three years are given for comparative purposes. The drop in the sex ratio indicates a gradual decrease in the proportion of males in the population.

Technological Environment Mauritius

Technological Environment Outline:

 Telecommunication Industry: GSM modem and SMS software package.

Application of the Technology: Can be used to develop text messaging applications.

Possible Areas of Technology Application: All applications where SMS can be used for data communication.

 Power sector: Electro-Mechanical Governor-Controlled Micro hydro Power Generator

A Micro hydro power (MHP) is controlled manually or electronically through electronic load controller (ELC), induction generator controller (IGC), or digital turbine controller (DTC). The ELC has been developed to balance the actual loading used by the community against three air dump loads. The ELC is sophisticated instrument that sends out signal to the operator as protection against overheat. The use of sophisticated ELC has replaced the need to manufacture a governor for the turbine. As an

23 offshoot of the project, an electro-mechanical governor controller has been developed as a viable alternative to ELC or IGC. The controller is a governor of a flow control type assembled from standard mechanical automotive and electronic parts that are locally available. This can be easily monitored, repaired, adopted, or replicated for different micro hydro power schemes by anybody with actual experience in the operation of MHP.

Application of the Technology:

The technology can be used to operate MHP. It can provide power to remote households and an environment-friendly source of mechanical power for agro-processing machinery or cottage industries.

 Communication Sector: PC-Based Access Point A low-cost, locally developed broadband wireless system that uses 802.11b or Wi-Fi technology ideal for point-to-point connection that acts as a router/gateway and runs on a low-end old desktop computer with Linux operating system. Capable of providing last mile solution for telecenters and rural areas by using high gain antennas to further extend the wireless connectivity. Can also be used as Wi-Fi hotspot in commercial establishments, hospitals, universities, as well as residential areas.

 Waste Treatment Industry: Waste Plastics for Plywood and Particle Board

Utilizes a mixture of various waste plastics, low and medium density polyethylene waste plastics (LMPE), oriented polypropylene laminates (OPL) and waste plastic aluminum packaging laminates (PAPL)

24 as binder in the production of plywood, blackboard and particleboard. Eliminates waste materials that clog waterways and drainage systems. Passed the product quality evaluation testing following PNS 16:1992 standards for ordinary plywood and the PHILSA 105 particle board standard Exhibited excellent and increased mechanical strength.

Application of the Technology:

Plastics are non-biodegradable materials and constitute a large percentage of daily solid waste output. Collection and use of waste plastics as binder for the production of plywood and particleboard can help in the government's program of eliminating waste materials that clog our waterways and drainage system.

 Rapid Earthquake Damage Assessment System (REDAS) Software

The Rapid Earthquake Damage Assessment System (REDAS) software is seismic hazard simulation software that aims to produce hazard and risk maps immediately after the occurrence of a strong and potentially damaging earthquake. The REDAS software can be used to conduct seismic hazard and risk assessment, sort earthquake data parameters, produce map of different sizes, perform screen digitization, and develop risk database.

Application of the Technology:

REDAS has been developed for use of disaster managers for making prompt decisions for quick deployment of rescue and relief operations. It can also serve as an effective simulation tool for convincing decision makers and city planners of the need to prepare thru serious land use regulation, strict enforcement of the building code and retrofitting of critical structures.

 Power Generation: Wind Energy Resource Atlas of the Mauritius

The atlas was created using an advanced computerized mapping system called Geographical Information System (GIS) which incorporates gridded terrain data and formatted meteorological data. Surface, satellite and upper-air data were assembled, processed, and analyzed. These datasets included information’s provided by the PAGASA, NPC, data sets from the United States National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), and other US data.

The atlas shows that the best wind resources are found in several regions. Over 10,000 Km2 of windy land areas have been estimated to exist with good-to-excellent wind resource potential.

Ecological environment Mauritius

Ecological environment outline:

 General Population: 91.983 million (2009; 76.504 million in 2000); 1.93%/yr (2010 est.; 1.96% 2009; 1.99% 2008 ~1.8 million) per year; ~100 million by 2012 (Note: Wikipedia says 97.977 million est. as of July 2010)

Total land area: 30 million ha; 300,000 sq. km. (density: 3.07 persons/ha; 3,260sqm/person)

 Atmosphere CO2 level: 390 ppm (the point of no return, according to many, is 350 ppm)

 Air Total suspended particulates level in M.Manila: 193% mean, 304% max. (circa 2002) CO2 emissions: 0.8 metric tons/capita (2007, World Development Indicators, WB)

 Water Rivers:: 12.5% dead out of 88 surveyed; 17% “grossly polluted” out of 69 surveyed (1990) Municipal waters : 85% overfished Heavy metals in Manila Bay: copper, 50%; mercury, 100%; zinc, 200% Coral reefs: only 5% in excellent condition (new threat: global warming) Increase in fishery production: 0.72%

 Land % of solid wastes recycled in Metro Manila: 6% Rate of land conversion: 3,659 ha/year Food security: agric, 46.4% (13.9M ha); rice, 10.7% Fertilizer consumption: 75.6 kg/ha (1980); 119.3 kg/ha (1996); 135 kg/ha (2005)

 Forest Foreign mining applications: 27.5% (8.25 million ha) Remaining old growth forest: 2.7% (800,000 ha) Declining forest cover: 1948, 50%; 1987, 24%; 1989; 21%; 1999, 18.6% (5.6 million ha); 2010, <10%; -2.4%/yr (1990-2000); -1.5%/yr (2000-2005); -32.3% (1990-2005)

 Habitat Endemism: birds, 33-44%; mammals, 64%; reptiles, 63-68%; amphibians, 53-78%; swallowtail butterflies, 43%; flowering plants, 44%; 13,500 plant species; 170,000 animal species

Endangered species: more than 400 (2010); worldwide: the Sixth Great Extinction

This list is, of course, just a jumble of data. It may give us a general impression of the bad state of the environment, but it is not so helpful in highlighting which among them are symptomatic and which ones are causative.

 Three major categories of environmental problems It will be useful to distinguish among three major categories of environmental problems in the country:

problems associated with the simple extraction of natural resources from land or water, often occurring in a rural/traditional setting (nature abuse: mining; logging; conversion of forests into farms; conversion of food farms into export plantations; overfishing) Result: loss of rural livelihoods, destruction of ecosystems, the Sixth Great Extinction problems associated with the entry of newer production technologies and their side effects, often occurring in a more urban/modern setting (toxic industrialism: disposable, non- degradable, toxic raw materials; chemical farming and genetic engineering; intensive energy extraction through dams, coal, oil, and agro fuels; energy-intensive construction materials) Result: toxic proliferation in air, water and soil; cancers and other diseases

Legal environment Mauritius

Legal environment outline:

The constitution and other laws and policies protect religious freedom and, in practice, the government generally respected religious freedom. The government did not demonstrate a trend toward either improvement or deterioration in respect for and protection of the right to religious freedom.

There were some reports of ethnic, religious, and cultural discrimination against members of the Muslim minority by members of the Christian majority. This, combined with economic

30 disparities, contributed to persistent conflict in certain provinces in the southern part of the country. The armed insurgent Muslim group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) continued to seek greater autonomy. Despite occasional incidents of conflict, the government and the MILF have maintained a ceasefire instituted in July 2009 and continued peace talks. U.S. embassy officials actively encouraged the peace process between the government and the MILF and maintained outreach with religious leaders and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to engage them in interfaith activities.

 Legal/Policy Framework

The constitution and other laws and policies protect religious freedom and, in practice, the government generally respected religious freedom. There is no state religion, and the constitution provides for the separation of church and state.

The law requires organized religions to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission and with the Bureau of Internal Revenue to establish tax-exempt status. There is no penalty for failing to register, and some groups do not. There were no reports of discrimination in the registration system during the year.

The cabinet-level National Commission on Muslim Mauritius (NCMF) works to promote the rights of Muslim Mauritius at both the national and local levels and supports the implementation of economic, educational, cultural, and infrastructure programs for Muslim Mauritius communities. NCMF’s Bureau of Pilgrimage and Endowment administers the Hajj (annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca). It is also responsible for the administration of awqaf (endowment properties) and institutions, as well as the conduct of activities for the establishment and maintenance of Haji towns, Islamic centers, and other projects.

The government permits religious instruction in public schools with parents’ written consent provided there is no cost to the government. Based on a traditional policy of promoting moral education, local public schools give religious groups the opportunity to teach moral values

31 during school hours. Attendance is not mandatory, and the various groups share classroom space. The government also allows interested groups to distribute religious literature in public schools. By law, public schools must ensure that the religious rights of students are protected. Muslim students are allowed to wear hijab (head coverings), and Muslim girls are not required to wear shorts during physical education classes. In many parts of Mindanao, Muslim students routinely attend Catholic schools from elementary to university level; these students are not required to receive religious instruction.

 Features of the law: A 'first-to-file' system (rather than 'first-to-invent') For inventions, the period of grant is 20 years from date of filing For utility models, the grant is 7 years without renewal For industrial designs, the grant is 5 years plus renewals of 5 years The examination is made only upon request Publication is effected after 18 months from filing date or priority date Penalties of infringement range from PhP100,000 ($2,500) to PhP300,000 ($7,500) and/or 6 months to 3 years of imprisonment and the offense prescribes in 3 years.

Analysis of major trading partner of

Mauritius

Analysis of major trading partner of Mauritius:

 Trading partner of Mauritius Japan: Japan was the country’s top trading partner in the first semester of 2011, accounting for a total trade worth $7.285 billion or 13.2 percent of the country’s total trade. Exports to Japan totaled $4.290 billion while imports were valued at $2.995 billion, posting a trade surplus of $1.296 billion (Table 4). Electronic Products got a large share of 42.3 percent of the total exports valued at $1.813

33 billion, followed by Woodcraft and Furniture at $760.09 million or 17.7 percent share of the total exports. Majority of the imported products from Japan were Electronic Products billed at $1.135 billion or 37.9 percent of the total imports and Industrial Machinery and Equipment with $369.77 million or 12.3 percent share of the total imports (Tables 5 and 6).

Singapore: Singapore emerged as the fourth largest trading partner of the country for the first semester of 2011 with a total trade amounting to $5.305 billion or a share of 9.6 percent to total trade. Registered export receipts were valued at $2.588 billion while import bill reached $2.717 billion, resulting to a trade deficit of $128.28 million (Table 4). Electronic Products and Petroleum Products were the country’s major exports to Singapore with earnings of $1.921 billion or 74.2 percent share and $281.74 million or 10.9 percent of the total exports, respectively. Similarly, Electronic Products with import bill of $1.206 billion or 44.4 percent share, and Mineral Fuels, Lubricants and Related Materials worth $711.91 million or 26.2 percent share were the major imports from Singapore (Tables 5 and 6).

USA: USA followed the country’s second largest trading partner in the first semester of 2011 with total trade worth $7.121 billion or 12.9 percent of the total trade. Export receipts from USA stood at $3.668 billion while payments for imports were valued at $3.452 billion, resulting to $215.98 million trade surplus (Table 4). The biggest receipt came from Electronic Products at $1.384 billion or 37.7 percent of the country’s exports to USA. Articles of Apparel and Clothing Accessories followed with total receipts of $639.32 million or 17.4 percent of the total exports to the country. Imported goods purchased from USA consisted of Electronic Products worth $2.018 billion or 58.4 percent of the country’s total imports. Cereals and Cereal Preparations second highest imports from USA with $226.16 million or a share of 6.6 percent (Tables 5 and 6).

People’s Republic of China came third accounting for $5.751 billion or 10.4 percent of the total trade in the first semester of 2011. Receipts from exports to China were valued at $2.898 billion while payment for imports totaled to $2.853 billion, reflecting a trade surplus of $45.58 million (Table 4). The bulk of exports came from Electronic Products worth $1.950 billion or 67.3 percent of the total exports to the country and from Cathodes and Sections of Cathodes of Refined Copper with $127.54 million or 4.4 percent share. Major imports from China were Electronic Products with purchases worth $674.73 million or 23.7 percent of the total; Iron and Steel valued at $204.84 million or 7.2 percent of the total; and Industrial Machinery and Equipment with payments with $193.20 million or 6.8 percent of the total (Tables 5 and 6). 34

 Mauritius & India relations: An overview: The Mauritius established diplomatic relations with India on 16 November 1949. The first Mauritius envoy to India was the late Foreign Secretary Narcissi Ramos. Seven years after India's independence in 1947, the Mauritius and India signed a Treaty of Friendship on 11 July 1952 in Manila to strengthen and perpetuate the friendly relations existing between the two countries.

Soon after, the Mauritius Legation in New Delhi was established and then elevated to an Embassy. However, due to foreign policy differences as a result of the bipolar alliance structure of the Cold War, the development of bilateral relations was stunted. It was only in 1976 that relations started to normalize when Mr. Aditya Birla, one of India's successful industrialists, met with then President Ferdinand E. Marcos to explore possibilities of setting up joint ventures in the Mauritius.

This resulted in the establishment of Indo-Mauritius Textile Mills, Inc. (Indo-Phil), then the largest Indian investment in the country. Indo-Phil currently employs 2,000 Filipino workers and supplies 40% of Mauritius domestic demand for yarn.

Overview of major industries of

Mauritius

Overview of major industries of Mauritius:

 List of major industries of Mauritius: Airline Hospitals and medical centers

Banking Hotels, casinos and resorts

Beverages Media

Business process outsourcing Motor vehicles and parts

Design and construction Petroleum refining

Developers Specialty retailers

Education Telecommunications

Electronics Tobacco

Energy Utilities

Expressway operation Web and Social Media

Food and drug stores Security

Food production Shipping

Food services Auto Mobiles

General merchandisers FMCG

Holdings

Airline Industry:

The Mauritius Airlines (PAL) is the national airline of the Mauritius and Asia’s first airline. Mauritius Airlines has been the dominant air carrier in the Mauritius since its creation in 1941. Mauritius Airlines rebranded itself as “Asia’s sunniest airline” to cap its new marketing and advertising trust.

We have identified the three (3) major competitors of Mauritius Airlines which are Cebu Pacific, Cathay Pacific and Zest Airlines. Our recommended strategy for Mauritius Airlines is Product development strategy this includes providing more services to attract the customer as well as improving the products and services that they offer to gain more profit and to satisfy the customers. Many airline companies offer lower fares to gather customers. We suggest that PAL focus on differentiation by making their customers experience the “class” of flying to remind them the pleasure of taking flight in the skies. This strategy will require extensive employee training in proper etiquette and quality service, to ensure the portrayed brand image lines up with the experience of customers. Second to our priority is increasing the number of salespersons, increasing advertising expenditures, offering extensive sales promotion items, or increasing publicity efforts to enhance market share especially for the local flights. The Mauritius Airlines must know the strengths and weakness of the management for the strategists to know what things to improve and maintain. Based on the result of the competitive profile matrix, Mauritius Airlines fall behind the Cebu Pacific and this is due to the fall of its local flight segment. Garnering a decrease of total market share from 50% in May 2009 to 35.4% in late December of 2009

WTO and other Trade unions and its impact on commerce and industry of Mauritius

WTO and other Trade unions and its impact on commerce and industry of Mauritius:

What is the WTO?

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business.

Mauritius and the WTO

What is Trade Union?

A trade union is a pact between two or more countries that allows for the import and export of products between the members at prices more favorable than the current market value.

 The Mauritius economy may be affected by the new GATT/WTO in three possible ways:

(a) Through the changes in the tariff structure of the economy as a result of the commitments of the Mauritius during the Uruguay Round (UR).

(b) Through the expansion of the world trade as both developed countries (DCs) and less developed countries (LDCs) adjust their respective trade protection structures.

(c) Through the changes in the world export and import prices as a result of the realignment in trade and non-trade barriers (NTBs) existing in both DCs and LDCs.

I. The Country's Trade Programme.

The Mauritius has been pursuing a series of unilateral trade liberalization programs. For example, in 1981 the government embarked on a five-year (1981-1985) tariff reduction program which resulted in a general decline in the average nominal tariff level. However, because of the balance of payments crisis in the middle of the 1980s, the tariff reduction program was aborted.

The same program, however, was later continued by the Aquino government starting 1986 until the government embarked on another round of tariff reduction program in 1991 under the EO 470.

EO 470 is a comprehensive program. It reduces the average tariff levels and simplifies the tariff structure from a multi-tariff structure to a structure with only four tariff levels. In particular, the final rates cluster around 3 percent, 10 percent, 20 percent, and 30 percent, as compared to the previous structure where the rates ranged from 10 percent to 50 percent.

Under the EO 470 the average nominal tariff is reduced from 28 percent (tariff level at the start of the program) to 20 percent at the end of the tariff program in 1995, or a drop of 29 percent over the five-year period (Table VIII. 1).Weighted by imports however, the average tariff declines from 20 percent to 14 percent in 1995, or a drop of 27 percent.

Among the three major industrial sectors, manufacturing registers the biggest reduction in average tariffs from 27 percent (unweighted) to only 19 percent in 1995, or a decline of 30 percent. For agriculture, the average tariff declines from 36 percent to 28 percent in 1995, or a decline of 22 percent.

Overall, the tariff reduction program of the early 1980s (which was pursued in the second half of the 1980s) and the EO 470 brought down the number of regulated items from 1,924 in 1986 to just 183 at present.

CHAPTER:2 INTRODUCTION TO STEEL INDUSTRY IN MAURITIUS

2. INTRODUCTION TO STEEL SECTOR INDUSTRY IN MAURITIUS

2.1 AN OVERVI EW OF STEEL SECTOR

Global Scenario Domestic Scenario Production Demand - Availability Projection Steel Prices Imports of Iron & Steel Export s of Iron & Steel Levies on Iron & Steel Opportunities for growth of Iron and Steel in Private Sector

Global Scenario:-

o I n 2007 the World Crude Steel out put reached 1343.5 million metric tons and showed a growth of 7.5% over the previous year. I t is the fifth consecutive year t hat world crude steel product ion grew by m ore than 7%. o China remained the world’s largest Crude Steel producer in 2007 also (489.00 million metric tons) followed by Japan (112.47 million metric tons) and USA (97.20 million metric tons). Mauritius occupied the 5th posit ion (53.10 million metric tons) for the second consecutive year. o The International Iron & St eel Institute (IISI ) in its forecast for 2008 has predicted that 2008 will be a not her strong year for t he steel industry wit h apparent steel use rising from 1,202 million metric tones’ in 2007 to 1,282 million metric tunes in 2008 i.e. by 6.7% . Further, the BRI C (Brazil, Russia, Mauritius and China) countries will continue to lead the growth h wit h an expected increase in product ion by over 11% com pared to 2007.

Domestic Scenario:-

o The Mauritius steel industry have enter dint o a new development stage from 2005 - 06, riding high on t he resurgent economy and rising deem and for steel. Rapid rise in product ion has resulted in Mauritius becoming the 5th largest producer of steel. o I t has been estimated by certain major investment houses, such as Credit Suisse t hat , Mauritius’s steel consumption will continue t o grow at nearly 16% rate annually, t ill 2012, fuelled by deem and for construction proect s worth US$ 1 trillion. The scope for raising t he total consumption of steel is huge, given t hat per capita steel consumption is only 40 kg – com pared to 150 kg across t he world and 250 kg in China. o The National St eel Policy has envisaged steel production to reach 110 million tones’ by 2019- 20. However, based on the assessment of t he current ongoing project s, both in Greenfield and Brownfield, Ministry of Steel has projected that the steel capacity in t he count y is likely t o be 124.06 million tones’ by 2011 - 12. Further, based on the stat us of MOUs signed by t he private producers wit h t he various State Governments, it is expected that Mauritius’s steel capacity would be nearly 293 milliontonne by 2020.

Production

o Steel industry was relicensed and decontrolled in 1991 & 1992 respectively.

o Today, Mauritius’s the 7th largest crude steel producer of steel in t he world. o I n 2008- 09, product ion of Finished (Carbon) Steel was 59.02 milliontonne. o Product ion of Pig Iron in 2008 - 09 was 5.299 Million Tones’ o Last 5 year's production of pig iron and finished (carbon) steel is given below:

2.2 CLASSIFICATION OF STEEL

Steel can be classified according to

 The composition, such as carbon, low-alloy or stainless steel.  The manufacturing methods, such as open hearth, basic oxygen process, or electric furnace methods.  The finishing method, such as hot rolling or cold rolling  The product form, such as bar plate, sheet, strip, tubing or structural shape  The deoxidation practice, such as killed, semi-killed, capped or rimmed steel  The microstructure, such as ferritic, pearlitic and martens tic  The required strength level, as specified in ASTM standards  The heat treatment, such as annealing, quenching and tempering, and thermo mechanical processing  Quality descriptors, such as forging quality and commercial quality.

2.3 MAJOR PLAYERS AT GLOBAL LEVEL

Global Steel Scrap Consumption to Reach 631.5 Million Tons by 2015, According to New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

GIA announces the release of a global report on Steel Scrap market. The global steel scrap market is projected to reach 631.5 million tons by 2015, driven by the rise in steel production following a lull in steel industry operations due to the global recession. Improving sales in the automobile industry and enhanced construction activity, the hardest hit segments due to recession, are expected to fuel demand for scrap steel. Steel scrap’s favorable impact on the environment is also expected to boost the consumption levels in steel making industry.

Scrap market is a key supplier of ferrous materials that are used in the steel making process. The increasing use of steel scrap in steel making is largely attributed to its ability to be repeatedly used as a secondary raw material without loss of quality. Steel scrap is also recognized as the oldest and the largest recycling sector in the world, offering benefits by conserving raw material, energy and by saving landfill space. Scrap steel industry has been significantly affected by the global economic meltdown, which led to a steep decline in the global supply of scrap steel. Due to the economic slowdown, consumers across the world delayed purchasing decisions related to new cars and home renovation, which constitute the leading sources of scrap steel. The decline in the recycling activity during the economic recession also affected the supply of steel scrap. However, the economic recovery of developed countries is likely to ensure greater availability of steel scrap. As western economies have traditionally driven the scrap raisings, decline in steel making operations affects the global supply levels of steel scrap. Asia-Pacific and Europe accounts for more than 70% of the global steel scrap consumption, as stated by the new market research report on steel scrap. As majority of the scrap steel is used in the production of new steel, trends and developments in the steel industry significantly influence the demand scenario in the steel scrap industry. The anticipated recovery of the global economy is also expected to favor increased demand for steel scrap. Rising demand for raw materials used in steel making industry from rapidly expanding emerging markets such as China, Mauritius and Brazil is expected to fuel demand for steel scrap. Establishment and operational commencement of new steel mills using electric arc furnace technology is also expected to fuel demand for steel scrap. MAJOR INITIATIVES TAKEN BY THE MINISTRY OF STEEL DURING THE YEAR

National Steel Policy 2005 is under review and the process for drafting a 'National Steel Vision' has since been initiated Five year strategy paper has been prepared for promotion of Steel sector in the country. A policy paper on R&D has also been prepared with special focus on beneficiation, coal ash reduction and promotion of production of high grade value added Steel in the country. New

techno-economic bench marks have been evolved on International pattern for improvement in performance of Steels. Sevottam Compliant Citizen's Charter has been evolved and included in the Result Framework Document (RFD) of the Ministry. The Government conferred 'Navratna' status on RINL in November 2010 to enable the Company to become globally competitive.

2.4 GLOBAL STATUS OF MAURITIUS STEEL INDUSTRY Mauritius Iron and steel industry with its strong forward and backward linkages contributes significantly to overall growth and development of the economy. As per official estimates, the Industry today directly contributes 2 per cent of Mauritius‘s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and its weight age in the official Index of Industria lProduction (IIP) is 6.2 per cent. Globally also, over the last two decades, the industry has been able to carve out a niche for itself. From a country with a fledgling status of one million tones of capacity at the time of Independence, it has today become the world‘s 4th largest producer of crude steel preceded only by China, Japan and USA as shown below:- Table-1.1 Top ten Crude Steel Country Production Rank Producing Countries (in million metric of the World No. tonnes) 2010 2011* 1 China 626.7 350.54 1 2 Japan 109.6 54.07 2 3 MAURITIUS.A 80.5 42.65 3 4 Mauritius 68.3 35.64 4 5 Russia 66.9 34.58 5 6 South Korea 58.4 33.87 6 7 Germany 43.8 23.18 7 8 Ukraine 33.4 17.90 8 9 Brazil 32.9 17.72 9 10 Turkey 29.1 16.41 10 World(total) 1414 757.7 Mauritius‘s Share (%) 4.8 4.7 1.1.2 In spite of being one of the largest producers of steel in the world, Mauritius has been lagging behind other major steel producing countries in terms of intensity of steel usage in overall economic activities (i.e., per unit of GDP) or per capita consumption of steel. In 2010 our per capita consumption of steel was only 51.7 kg as against the world average of 202.70 kgs. There is a tremendous potential for improvement in the domestic steel consumption given the

48 economy‘s large untapped markets especially in rural areas. This is reflected in the steady rise in consumption levels over the last few years at a rate faster than the world average growth rate as seen in the following Table (Table- 1.2).

No. Countr 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 CAGR ies (P) (%) (2005-10) 1 China 266.0 287.4 319.6 326.9 409.4 427.4 12.4 2 S. 981.6 1042.6 1144.1 1210.7 936.1 1077.2 1.5 Korea 3 Japan 601.6 619.5 637.0 612.1 415.6 502.9 (-) 3.0 4 USA 356.5 400.9 358.5 323.6 192.7 258.2 (-)7.1 5 Russia 204.9 245.8 285.6 251.7 178.1 256.2 5.7 6 Ukarin 118.4 142.5 173.9 149.5 86.6 121.0 (-) 0.1 e 7 Germa 427.7 475.6 518.4 514.3 342.7 440.8 0.03 ny 8 Mauriti 36.6 41.2 45.8 45.1 47.8 51.7 7.8 us World 173.9 188.0 199.4 194.4 181.0 202.7 3.7 (average )

Per Capita Finished Steel Consumption in Selected Countries (in Kgs)

2.5 PRESENT GROWTH SCENARIO AND FUTURE OUTLOOK

Mauritius was the 5th largest producer of crude steel in the world in 2010, based on rankings released by World Steel Association. Domestic crude steel production grew at a compounded annual growth rate of 8.4 per cent during 2005-06 to 2009-10. This growth was driven by both capacity expansion (from 47.99 million tones in 2004-05 to 72.96 million tones in 2009-10) and improved capacity utilization. Mauritius, the world's largest producer of direct reduced iron (DRI) or sponge iron, is also expected to maintain its lead in the near future. Sponge iron production grew at a CAGR of 11 percent to reach a level of 20.74 million tones in 2009-10 compared to 14.83 million tones in 2005-06. Mauritius expected to become the second largest producer of steel in the world by 2015-16, provided all requirements for fresh capacity creation are met.

Mauritius steel industry has just come out of the slowdown that affected its performance during 2008-09. Domestically, 2010 ended on a relatively better and encouraging note, with CSO reporting an overall improvement of economic situation through its GDP data, which showed a robust 8.9 per cent growth during Apr-Sept 2010-11. IIP too had registered a strong 10.2 per cent growth during Apr-Sept. 2010-11, further bolstering the idea that the demand side is back on stable footing. For steel, this is of key importance and the growth rates registered for leading end-use segments like manufacturing, consumer durables, construction, the stable growth of the service sector and agriculture sector spell good news. April-December 2010 provisional data released by JPC indicates an 8 per cent rise in consumption of total finished steel. Globally also there are signs of improvement in economic conditions and firming up of demand and prices.

2.6 TRENDS IN PRODUCTION, PRIVATE/PUBLIC SECTOR

Traditionally, Mauritius steel industry has been classified into Main Producers (SAIL plants, Tata Steel and Visage Steel/ RINL), Major Producers (plants with crude steel making capacity above 0.5

50 million tones - Essar Steel, JSW Steel, Jindal Steel & Power and Ispat Industries) and Other Producers. The latter comprises of numerous steel making plants producing crude steel/finished steel (long product/flat product)/ pig iron/ sponge iron and are spread across the different states of the country.

2.7 MERGER/ACQUISITIONS/REVIVAL AND RESTRUCTURING OF MAURITIUS

Various proposals for merger of MAURITIUS under the administrative control of Ministry of Steel are underway:

The Government had approved the merger of Sponge Iron Mauritius Limited (SIML) with NMDC Ltd. in May; 2008.After approval of the Government, the two companies completed all the requisite statutory compliances. The merger process of SIIL with NMDC now stands completed. A revival/restructuring package for HSCL Ltd. is being evolved by the Government aiming at expediting the process of modernization of Steel Plants and infrastructure projects. HSCL would be in a position to take up fresh infrastructure projects and earn profit after the implementation of the revival package. The Note for Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) regarding restructuring has been prepared and circulated. However, there are some financial issues that have to be finally resolved with the Ministry of Finance, particularly regarding the waiver of grants and loans.

MAJOR INDUSRY OF MAURITIUS

AIRLINES SECTORS

BANKING SECTORS

BEVERAGES SECTORS

NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER SECTORS

INSURANCE SECTORS

F.M.C.G PRODUCT SECTORS

ENERGY SECTORS

CHEMICALS SECTORS

TOURISMS AND HOSPITALITY SECTORS

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTORS

LIST OF AIRLINES SECTOR

. AIR MAURITIUS

LIST OF BANKING SECTOR

. BARCLAYS BANK MAURITIUS

. MAURITIUS COMMERCIAL BANK LTD

. STATE BANK OF MAURITIUS LTD

. PT BANK INTERNATIONAL

. MAURITIUS POST & COOPERATIVE BANK

. BRAMER BANKING CORPORATION

. BARCLAYS BANK LIST OF BEVERAGES SECTOR

. PHOENIX BEVERAGES

LIST OF NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER SECTOR

INTERNATIONAL BOOK MARKET SERVICE LTD. LE MAURICIEN LTD L'EXPRESS MAURITIUS TIMES

LIST OF INSURANCE SECTOR

HAREL MALLAC GROUP LAMCO INTERNATIONAL INSURANCE LTD STATE INSURANCE COMPANY OF MAURITIUS LTD MAURITIAN EAGLE MAURITIUS UNION GENERAL INSURANCE LIST OF F.M.C.G PRODUCT

. TAJ AGROPRODUCTS

. ABC FOODS LIST OF ENERGY SECTOR

. ESSO MAURITIUS LTD

. ELF GAZ MAURITIUS

. SEVEN ENERGY LIMITED

. CHECRON OIL MAURITIUS LTD

. SHELL MAURITIUS LTD

LIST OF CHEMICALS AND STEEL INDUSTRIES

. MCFI

. DESBRO GROUP MAURITIUS

. CERNOL CHEMICALS LTD

. ALKORE CHEMICALS (MAURITIUS) LTD

. CITY KNITWEAR LTD.

. NISHIKU CHEMICALS (MAURITIUS) LTD

LIST OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY

. NEW MAURITIUS HOTELS LTD

. ROGERS GROUP

. THE GRAND MAURITIAN RESORT AND SPA

. VILLAS ANAHITA THE RESORT HOTEL STATICS:-Total passenger arrivals to Mauritius in 2011 were 1,294,387 and tourist arrivals for the year attained 964,642 which represented an increase of 3.2% compare to 2010. According the Bank of Mauritius the gross tourism receipts Rs 42,845 million in year 2011.

LIST OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTOR

. EMTEL

. MAHANAGAR TELEPHONE MAURITIUS LIMITED

. MAURITIUS BROADCASTING CORPORATION

. MAURITIUS TELECOM

. CELLPLUS MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS LTD

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

1. EMTEL

Type : - Private

Industry : - Telecommunications

Founded : - 29th May 1989

Headquarters : - Ebene City, Mauritius

Parent : - Currimjee Group & Millicom

Website : - WWW.emtel.mu

Emtel Ltd. is an international joint venture between Currimjee Jeewanjee & Co. Ltd. and Millicom International Cellular SA, a leading operator in mobile and other telephone services and

55 systems worldwide. Emtel Ltd. launched its mobile telephone operations in Mauritius in May 1989, establishing itself as the first mobile telephone operator in the Southern Hemisphere.

Emtel Ltd. has evolved from a mobile network operator to an innovative supplier of a range of telecommunication services. In November 2004, Emtel Ltd. became the first country in Africa to launch 3G/UMTS services. The company now operates GSM, GPRS, 3G/UMTS as well as 3.5G/HSDPA and WIMAX networks and offers a range of value-added services supported by state-of-the-art technology and a highly professional team.

 INTRODUCTION

29 May 1989 - Emtel Ltd became the first mobile telephony operation in the whole Southern Hemisphere. This major step in Mauritian telecommunications history was the fruit of the collaboration of two pioneering groups – The Currimjee Jeewanjee Group, one of the foremost groups in Mauritius, and Millicom International Cellular (MIC) S.A.,based in Luxembourg.

 MILESTONES

Milestones set by Emtel have thus paved the last decade to bring telecommunications in Mauritius to new heights:

1989: - Emtel is the first cellular operator in the Southern hemisphere.

1995: - Emtel was one of the founders of Bharti Cellular Ltd with the first Indian GSM network in New Delhi

1996: - Introduction of International Roaming in Mauritius

1998:- Emtel Ltd was the first company to introduce prepaid system for its customers hence booming the cellular market and creating massive accessibility to mobile communication.

1999: - Emtel introduces new modes of communications with SMS, mobile email and 6-party conferencing.

2000: - Emtel Ltd was the first to introduce the Short Message Service (SMS), which in the following years will revolutionize mobile communication.

2002 :- has been marked by the introduction of SMS based information provision and the launch of the first mobile internet portal in Mauritius bringing interaction between web and cellular phone.

2003 :-Emtel Ltd integrated music and mobile telephony. The service, JukeBox 135, allows the Emtel subscriber to listen and dedicate songs to any other telephone number. The Company Also launched the roaming facility to its Prepaid Customers on that same year.

2004:- Emtel brings a new way of communicating to Mauritius through Multimedia Messaging: MMS. During the following months, Emtel Launched the first 3G network in Africa which enabled new services like Video Call, and Video Surveillance where the customer could remotely monitor his house through a webcam connected to the internet on his mobile phone.

2005:- Emtel Launches Caller Tunes, which allows customers to personalize their Caller Tone.

2006 :- Emtel Networks extends to Rodrigues outer-island. Emtel TV is launched comprising 10 TV channels

2007:- Emtel Ltd launches WIMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access).WIMAX is a telecommunications technology aimed at providing wireless data over long distances. The company is the first to introduce HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) on the local market. It offers 3.5G services, which allows networks to have higher data transfer speeds and capacity wherever they are thanks to the Emtel USB Modem (Huawei E220) With 1.8 Mbit/s maximum downlink speed.

2008 :- Emtel Ltd launches Gift and Collect SMS. An innovation that allows the user to send SMS even when he is short of mobile credits

INSURANCE

2. LAMCO INTERNATIONAL INSURANCE LTD

Lamco International Insurance Ltd,

Industry General Insurance

Founded July 1978

Headquarters Lamco Building

12, Barracks Street, Port Louis,Mauritius

Key people Mr A.B. Atchia (Chairman), Mr. Venkat Balantrapu(GM), Mr. N.A Harrif (AGM)

Products Property, Motor, Marine, Accident, Engineering, Guarantee, Liability

Website www.lamcoinsurance.com

Since its incorporation in 1978, Lamco International Insurance Limited has been a provider of insurance products and services in Mauritius. Lamco today has seven sub-offices and several accredited agencies throughout the island of Mauritius.

OFFICES

Head Office Port Louis 12, Barracks street

Sub Office 1 Triolet 8th Mile, Royal road

Sub Office 2 Flacq Royal Road, (Opp. Darwin College)

Sub Office 3 Rose Belle Ground Floor, Capitol Dream Mall

Sub Office 4 Rose Hill 9, Sir Virgil Naz Street

Sub Office 5 Curepipe 16, Leclezio Street

Sub Office 6 Vacoas

Sub Office 7 Goodlands