Mauritius budget proposals due today

Today is the last day for Mauritius to receive proposals for the 2020-21 budget, which will be presented in parliament on June 4.

The past week has seen numerous administration consultations over the direction this budget should take, many of which have stressed the importance of protecting employment, reviewing consumer protection legislation, restoring purchasing power through price control and regulating online purchasing. There are also talks about controlling prices in the public service and health sectors, which have skyrocketed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This new budget is meant to relaunch and bolster the self-sufficiency of the economy, with plans to reform the agro-industries and small and medium enterprise sectors through increased investment, market research and modernisation. Social investments are expected to update and increase access to the healthcare system, as the pandemic has highlighted many previously unseen shortcomings. Modernisation is the main goal of this fiscal policy, and the administration has discussed plans to increase investment in consumer product development and key infrastructure. This will likely require broadening its tax base via new information technology systems and e-services.

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