Financial services is one of the main pillars of the Mauritian economy.
In this era of global competition, Mauritius is constantly innovating to keep at pace and maintain its competitive edge. Within the last decade, Mauritius has come up with new legislation and regulations to expand the scope and depth of services that may be offered, which has resulted in a financial services industry that has quickly matured, with international banking institutions, insurance companies, investment companies, venture capital companies, fund managers, money changers, leasing companies, and management companies coming to establish business in Mauritius.
With innovative legislative framework, Mauritius offers investors with a diverse product base for planning and optimization of benefits. Global business companies (GBCs) benefit from a low to nil tax rates and can be organized as collective investment vehicles, protected cell companies (PCC), private trust companies (PTCs), trusts and partnerships amongst others. GBCs can also benefit from the Double Tax Avoidance Treaties with various countries.
The financial services sector is regulated by two main bodies who have adopted the best international practices in order to prevent misuse of the jurisdiction, each with specific statutory objectives:
- The Bank of Mauritius (BOM), set up in 1966, responsible for the regulation of banking services
- The Financial Services Commission (FSC), set up in 2001, as an integrated regulator for non-banking financial institutions and global business
Mauritius benefits from a low cost of operations and offers a series of attractive fiscal incentives such as no tax on dividends, no withholding tax on interest, royalties and dividends, no estate duty, inheritance, wealth or gift taxes, no stamp duties, registration duties and levies.
The jurisdiction is consolidating its reputation as a jurisdiction of substance for emerging market funds and is more and more being considered as a gateway for investments in Asia and Africa. To sustain its development as an international financial centre of substance, Mauritius has already embarked on a strategy of enhancing its range of financial products and moving towards the provision of higher end and value added services.