U.S-Mauritius Trade and Investment Mission

The U.S. Embassy, in close collaboration with the U.S. Commercial Service based in Johannesburg, is planning a two-day U.S. - Mauritius Trade and Investment Mission to be held on April 1-2, 2004 at the U.S. Commercial Service Ron Brown Center in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The objective of this important business event is to bring a delegation of Mauritian businesspersons to Johannesburg to meet with U.S. companies in South Africa to explore trade and investment opportunities in Mauritius. There are more than 800 U.S. firms based in South Africa and we plan to specifically target those companies that have interest in expanding their business in the region. In addition to presentations of business opportunities in Mauritius by the Mauritian delegation, and presentations of support services available from the Foreign Commercial Service and other U.S. agencies, there will be opportunities for one-on-one meetings between the Mauritian and U.S. business delegates. We also envisage interactions with business in the U.S. via video conferences.

The Embassy is working with representatives of the Government of Mauritius as well as private sector institutions to plan this event. These include the Board of Investment, the American Chamber of Commerce, the Mauritius Freeport Authority, the Business Parks of Mauritius Ltd., the Financial Services Promotion Agency, the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and the Mauritius Export Processing Zone Association. All these agencies will be active participants in the trade mission in Johannesburg.

The Impact of Global Financial Integration on Mauritius and Seychelles

This paper focuses on the obstacles and challenges of global financial integration faced by Mauritius and Seychelles, two small islands states in the Indian Ocean. It is argued that globalisation is rapidly, and to a large extent irreversibly, changing the way business and policy are conducted in small open economies and in the industrialised world. The paper also refers to the difficulties faced by small island states in their attempt to liberalise their economies, notably those related to intensification of competition, maintenance of sound macroeconomic policies, effective management of risks, cross-border bank supervision, modernization of financial legislation, and adaptation to changes in the international business cycle.