27 January 2010

Mauritius ranks 12th on the Index of Economic Freedom 2010

Mauritius is placed 12th in global rankings of the Index of Economic Freedom 2010 published by the Wall Street Journal and the Heritage Foundation, which rate the freedoms of 183 economies across the world on a scale from 1 to 100 points.

With a total economic freedom score of 76.3 points, Mauritius ranks 1st out of the 46 countries in the Sub-Saharan African region followed by Botswana with 70.3 points, Madagascar with 63.2 points and South Africa with 62.8 points. Mauritius' overall score is by two points better than that recorded in 2009, which reflects major improvements in freedom from corruption and labour freedom.

The 2010 Index states that despite the global economic turmoil, Mauritius's economy has shown a considerable degree of resilience, and an environment conducive to dynamic entrepreneurial activity which has contributed to its economic freedom. According to the report, the country's institutional advantages are noticeable with a transparent and well-defined investment code and legal system which have made the foreign investment climate in Mauritius one of the best in the region.

The Index adds that taxation is competitive and efficient in Mauritius with an economy which is becoming increasingly diversified, with significant private-sector activity in sugar, tourism, economic processing zones, and financial services, particularly in offshore enterprises. Mauritius is also seen as having improved its management of public spending and having a judiciary “independent of politics and relatively free of corruption” providing strong protection of property rights. Reforms have also made the investment procedures significantly easier for people to do business and at the same enabled firms to withstand the global recession with less difficulty.

Index of Economic Freedom rates economies based on ten economic freedoms within 10 specific categories. They are namely labour freedom, business freedom, trade freedom, fiscal freedom, government spending, monetary freedom, investment freedom, financial freedom, property rights and freedom from corruption.

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