Hon. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, OFFICIAL MISSION TO BRUSSELS
“The EU remains a vital link for a modern and forward-looking and prosperous Mauritius”.
At the head of an important delegation, Hon. Pravind Kumar JUGNAUTH, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, is currently on official visit to Brussels, the capital the European Union (EU), one of the most important and reliable development partners of Mauritius. The delegation comprises Mr. Dev MANRAJ, Financial Secretary, and H.E. Mr. Haymandoyal DILLUM, the Ambassador of Mauritius to the BENELUX and the EU and officials of the Ministry of Finance, Attorney General’s Office and the Mauritius Revenue Authority.
The purpose of the visit is to have exchanges on the state of play of the EU-Mauritius partnership which goes beyond the logic of traditional development cooperation and spans over key areas like Trade, Climate Change, Sustainable Development Goals, Maritime Security and Fisheries among others.
More particularly, the Hon Minister wishes to have a frank discussion with key EU decision-makers on the EU tax initiatives especiallyin the light of global developments in the financial services sector, particularly in the areas of transparency and exchange of information.
In this respect, Minister Jugnauth had very productive discussions with high officials of European Commission dealing with tax matters. The Minister drew attention to the fact that Government is in a process of consultation with all stakeholders of the financial sector. Reiterating that Mauritius is neither a non-cooperative tax jurisdiction nor has a harmful tax regime, the Minister stressed that as an international financial centre and responsible member of the international community, Mauritius is strongly committed to combat cross-border tax evasion and other malpractices.
Minister Jugnauth reaffirmed the willingness of Mauritius to continue its high level dialogue with the EU and its Member States so that they are kept abreast of our commitments to tax cooperation and developments regarding the Mauritian tax legislation well ahead of the proposed establishment, through a screening process, by the EU of a Common of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions which is to become effective by the end of 2017.
In the course of his official mission, the Hon. Minister is scheduled to meet Mr. Pierre Moscovici, the European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, who, previously, served as Minister of Finance of France (from 2012 to 2014).
The Hon. Minister also had discussions with the Directorate General for Research and Innovation. It is intended to explore further areas of cooperation with EU to support the ongoing efforts being deployed by Government to invest in research and innovation, which are the cornerstone of a modern and an innovation driven economy, to sharpen our competitive edge and transform Mauritius into a knowledge industry. Support to the National Innovation Framework, established in April 2016, under the aegis of the Ministry of Technology, Communication and Innovation (TCI), figures prominently in the discussions in line with the calls in Budget 2016-2017 to enter a new economic cycle focussing on innovation, boosting exports and private investments. It has been agreed to hold a seminar on the Horizon 2020 in Mauritius to create awareness about the programme.
Deliberations on the agro-industry sector, including the current challenges related to the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and the need to ensure the protection of our export market on the high quality Special Sugars produced by Mauritius ahead of the end of EU production sugar quotas on 30 September 2017, will be raised during the discussions the Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic Development will have with the EU Director General for Agriculture and Rural Development.
Also on the agenda of the Hon Minister is a meeting with the European Commission on Trade. The need to upgrade the current Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (IEPA), signed by Mauritius (as well as Madagascar, Seychelles and Zimbabwe) with the EU, into a full and comprehensive EPA and the uncertainties surrounding BREXIT and the need for solid assurances from the EU to maintain our acquis post BREXIT will rank high in the bilateral exchange.
Economic diplomacy will also constitute a significant feature of the mission of the Hon. Minister. Working sessions with prominent investors have been held and a delegation led by AWEX (BOI equivalent in Belgium) will have a prospective investment mission in the first quarter of 2017. A working session on BREXIT and its impact on Mauritius was also held.
Referring to this first visit to the EU capital since his assumption of office as Minister of Finance of Finance and Economic Development, Hon Minister Jugnauth said: “In a fast changing world with important geo-political shifts, the EU is more than a key strategic, political and economic partner of Mauritius. It remains a safe anchor and vital link for a modern and forward-looking and prosperous Mauritius. My presence in Brussels is not only to reaffirm this link, but also to consolidate it, not least in a Brexit context. We envision a future in which we are fully integrated with the Union”.
MOFED, 25 October 2016
Posted by Minority Voice
on Oct 26 2016. Filed under Economie, Featured.
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