The formulation of a National Export Strategy by the International Trade Centre is underway and this will constitute an added advantage in devising new policies and orientations, announced the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Consumer Protection, Mr. Ashit Kumar Gungah at the Mauritius Export Association’s (MEXA) 9th Annual General Meeting, held on 19 March 2015.

He highlighted that the country is increasingly relying on the ingenuity, creativity, sense of leadership and commitment of its entrepreneurs. Government and the private sector are natural partners in the industrialisation process and we are proud that this partnership has been a shining model in the region and elsewhere, he added.

The country owes much to the efforts of the business community for having sustained the process of industrialization for more than forty years now, said the Minister. He also expressed his appreciation to business operators for having developed manufacturing as a major economic pillar. 

According to Mr. Gungah, close collaboration between the public and private sector is today more important than ever. The challenges are multi-faceted but the most daunting is no doubt the lingering economic difficulties in our traditional markets, he underlined.

He recalled that Government Programme 2015-2019 provides for an Africa Strategy, to create the conditions for operators to take advantage of rising purchasing power in many African countries. We need to improve on regional integration policies through more bilateral trade agreements, concerted efforts to address non-tariff barriers and vigorously pursue export promotion, he added.

The Chairman of MEXA, Mr. Phil Ryle, for his part, stated that presently, the Mauritian economy is encumbered with an economic growth of 3 to 4% annually, while export growth has also stagnated at around 3% over the last 4 years. For the economy to regain its verve, he stressed, the country needs a strong and viable manufacturing base with exporters delivering double digit growth.

Speaking about product diversification, Mr. Ryle said that we are witnessing a diversification of our exports with the emergence of sub-sectors, such as Light Engineering, Medical Devices and Agro-Based products, which have grown by 9% in 2014.