Oil prospecting planned with the Seychelles
Mauritius and the Seychelles will carry out a first exploratory study to identify the possible presence of oil under the Mascarene plateau, the maritime area that they jointly manage. The two countries will, to begin with, select the company that will be responsible for this mission. If oil is discovered and put into production, both partners will share equally the benefits of the activity.
The joint management zone today covers 400,000 km2, it concerns the seabed and the subsoil, but not the mass of water that covers them, nor the living resources that frequent it.
Mauritius and Seychelles are also working on the establishment of a sea cucumber management plan in this area.
A climate tax that worries
Created as part of the 2024-2025 budget, a “climate tax” (Corporate Climate Responsibility Levy) of 2% applies from last July on the taxable income of companies in the Mauritian global business sector. This status is sought by international investors managing businesses on a global scale and seeking tax optimization.. The CCR applies retroactively to entities whose financial year ends after December 31, for example March 31, 2024. Which obviously makes those interested cringe. The new tax has already led some companies to leave Mauritius, and representatives of the sector believe that the country is losing competitiveness and could lose its attractions as an international financial base, compared to Dubai, Hong Kong or Singapore.
Chinese GAC cars are coming
If Chinese GAC cars are currently making themselves known in Europe in their electric version, these are two thermal engine SUVs which are arriving today on the Mauritian market. They are imported by the dealer Bamyris Motors, which already represents the Hyundai and Genesis brands (Korea), Changan (China) and Volvo. The two turbo engine models are accompanied by an electric compact SUV, the AION Y model, which particularly targets young customers.
