Government Of Mauritius Research Articles

An investigation on the use algae-based material for the production of reusable bioplastic bags: A Mauritian case study

The Government of Mauritius has come up with new regulations in an attempt to ban the use of petroleum based plastics bags so as to protect the environment. Hence it is important to find substitute materials to achieve this goal set by the government. Interestingly though, Mauritius being an island with a large Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), there is an abundancy of seaweeds, which is an interesting avenue to explore. The unexploited seaweed in the waters surrounding Mauritius remains a remarkably potential raw material for the manufacture of an alternative to petro-plastics, especially polypropylene non-woven bags, in the form of reusable and fully biodegradable bioplastic bags. This research attempts to investigate the use of algae, mainly Gracilaria Salicornia and Ulva lactuca as a potential; raw material for the production of reusable bioplastic bags through Taguchi optimisation method for the culling of optimum constituent wt.%. For the preparation of the biofilm to be solution casted, cassava starch, algae powder, glycerol and acetic acid were selected as controllable factors. The Taguchi L9 orthogonal array experimental design plan was considered for carrying out the experiments. The responses analysed were the tensile strength, water absorption, biodegradation and water vapour permeability. A maximum tensile strength and degradation of 7.325 MPa and 91.32% respectively were achieved from Taguchi optimal conditions. A maximum water absorption and minimum water vapour permeability of 60.3 % and 3.0181 g/h.m2 respectively were evaluated from the experiments. Contribution of factors to the responses were determined through analysis of variance. Furthermore, regression models and contour plots were developed for predicting the best combination which was determined to be 8 % (w/v) starch, 3 % (w/v) algae, 1 % (w/v) glycerol and 8 % (w/v) acetic. An Ulva lactuca blend was experimented to act as substitute for cassava starch, achieving a tensile strength and water absorption of 3.578 MPa and 175.0 % respectively. Compared to other materials, used for bag production, available on the market, the mechanical properties of the developed algae-based material showed its potential as a replacement with some having much higher tensile strength confirming its successful usage.

An analysis of the possibility to implement a CSI tax levy in South Africa: Lessons from Mauritius

"The voluntary approach to corporate social responsibility has failed in many cases."1 The Mauritius corporate social responsibility (CSR) landscape changed profoundly in 2009 with the addition of sections 50K and 50L to the Income Tax Act 16 of 1995 (Mauritius), making contributions to a CSR fund mandatory. Before 2009, the Mauritius government repeatedly called on the private sector for assistance to overcome unemployment, poverty, and other challenges in their country. Due to an unsatisfactory response to their request and factors such as poverty, and high unemployment levels, the government made the drastic decision to implement mandatory CSR legislation. The main objective of this study was to investigate the factors contributing to the enactment of mandatory corporate social responsibility (CSR) legislation in Mauritius and the possibility to implement similar legislation in South Africa. An analysis of the Mauritius tax legislation and relevant government publications scrutinised, by way of a literature review, revealed that what is referred to as mandatory CSR, is in fact mandatory corporate social investment (CSI). The study further indicated that the same socioeconomic factors as those present in Mauritius prior to 2009 and worse apply to South Africa. An analysis of South African CSI practices and contributions indicated that an additional R3.111 billion could have been raised if a 2 per cent CSI levy was applied to after-tax profits of certain categories of companies, as in Mauritius. This represents 1.2 per cent of the South African Department of Social Development's 2022/2023 budget. It is recommended that similar legislation should be considered for South Africa. It will ensure that all profitable companies in South Africa contribute to CSI and that more funds will be available to address some of the socio-economic needs. The study addressed the gap in empirical research done in Mauritius after 2018 and 2020 and is also the first comparative study conducted on this topic regarding South African law.

An assessment of the performance of the national health research system in Mauritius

BackgroundThe goal of universal health coverage (UHC) is that every individual has access to high-quality health services without running the consequences of financial hardship. The World health report 2013 "Research for universal health coverage" states a performant National Health Research Systems (NHRS) can contribute by providing solutions to challenges encountered in advancing towards UHC by 2030. Pang et al. define a NHRS as the people, institutions, and activities whose primary aim is to generate and promote utilization of high-quality knowledge that can be used to promote, restore, and/or maintain the health status of populations. The WHO Regional Committee for Africa (RC) adopted a resolution in 2015 urging member states to strengthen their NHRS to facilitate production and utilization of evidence in policy development, planning, product development, innovation, and decision-making. This study aimed to calculate NHRS barometer scores for Mauritius in 2020, identify the gaps in NHRS performance, and recommend interventions for boosting the Mauritius NHRS in the pursuit of UHC.MethodsThe study used a cross-sectional survey design. A semi-structured NHRS questionnaire was administered and complemented with a review of documents archived in pertinent Mauritius Government Ministries, universities, research-oriented departments, and non-governmental organizations websites. The African NHRS barometer developed in 2016 for countries to monitor the RC resolution implementation was applied. The barometer consists of four NHRS functions (leadership and governance, developing and sustaining resources, producing and utilizing research, financing research for health [R4H]), and 17 sub-functions, e.g., existence of a national policy on research for health (R4H), presence of a Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC), existence of knowledge translation platform.ResultsIn 2020, Mauritius had an overall average NHRS barometer score of 60.84%. The four NHRS functions average indices were 50.0% for leadership and governance, 77.0% for developing and sustaining resources, 52.0% for producing and utilizing R4H, and 58.2% for financing R4H.ConclusionThe performance of NHRS could be improved through the development of a national R4H policy, strategic plan, prioritized agenda, and national multi-stakeholder health research management forum. Furthermore, increased funding for the NHRS may nurture the human resources for health research capacities, hence the number of pertinent publications and health innovations.

Economic Effect of Globalization on Island of Mauritius: ARDL Bounds Testing Approach

This study analyzes the effect of economic globalization on Mauritius from 1981 to 2019 using the ARDL approach. Due to their distinct economic characteristics, isolated island economies react differently to globalization than other countries. Our study investigates whether Mauritius's global trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows have an impact on the country's GDP growth. The findings suggest that in the short run, FDI inflows are an impetus for the growth of GDP, while in the long term, the opposite occurs. Likewise, the long-term relationship between global trade and GDP growth concluded with the same result. In the light of our findings, the Government of Mauritius needs to focus on encouraging global FDI using various economic administrative measures and taking initiatives for enhancing the country’s global trade.

New public sector management (NPM) doctrines and service delivery: the case of Mauritius

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate into the perception of new public sector management (NPM) and service delivery among senior officers of the Mauritian public sector in the context of reforms. Although improved service delivery is one of the salient outcomes of successful reforms of NPM, many governments in the world have not been able to fulfil this promise. While few extant research probe into the factors affecting service delivery, mostly from the customer’s perspective, this study probes into how senior public officers themselves perceive service delivery as part of their duty in government.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative stance was adopted for this study. Interviews were conducted with 23 senior public officers having on average 20 years of service in the Mauritian public sector. Data obtained was transcribed and coded under themes, sub-themes and emergent themes. These were then analysed in the light of the literature review conducted.FindingsThe findings of this study revealed that NPM was being practiced and service delivery was an imbedded factor among senior public sector officers of the Mauritian public sector. Among other factors, officers interviewed were of the opinion that serving the public was a legitimate part of their job, view that they had agreed to serve the government of Mauritius. Such a finding proves to be very encouraging for the Mauritian Government, still struggling to achieve reforms or NPM doctrines.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes to the scant literature on NPM and service delivery in small island developing states. It explores the perception of experienced senior officers about the practice of NPM and the state of service delivery.Practical implicationsThis study elucidates how senior public servants themselves perceive service delivery and can, thus, serve as an example of public sector best practices in small island developing states.Originality/valueWhile most studies with respect to public sector reforms concentrate on developed countries, this study takes place in the small island state of Mauritius. More so, the perception of public servants themselves have been explored in the context of service delivery improvement and reforms, contrary to other studies which concentrate of the customers’ perceptions.

BAI SAGA: PYRAMID SCHEME, PONZI SCHEME, PONZI-LIKE SCHEME OR POLITICAL VENDETTA AND CONSPIRACY?

This paper sheds light on the collapse of the British American Investment conglomerate in Mauritius also known as the BAI Group. According to the Government of Mauritius, the BAI Group was operating a vast Ponzi Scheme via its banking subsidiary known as the Bramer Banking Corporation Ltd (BBCL). Furthermore, according to the report of nTan Corporate Advisory Pte Ltd which is a consultant of the Bank of Mauritius, the BAI Group’s subsidiaries such as the British American Insurance (BAI Co. (Mtius) Ltd) and Bramer Property Fund (BPF) were operating ‘Ponzi-like Schemes’. A good number of financial analysts, economists, and accountants contrarily stated that the BAI Group was operating a Pyramid Scheme. Whereas many investors of the BAI Group had the firm belief that it was a victim of political vendetta and conspiracy. Which is which? Dyed-in-the-wool prophets of doom such as the former Prime Minister of Mauritius, the current Prime Minister of Mauritius, the former Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, and Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, the former Minister of Financial Services, Good Governance and Institutional Reforms, the leader of the MMM party and the former Governor of the Bank of Mauritius have all without exception subjectively and descriptively painted a black picture of the BAI Group hither and thither. On top of that, they have acted in ‘bad faith’ by misleading the Mauritian nation. This paper analyses the other end of the spectrum from a critical perspective based exclusively upon the Academic Literature and takes up the gauntlet with intrepidity to “Give The Devil His Due”.

Is a Plastic-Free Mauritius Island Achievable by 2030? Opportunities and Challenges

A world without plastics seems inconceivable today. Global plastic production and utilization have reached amazing figures in the last four decades. The widespread use of plastics has been attributed to the various useful properties, plastics offer as a material. Plastics are durable, hence persist into the environment for long periods of time before undergoing degradation or fragmenting into microplastics or nano-plastics. Moreover, with trans-boundary movement of plastic wastes, plastic pollution knows no frontier and thus is recognized as one of the most dreadful global challenges, in the Anthropocene era. Countries around the globe are implementing varying policy measures coupled with economic instruments to beat plastic pollution. Likewise, Mauritius, a small island developing state in the Indian Ocean, is not spared from the detrimental impacts of plastic pollution. Ad hoc actions to deal with plastic pollution have unfortunately not yielded the expected results. The Government of Mauritius has recently set its target to make Mauritius a plastic-free island by 2030. To attain this goal, a roadmap is underway. The objectives of this paper are to undertake a situational analysis of the overall process thereby investigating the causes for failures of past measures and to determine whether the challenge of a plastic-free Mauritius could be met. Our analysis revealed that under prevailing conditions, the target would not be met. The paper therefore discusses some enabling factors that need to be incorporated in the roadmap, to successfully achieve the set target.

Abuse of double taxation avoidance agreement between India and Mauritius

Double taxation Avoidance agreements are entered between two countries so that the income earned by the residents of both the countries is not taxed twice by the countries. It provides relief to the residents in form of either deduction of tax already paid or by giving credit regarding the tax paid. The objective of this paper is to find the ways in which India-Mauritius Treaty was misused by individuals by doing treaty shopping. The DTAA between India and Mauritius gives specific tax exemptions for individuals who are residents of India and Mauritius. The treaty provides that if a resident of Mauritius invests in shares of an Indian company the capital gains of that resident will not be taxed by the Indian government and would be taxed by the Mauritius government. But because of this treaty it has been seen that individuals from all around the world try to route their investments from Mauritius to India. In this paper the researcher will look into how the treaty was abused and what steps have been taken by Indian authorities in their domestic laws to ensure that individuals who are non-residents of the contracting state cannot avail benefits arising out of the DTAA.

Mauritius as an offshore financial centre and laws relating to tax avoidance and evasion

Purpose While Mauritius is ranked as the fastest growing financial centre in Africa and the second-fastest-growing offshore financial centre (OFC) in the word by the New World Health in 2019, the country is facing severe allegations that it is progressing at the expense of other developing countries. In this respect, this paper aims to assess the contribution of the Mauritius OFC, the robustness of tax avoidance and evasion laws, the endeavours undertaken by the Mauritius Government to promote Mauritius OFC and the alleged classification of Mauritius as a tax haven. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the above research objectives, this paper will adopt the black letter approach. That is, the relevant legislation and case laws will be scrutinised. Also, books, journal articles, newspaper articles, reports from international bodies amongst others will be used. The research methodology also comprising a critical analysis which implies that existing studies conducted on the subject matter of this research will be assessed and the extent to which the researcher agrees with the existing work will be weighed. Findings Based on the critical analysis, this paper recommends that the Mauritius Income Tax Act be amended to provide for punitive and corrective actions for those engaged in impermissible tax avoidance. Additionally, for transparency and clarity, it is suggested that the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) clarifies in a practice note the factors that it considers when determining the tax liability that should have been payable or when detecting tax avoidance cases. Similarly, to discourage tax evasion, the fines and penalties for tax-evading offences should be more strict and a regulatory framework for tax practitioners need to be set up. Originality/value To the author’s knowledge, this paper is amongst the first academic research that emphasises the position of Mauritius as an OFC and critically analysed the related laws relating to the financial world.

VAT on foreign digital services in Mauritius; a comparative study with South Africa

PurposeValue added tax (VAT) is an indirect tax that is payable upon the consumption of goods and services. Recently, the Government of Mauritius has introduced a new set of rules to extend the VAT system to non-resident providers of electronic services to consumers based in Mauritius. The purpose of this research paper is therefore to assess the adequacy and efficiency of the recent VAT amendments in terms of compliance requirements and collection measures and to identify loopholes in the present legal provisions.Design/methodology/approachThe methodologies for the research are in essence comprised of the black letter approach which will analyse the legal provisions relating to VAT in Mauritius. A comparative analysis will also be conducted to find out the corresponding legal provisions relating to VAT on digital services in South Africa.FindingsThis research paper has highlighted some recommendations inspired by the laws of South Africa and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Based Erosion Profiting Shifting action plan which may be of use to Mauritius stakeholders when devising regulations on the imposition of VAT on foreign suppliers of digital services under Section 14B of the VAT Act.Originality/valueTo the author's best knowledge, this research paper is the first study conducted in the field of indirect taxation of foreign suppliers of digital services to residents of Mauritius.

Assessment of coastal risk reduction and adaptation-labelled responses in Mauritius Island (Indian Ocean)

This study assesses changes in coastal risk reduction and adaptation-labelled responses in Mauritius Island since the 1960s. Using research documents, interviews, field observations, image analysis, and case studies, it analyses evolutions in public and private stakeholders’ strategies, and the levers and barriers at play. Based on 60 beach sites, it reveals the prevalence (76.7%) of hard protection compared with no response (8.3%), ecosystem-based responses (3.3%), and combined responses (11.7%) and a nation-wide shift from hard and one-size-fits-all responses to soft and place-specific responses. This shift was driven by the failure of initial hard protection measures, which has pushed the Government of Mauritius to improve beach management practices, promote retreat where hard protection had failed, resort to external expertise and funding to design a well-informed risk reduction and adaptation policy, and implement demonstration projects. The “learning-by-doing” process and increased external support have thus allowed progress in risk reduction and adaptation at publicly managed beach sites. In contrast, privately managed (i.e. by residents and hotel companies) beach sites often exhibit increased risks, as a result of the proliferation of uncoordinated technical interventions, related cascading (beach loss, spread of coastal erosion downdrift), and lock-in effects. This study provides guidance for the ground-rooted and systematic analysis of coastal risk reduction and adaptation responses and their drivers at the local and national scale. It could serve as a first basis for framing nation-wide assessments aimed at taking stock of recent progress in coastal risk reduction and adaptation worldwide and help overcome barriers to adaptation.

COVID-19: Perspectives, Based on An Ethnographic Study, from Mauritius, a Southern African Country.

Background: In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Mauritius announced the first three COVID-19 cases in the island on 18 March 2020. Following the outbreak, measures for national lockdown which were implemented as from 20 March 2020 were subsequently upgraded to national curfew as from 23 March. The need thus arose to observe the natural behaviour of Mauritians in the social environment resulting from the COVID-19 confinement measures. Methods: A qualitative study with ethnographic approach was undertaken in Mauritius, during the period 18 March to 1 May 2020, by Mauritian investigators who were immersed in the social context. As ethnographers in the digital era, we travelled through the internet in order to be on the field site. Following participant observation, data analysis and interpretation, we followed the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR). We also undertook the ethnography-related reflexivity process for quality assurance of this qualitative study. Findings: This study revealed four main themes with respect to the behaviour of Mauritians in the social context of the COVID-19 outbreak as follows: Adapting to confinement measures, panic buying, sustaining media communication and facing the dangers of COVID-19. Interpretation: The interpretation of our findings led us to draw the lessons learnt during the course of this study which provides insights potentially applicable to middle-income countries for their respective public health response to COVID-19.

A Critical Analysis of Fiscal Measures on Unhealthy Foods in Mauritius

Abstract The level of obesity across the globe is on the rise and this is evidenced by the recent World Health Organisation’s (WHO) estimate of an increase in the worldwide prevalence of obesity which has nearly tripled between 1975 and 2018. Mauritius has a high rate of obesity which is evidenced by the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) report of 2016 indicating that around 54.2% of the participants are obese. One amongst the main causes of obesity is a high level of sugar consumption. In this regard, a number of policies are being undertaken by the Mauritius government one amongst which is the imposition of an excise duty on sugar. Furthermore, the study will also focus on consumption of some products that are considered to be unhealthy. For instance, while the WHO recommends a level of sodium chloride intake of less than 5 grams (1 tablespoon) per day to reduce blood pressure and cardio-vascular diseases, a study conducted by the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life (MOHQL) in 2012 revealed that the standardized mean salt intake was around 7.9 grams daily, which is far beyond the WHO’s recommendations. The level of fat consumption is another factor that affects obesity. While the recommended level of fat is between 44 grams to 77 grams for an intake of 2,000 calories per day, a study conducted by Bundhun et al. in 2018 on the target population of 344 children showed that the majority of children consumes more than the recommended fat intake. In light of the above, the aim of this study is four-fold, mainly to: (a) analyse the effectiveness of the three cents of excise duty per gram of sugar on the Mauritius population consumption patterns; (b) assess the likely impact of a food tax in Mauritius imposed on fatty or salty foods that are considered unhealthy; (c) analyse the laws relating to unhealthy food taxes in Hungary; and (d) suggest possible recommendations which may be of use to stakeholders in Mauritius to combat obesity problem. The methodologies for the research are in essence comprised of the black letter approach which will analyse the legal provisions relating to the laws in Mauritius and Hungary. Books and reports will be also examined. A qualitative analysis is carried out in terms of questionnaire to find out the perceptions of the Mauritius population on food taxes. The paper aims at responding to the research objectives set out above. In particular, it is suggested that the rate of excise duty on sugar needs to be increased and that the Mauritius government should also consider the imposition of excise duty on the level of salt and fat contained in foods.

Identified priorities for smart urban regeneration: Focus group findings from the city of Port Louis, Mauritius

Although the Government of Mauritius has launched a ‘smart city’ initiative in Mauritius, there has been no effort to improve existing cities. The emergence of new cities supported by strong governmental fiscal incentives are leading to an environment of increasing urban competition with existing cities. The capital city of Port Louis is being challenged to attract and retain business. The fiscal incentives pose an unfair competitive business advantage for commercial operations in new smart cities. Coupled with governmental policies to relocate administrative functions away from the capital, this economic environment supports the slow urban decay of Port Louis. This study showcases the findings from a focus group discussion, aimed at finding recommendations for ‘smarting’ the existing city of Port Louis, while identifying and supporting avenues for urban regeneration. Thirty-one participants from public, private and foreign institutions in the fields of urban planning, urban governance and policy were invited to participate in this study and the findings reveal six emergent priorities that need to be coupled with fiscal incentives for regenerating the urban fabric of Port Louis.

The Chagos Advisory Opinion and the Law of Self-Determination

The Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice [ICJ] on the Separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965 has been hailed as a major victory by the government of Mauritius and by representatives of the Chagossians who were forcibly removed from the islands to make way for the establishment of an American military facility on the island of Diego Garcia at the height of the Cold War. The opinion was categorical: the process of decolonization of Mauritius was not lawfully completed when that country acceded to independence in 1968. The UK lost on every single argument it made before the Court and is under an obligation to bring its administration of the Chagos Archipelago to an end “as rapidly as possible”. This comment focuses on what the ICJ said about self-determination, and whether the Advisory Opinion could have consequences for future cases at the Court.

The impact of the Endangered Mauritian flying fox Pteropus niger on commercial fruit farms and the efficacy of mitigation

AbstractThe endemic Mauritian flying fox Pteropus niger is perceived to be a major fruit pest. Lobbying of the Government of Mauritius by fruit growers to control the flying fox population resulted in national culls in 2015 and 2016, with a further cull scheduled for 2018. A loss of c. 38,318 individuals has been reported and the species is now categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. However, until now there were no robust data available on damage to orchards caused by bats. During October 2015–February 2016 we monitored four major lychee Litchi chinensis and one mango (Mangifera spp.) orchard, and also assessed 10 individual longan Dimocarpus longan trees. Bats and introduced birds caused major damage to fruit, with 7–76% fruit loss (including natural fall and losses from fungal damage) per tree. Bats caused more damage to taller lychee trees (> 6 m high) than to smaller ones, whereas bird damage was independent of tree height. Bats damaged more fruit than birds in tall lychee trees, although this trend was reversed in small trees. Use of nets on fruiting trees can result in as much as a 23-fold reduction in the damage caused by bats if nets are applied correctly. There is still a need to monitor orchards over several seasons and to test non-lethal bat deterrence methods more widely.

Towards Smart Urban Regeneration: Findings of an Urban Footprint Survey in Port Louis, Mauritius

The Smart City Scheme, as part of the Smart Mauritius initiative, adopted by the Government of Mauritius in 2014, heavily incentivised the emergence of new smart cities in greenfields. The resulting migration of business and residents from existing cities to new cities affected the liveability standard of existing cities and encouraged property speculation. This shift reduced home pricing affordability further from the grasp of young professionals. With the Mauritian Landlord and Tenant Act of 1999 discouraging investment in Mauritian city centres, property developers were additionally encouraged to invest in housing projects in these emerging Smart Cities. As part of the Smart Urban Regeneration strategy of Port Louis that sought to reduce competition between new and existing cities, the provision of housing was seen as paramount to enabling the Smart Cities concept as promoted by the Government. The findings of this paper, which explores the urban footprint of Port Louis through field survey, provides insights, as to the components of the city, that can assist policy-makers and developers to better shape projects that are more responsive to the Smart Urban Regeneration plan.

An analysis of the challenges and implications of the UN migrant workers convention: the case of Mauritius

The international convention on the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and members of their families (ICRMW) has been epitomised to eliminate all sort of human rights suppressions faced by the migrant workers. However, till date there are only 51 States Parties, 16 Signatories and 131 No Action. The government of Mauritius has been requested to adopt the ICRMW by several treaty bodies at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), but the demand has been declined by the government. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to examine the challenges and potential implications of the ICRMW for Mauritius in the event of ratification. Information from the Constitution of Mauritius, Hansards, labour laws, government reports, press articles and the interview of the former Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations, and Employment have been used to examine the possible implications and obstacles. The key findings reveal that a lack of political will, the public attitudes towards migrant workers, the economic situation, sovereignty, inconsistencies with domestic laws and the political settings appear as major obstacles to implement the ICRMW by the government of Mauritius.

An Investigation of the Potential Benefits of Big Data in the Public Sector of Mauritius

This study examines how big data analytics could optimize the use of public funds while ensuring delivery of quality service by public organizations to the citizens of Mauritius. Political Economic Social Technological (PEST) analysis has been carried out to scan the environment to identify at least two major policies and initiatives corresponding to big data that will be impacting the Mauritian Economy in the next 10 years. Subsequently, causal layered analysis (CLA) has been applied for the two signals to create transformative spaces for the creation of alternative futures. Indeed, the findings have demonstrated that open data initiative and the implementation of e-health project in Mauritius would certainly contribute positively to the government of Mauritius. However, this study has revealed through a matrix diagram for probable futures that the Mauritian government should bring amendments to existing conventional laws through reforms and regulations to fully take advantage of big data analytics applications. This is also one of the recommendations of the Mauritius e-Government 2013–2017–Formulation and Implementation of Data Sharing Policy. Considering only the recent emergence of big data analytics in governments, still there is certain aspect of it that needs careful consideration before the full potential of big data could be realized. This research also highlights the factors that need to be addressed for the successful use of Big Data in this particular context.

Grey-based model for forecasting Mauritius international tourism from different regions

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the trend and forecast the number of tourists from different regions of the world to Mauritius.Design/methodology/approachThe paper adopts two grey system models, the even model GM(1,1) and the non-homogeneous discrete grey model (NDGM), to forecast the total number of international tourism to Mauritius and its structure from different regions tourist arrivals to Mauritius for the next three years. Grey system theory models were used to account for uncertainties and the dynamism of the tourism sector environment. The two models were applied as a comparison to obtain more reliable forecasting figures.FindingsThe results demonstrate that both of the grey system models can be successfully applied with high accuracy for Mauritian tourism prediction, and also the number of tourist arrivals to Mauritius shows a continued augmentation for the upcoming years.Practical implicationsForecasting is meaningful since the Government of Mauritius, private companies or any concerned authority can adopt the forecasting methods exposed in this paper for the development of the tourism sector through managerial and economic decision making.Originality/valueMauritius is a charming travel destination. Through this paper, it can be seen that future tourism travel to Mauritius has been successfully predicted based on previous data. Moreover, it seems that the grey system theory models have not been utilised yet as forecasting tools for the tourism sector of Mauritius as opposed to other countries such as China and Taiwan.