Ahead of the 2022-2023 Budget, the Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Dr Renganaden Padayachy, had a pre-budget consultative meeting, on Wednesday afternoon, in Port Louis, with representatives of the Association Professionelle des Transitaires de L’Ile Maurice (APT), the General Retail Association (GRA) and the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI).
In a statement after the meeting, the different stakeholders said that the finance minister took note of their concerns, views and proposals amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war adding that they were hopeful the Government will respond favorably to their proposals.
The Public Relations Officer of APT, Mr Amil Emamdin, stated that discussions focused on the new challenges the industry is facing, the need to restructure the ecosystem of transit so as to gain visibility in the African region and relaunch transit activities. He indicated that several budget recommendations were made, namely, reduction in imports cost, breakbulk buying and review of freight charges to 20%.
The President of GRA, Mr Aleandre Tsang Mang Kin, for his part, pointed out that the solutions proposed to benefit retailers, consumers and the population at large comprise: review of Value Added Tax on credit cards; decrease import charges; devise new schemes to recruit persons holding School Certificate to train them and eventually enable them grow in their career path; remove the restriction of 50 persons for gatherings.
As for the President of the MCCI, Mrs Namita Jagarnath Hardowar, she stated that their proposals pertained mainly to food security, smart agriculture, green economy, and maritime and air connectivity.
