IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

An e-Procurement system for the implementation of the E-Business project at the Home Affairs department of the Prime Minister's Office was launched yesterday at the Treasury Building in Port Louis. This system will enable bidders to submit their bids online on the Government e-Procurement portal.

The following services will be accessed on a 24-hour basis around the world and all documents will be sent and processed online: Issue of Citizenship Certificate; Issue of Certificate under the Non-Citizenship Property Restriction Act; Issue of Apostille Certificate under the Hague Convention; Processing of Residence Permit; Processing of Visa; and Processing of request to access VIP/State lounge at the airport.

Around 137,000 returns are expected for this season, in parallel with the 137,000 e-mailers containing a user ID and password to register for MRA e-services the Authority dispatched to taxpayers this year.

Mauritius continues to demonstrate its commitment to modernizing its digital infrastructure, with the launch of the Mobile ID system supported by Thales and aimed at enhancing access to government services. The initiative, unveiled by the minister of information technology, communication and innovation, Darsanand Balgobin, is part of the broader effort to transform the country’s digital ecosystem.

Speaking at the official announcement, Minister Balgobin highlights that with the implementation of the Mobile ID in the MWA digital wallet app, Mauritius will become the first African country to bring in a digital ID wallet based on ISO standards. Mauritians will have the ability to use the digital identity card for certain administrative procedures. The app is available for both Android and Apple devices.

The Ambassador designate of the Republic of Korea to Mauritius, Mr Kwon Young-Dae, expressed the interest of his country to share with Mauritius the Korean experience and expertise with regard to e-Government.

Mr Kwon who was speaking this morning following a courtesy call on the Prime Minister, Sir Anerood Jugnauth, at the New Treasury Building in Port Louis said that he will have further discussions with the Mauritian side for the provision of technical assistance in e-Government given that Korea is one of the world leaders in this field.

The urbanisation plan for Port-Louis, the capital of Mauritius, launched in 2016, is proving successful. Two years later, the smart city was ranked as the first African city where life is good.

“By 2020, Port-Louis will be a model to replicate in other cities and villages across the country, and even on the African continent.” This wish expressed on January 16 2016 by Vishnu Lutchmeenaraidoo, the then Mauritian Minister of Finance and Economic Development, seems to be coming true. The urbanisation plan, entitled Port-Louis Smart City, did not wait until 2020 to get its first awards. For the year 2018, the Mauritian capital, with a population of around 150,000, is the first African city where life is good. This is what emerges from the 21st ranking of the world’s cities carried out by the French firm Mercer.

They will come to Mauritius because the country satisfies the main criteria for any investor to succeed in their investment venture. These are:

1. Mauritius is a country where all democratic norms are respected;
2. There is high political stability;
3. A low bracket fiscal regime;
4. All profits from the venture can be moved in and out of the country without any restrictions;
5. High tech IT technologies/tools needed by the investor’s business can be brought to Mauritius without any tax levied on them;
6. We have a young bilingual and intelligent population which is ideal for businesses;
7. Direct flights are provided to/from Mauritius to most famous business destinations worldwide twice a day. Besides, fast internet enables smooth video conferencing.

The Ministry of Technology, Communication and Innovation, in collaboration with the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) and the e-Governance Academy of the Republic of Estonia, would organise a Stakeholders Meeting to design the scope of activities of the Regional e-Governance Academy which would be set up in Mauritius, and a regional capacity building exercise for the training of trainers on the key pillars of e-Governance. The Republic of Estonia is a leading country in the field of e-governance infrastructure and digital services in the European Union.

The United Nations e-Government Survey 2016 has ranked Mauritius first in Africa followed by Tunisia and 58th worldwide, with an e-Government Development Index of 0.6231. In 2014 Mauritius was ranked 76th and Tunisia 75th, said a statement from the government. Issued at the moment when countries are launching the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the survey offers a snapshot of trends in the development of e-government in countries across the globe.

It provides new evidence that more governments are embracing information and communication technologies to deliver services and to engage people in decision-making processes in all regions of the world. The survey shows that digital technologies - the internet, mobile phones, and all the other tools to collect, store, analyze, and share information digitally - are being increasingly utilised. E-government has the potential to help support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 sustainable development goals.