Budget 2012

Hi,

does the 2012 budget changes a lot of things for foreign workers in Maritius ?

I've just seen read a couple of things regarding foreign workers in the ICT/BPO sector (the min salary becomes 30K) ...

http://www.pwc.com/mu/en/budget/budgetn … _ict.jhtml

"Occupational permits to be provided to workers in the ICT/BPO earning more than Rs30,000"

and the highlights from BOI:
http://www.investmauritius.com/budget2012/

Two changes only as regards expats in Mauritiuus.  Min salary in ICT-BPO to get occupation pmit is lowered to Rs30,000 a month as compared to Rs45,000 previously.

Holders of Permanent Residency (those exceptional people) can now buy flats out of classic RES-IRS schemes. But I've heard that these relate to flats from 3rd floor and above. 

Much have been said about the Minister's willingness to encourage FDI in Mauritius...only words, no concrete action.  I hope internally he spoke to the BOI officers and pushed them to change their mentality and remove the incoherence i which they are currently drowned and struggling.  Pity for a country which pretends to play major role on world business stage! I really hoped that XLD would change things...but didn't, at least in his budget speech. Disappointing for someone who knows what exactly the foreign community is waiting for to invest massively in our country.  I have worked with him for years, developing the expatriate services department of his firm.  Everyone has been voicing out their concern on the drop of foreign investment, we all know the reasons (no, it's not the financial crisis) and yet no action. Typical &  Legendary Mauritian behavior.  Speak of a disease as much as you can, but don't even lift a finger to do something about it... Well this is my opinion on the foreign investment issue and general laws governing settling down of expats in the country.