Budget 2011 & foreign talents

You can find the complete budget speech here: http://www.investmauritius.com/Budget20 … ch2011.pdf

point 234: Moreover, to further open up our country to foreign talents, the threshold for BOI to issue Occupation Permits for professionals will be lowered to Rs 45,000 per month.

So far we don't know.But not giving compensation to those earning Rs.30,000 and above is ridiculous, because these are the people who pay the biggest share of taxes.

And commodities are going to have a price rise again!

I just read a report on the budget .. Seems overall ok..
The cap coming back down to 45,000 MUR is a good thing, but I hope they stick to it this time around and not move up like they did last time!!
Increasing taxes on Alcohol, tobacco, gambling, lottery and betting are all good signs, but they need to enforce them.
If people get other benefits they will still end up spending on vices that effect them and their families!!

I also saw a point where they talk about investing into more CCTV security cameras around the Island and round the clock patrol around the island's waters!! Sure hope this brings down the low crime rate which seems to be picking up in recent times...
Getting the balance between all poor and rich is important else disparity will lead to more discontent and crime..

Hope for a great year ahead (fingers crossed)

Musheer!

Thats an interesting point Musheer about CCTV. Living in the UK, I believe we have more CCTV than anyone and I think it works to a degree, but I agree you have to address the source of the crime which is normally the rich/poor divide. I'm not sure how you tackle that though, thats a big challenge.

Year in year out..big talks!!

Let's see them walk the talk then we can say "at least..."

well,Hansa, Having been here only 7 fuzzy months, gotta take your sentiment on this, I guess!! Its the same case with Governance in India!! Take currently, big scams from all levels, right up to the central Govt, involving Billions of Dollars!! If they do something to weed that out, then we can also say, "atleast... "

Cheers,
Musheer

Yep.

They want to be the next Singapore..Seriously..I say year 3000 is more likely. But mind you, not just the Govt that's a problem, but people too.

They're the nasty weeds (the lingo here translates as L'herbe bourique!) and the people the fertilizers. We criticise the politicians, but at the end of the day we've put them here to govern.

Maybe it's time to flush them and bring some fresh blood to do the job! and get the job done too...

And yes, some people refer to Mauritis as Little India, go figure

alisa_ram wrote:

Yep.

They want to be the next Singapore..Seriously..I say year 3000 is more likely. But mind you, not just the Govt that's a problem, but people too.

Ans yes, some people refer to Mauritis as Little India, go figure

Point one: its bigger than Singapore, Got a better appeal as a tourist destination, strategically located , financially important.. (40% of India's FDI is routed through Mauritius) No reason wy not!!

As for little India, well when you are 1.2 Billion plus, and bursting at the seams, you gotta spread your wings (or tentacles) all over !! Though its always a pleasure ! I cant complain, that's t reason I am here and loving it
Am sure, if not the Govt, the people will surely wake up and smell the coffee!! In India its the might of the People that is driving my nation forward!!

The size of Mauritius isn't much an issue. Even with more than 40% FDI routed through Mauritius, we have one big problem - corruption, and at all levels.

I'm sure a lot of Mauritians want to see this country move forward, unfortunately nothing concrete is being done to see this!

They are to increase the Passenger tax. This after the sneaky way they introduced it last year? Not good for tourism when hotel occupancy is low.

daisymay2 wrote:

They are to increase the Passenger tax. This after the sneaky way they introduced it last year? Not good for tourism when hotel occupancy is low.

And yet you say in your profile that you live in an apt.  Isn't this an oxymoron?
With all due respect, I believe that you are concerned about your own ticket(s)

BTW: Don't you have all these fees in the UK?
Air Passenger Duty – United Kingdom    USD 97.10
Passenger Service Charge – United Kingdom    USD 49.57
Passenger Facility Charge    USD 4.50

Hotel occupancy is low because of other reasons .

External wrote:

daisymay2 wrote:

They are to increase the Passenger tax. This after the sneaky way they introduced it last year? Not good for tourism when hotel occupancy is low.

And yet you say in your profile that you live in an apt.  Isn't this an oxymoron?
With all due respect, I believe that you are concerned about your own ticket(s)

BTW: Don't you have all these fees in the UK?
Air Passenger Duty – United Kingdom    USD 97.10
Passenger Service Charge – United Kingdom    USD 49.57
Passenger Facility Charge    USD 4.50

Hotel occupancy is low because of other reasons .

I do have an apartment in Pereybere and at the moment am spending a lot of time every other month travelling between the UK and Mauritius and yes, it will be more expensive for me too.
I also work for an online travel advise site and give advise to potential tourists to Mauritius so can see it from their point of view too.
We all know the global recession is to blame for the reduced number of tourists, but Mauritius doesnt help themselves when they introduced these taxes last year and kept it quiet and no one seemed to know anything about them. Then they put it up again. OK its not much but try telling that to someone who is coming to Mauritius for their "holiday or honeymoon of a lifetime!"
As I understand it the new fees come to around MR2400?
Correct me if I am wrong?
Incidentally read my profile properly and it says I am dividing my time between Pereybere and the UK..................
So whats your problem?

daisymay2 wrote:

External wrote:

daisymay2 wrote:

They are to increase the Passenger tax. This after the sneaky way they introduced it last year? Not good for tourism when hotel occupancy is low.

And yet you say in your profile that you live in an apt.  Isn't this an oxymoron?
With all due respect, I believe that you are concerned about your own ticket(s)

BTW: Don't you have all these fees in the UK?
Air Passenger Duty – United Kingdom    USD 97.10
Passenger Service Charge – United Kingdom    USD 49.57
Passenger Facility Charge    USD 4.50

Hotel occupancy is low because of other reasons .

I do have an apartment in Pereybere and at the moment am spending a lot of time every other month travelling between the UK and Mauritius and yes, it will be more expensive for me too.
I also work for an online travel advise site and give advise to potential tourists to Mauritius so can see it from their point of view too.
We all know the global recession is to blame for the reduced number of tourists, but Mauritius doesnt help themselves when they introduced these taxes last year and kept it quiet and no one seemed to know anything about them. Then they put it up again. OK its not much but try telling that to someone who is coming to Mauritius for their "holiday or honeymoon of a lifetime!"
As I understand it the new fees come to around MR2400?
Correct me if I am wrong?
Incidentally read my profile properly and it says I am dividing my time between Pereybere and the UK..................
So whats your problem?

that's the reality of the game!!!!!
Every single country is trying to make up for short-fall to avoid increasing their deficit and have a balanced ( sic) budget and Mauritius has the right to increase its taxes or fees wherever it sees fit.
As far as your personal endeavours, it's none of my business except that  I found it a bit self-serving to defend  the hotel industry  "dark days" when most of the tourists coming to the island stay in self-catering rentals or budget hotels which are NOT suffering.  Most of the XY* hotels survive on business clients, miles and points beneficiaries and semi-inclusive holiday /honeymoon packages .

External wrote:

daisymay2 wrote:

External wrote:

And yet you say in your profile that you live in an apt.  Isn't this an oxymoron?
With all due respect, I believe that you are concerned about your own ticket(s)

BTW: Don't you have all these fees in the UK?
Air Passenger Duty – United Kingdom    USD 97.10
Passenger Service Charge – United Kingdom    USD 49.57
Passenger Facility Charge    USD 4.50

Hotel occupancy is low because of other reasons .

I do have an apartment in Pereybere and at the moment am spending a lot of time every other month travelling between the UK and Mauritius and yes, it will be more expensive for me too.
I also work for an online travel advise site and give advise to potential tourists to Mauritius so can see it from their point of view too.
We all know the global recession is to blame for the reduced number of tourists, but Mauritius doesnt help themselves when they introduced these taxes last year and kept it quiet and no one seemed to know anything about them. Then they put it up again. OK its not much but try telling that to someone who is coming to Mauritius for their "holiday or honeymoon of a lifetime!"
As I understand it the new fees come to around MR2400?
Correct me if I am wrong?
Incidentally read my profile properly and it says I am dividing my time between Pereybere and the UK..................
So whats your problem?

that's the reality of the game!!!!!
Every single country is trying to make up for short-fall to avoid increasing their deficit and have a balanced ( sic) budget and Mauritius has the right to increase its taxes or fees wherever it sees fit.
As far as your personal endeavours, it's none of my business except that  I found it a bit self-serving to defend  the hotel industry  "dark days" when most of the tourists coming to the island stay in self-catering rentals or budget hotels which are NOT suffering.  Most of the XY* hotels survive on business clients, miles and points beneficiaries and semi-inclusive holiday /honeymoon packages .

I am not defending the hotel industry. I was stating that the government is spending lots of cash trying to market this country to potential tourists from India, China and Russia, yet  very sneakily last year never told anyone about the new tax they introduced. No one in Mauritius that I know had any idea about it, the MTPA knew nothing about it when asked. Now they put it up more. Air fares to Mauritius are among the highest,  and Mauritius has a policy of not allowing non scheduled carriers access, though there are ways round this if your fly from France or Germany. So for tourists  the total cost of their holiday is relatively high, whether they are in a 5* or 2* or self catering.
OK they have the right to introduce taxes but come on lets have more transparancy?
Plus the corruption, but that's another story isn't it?
Lets agree to diagree and call it a day!
Cheers,
Daisymay