By Eric Ojo
African Development Bank (AfDB) expressed its commitment to support the building and development of sustainable infrastructure and economic resilience in Mauritius.
On 15 December 2022, the AfDB approved the Mauritius Country Strategy Paper for 2022-2027 and the implementation of the identified priority development areas.
Through the 2022-2027 strategic paper which was signed in Abidjan, the bank’s main objective is to support Mauritius’ ambitions to become a high-income country by 2030.
In addition to building economic resilience by improving the business environment and high value-added production, the AfDB plans to focus its development efforts on sustainable infrastructure and environmental protection.
The bank also aims to promote private sector development to foster and build a more productive, sustainable, inclusive and resilient Mauritian economy. It will support key economic, regulatory, and institutional reforms to reduce operational costs and create a more attractive environment for private investment.
Moreover, the AfDB will equally help create an enabling environment for agri-business, innovation, and skills to improve employability, especially for youths and women, and better prepare the workforce for future labor challenges. It will also help improve the economy’s competitiveness.
Another priority area for the bank is helping to eliminate bottlenecks that increase production costs and hinder companies’ competitiveness. The focus will be on infrastructure development, especially in the energy, water, and transport sectors.
It will support the strategic development and upgrading of cost-effective infrastructure to increase Mauritius’ regional and international connectivity and competitiveness. Support to the energy sector will focus on transforming the country’s energy mix to facilitate its transition to green energy and implementing the national Renewable Energy Roadmap 2030.
AfDB’s Director General for Southern Africa, Leïla Mokaddem said the main objective of the new Country Strategy Paper is to support Mauritius’ ambitions to become a high-income country by 2030 through a more productive, sustainable, inclusive and resilient economy by further unlocking the country’s full potential in agriculture, information and communication technology, finance, and the blue economy to move up the value chain.
The bank aims to promote private sector development to foster and build a more productive, sustainable, inclusive and resilient Mauritian economy. It will support key economic, regulatory, and institutional reforms to reduce operational costs and create a more attractive environment for private investment.
The AfDB will also consider climate change resilience in infrastructure projects to enhance sustainability and assist the country in mitigating the hydro-meteorological impact on infrastructure.
As of 30 September 2022, the AfDB Group’s active portfolio in Mauritius consisted of five operations with a budget of $262.29 million.