The document discusses Mauritius' experience in reducing informal business activities through reforms to its business registration system. It outlines Mauritius' national strategy to reduce the number of informal businesses by reengineering business registration processes and reviewing relevant legislation. This included establishing the Corporate and Business Registration Department as the central repository for business data and facilitating online business registration through links between government agencies. These reforms helped significantly increase the number of registered businesses and incentivized formalization.

1. Corporate Registers Forum
2014
Importance of Business Registers
for the reduction of informal activities in an economy
D.P.Chinien (Mrs)
Mauritius
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2. Agenda
• Role of Business Registers
• National strategy
• How to make the business registers more efficient
• Impact on way of doing business
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3. The Mauritian Experience
• Why reforms important for any given economy
• Informal /parallel economy
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4. Some statistics…
• Strategic location of Mauritius
• Population of 1.2 m
• Poised to be the leader in the region
Economic trajectory -
 Diversification of the economy since late 1990s
 From mono crop economy to diversified one
 Improvement in the business environment and increase in
number of businesses created.
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5. National Objective
Reducing the number of informal businesses through:
 National plan and reengineering processes
 Review of legislation
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6. Setting the scene - Role and Importance of
a Business Register
 Focal point to start a business - CBRD
 Making the office of the Registrar of Companies the depository
for a central database for all businesses
 Key role of the Government online centre
 Moving away from role of a regulator to that of a facilitator
 Establishing linkages with various agencies
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7. Increasing efficiency of the Business
Register
User - friendly approach
Conducive environment for registering businesses
Adopting and adapting best practices
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8. Facilitating businesses – Putting
People first…
Through
Companies Act
Business Registration Act - obligation to register if doing business
Limited Partnership Act
Foundation Act
Insolvency Act
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9. Corporate and Business Registration
Department
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Business Registration Act 2002 Companies Act 2001 Limited Partnership Act 2011 (Act No 28 of 2011) Foundation Act (Act No 8 of 2012)
Foundations Act
Act No 8 of 2012
Companies Act 2001 Business Registration
Act 2002
Limited Partnerships
Act 2011
(Act No 28 of 2011)
9

10. Incentives for the creation of
businesses
Flexible provisions and new approach in law
 Small private companies
 No auditor
 No financial statements
 One person company
Exemption of fees for an initial period
No charge for payment by credit card up to 800 USD
Simple and straight forward application forms
One - time registration
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11. Using IT……
 On line application software providing access of Central
Population Database (CPD) for the validation of National Identity
Number
 Establishing the link with other departments through the Central
Business Registration Database (CBRD)
 Establishing the interface with public through the MNS
 Extensive use of IT
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12. Linkages with Agencies
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13. INTEGRATED APPROACH ADOPTED TO ATTRACT
INVESTORS
Example :
PERMIT SYSTEM WITH WEBSERVICE INTEGRATION
• BOARD OF INVESTMENT (MAURITIUS)
• PASSPORT & IMMIGRATION OFFICE
• MAURITIUS REVENUE AUTHORITY
• REGISTRAR OF COMPANIES
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14. Applicant
Application
for OP/RP
RoC
RoC
MRA
BOI Officers PIO Officers
Verification & Validation
Checks
Appointment with
applicants
Joint Committee PMO BOI
Exe Officer
SubmitOnline
Application
Interfaceswith
RoC&MRA
Applicant present in Mauritius
Submitfor
Review
Recommend
ForApproval
Approve/Reject
Permit
Web Services
Registration
Certificate
MRA
Web Services
PIO
Export Permit
Details
Issue Permit
Online
Permit Process Workflow
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15. Benefits
• Seamless integration among various Government Agencies
• Independent of any solution technology
• Improve business agility & reusability
• Reduce cost
• Rapid deployment
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16. CRF RIO BRAZIL 2014 16
As at 30/09/2006 As at 11/03/2014
No of Companies registered 34377 70656
Individual Businesses 0 136655
Limited Partnership 0 25
Foundation 0 100

17. Conclusion
Leading the way
…………………… in business registration
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