Your headquarter in Mauritius
Why is Mauritius the perfect jurisdiction to establish your headquarters?
The government of Mauritius has been implementing various measures to establish the island as an International Financial Centre (IFC) of excellence. To help multinationals doing business in Africa, it introduced the Global Headquarters Administration licence, which has proven to be important in the effective set up of various regional administration, procurement and accounting offices in the country.
What is the Global Headquarters Administration Licence?
This allows multinational companies to provide headquarter services related to administration and general management, business planning, development and coordination, and economic or investment research and analysis in Mauritius.
Companies holding this licence are eligible for an 8-years tax holiday on corporate income if they meet the specified requirements, that is, they must have a physical office in Mauritius, employ a minimum of 10 professionals, with at least two at managerial level and have an annual expenditure of at least MUR 5 million (approx. USD 150,000).
Why do multinational companies set up their headquarters in Mauritius?
Since the introduction of the Global Headquarters Administration Licence in 2016, various multinational companies have successfully set up their headquarters in the country and they are thriving. This is because the island offers firms several advantages that will help them expand.
Have a look at some of the features that they can enjoy.
- Extensive bilateral and multilateral agreements with African countries. These include areas such as taxation, trade and investment. As such, if you have a business in several areas of the African continent, Mauritius is the perfect jurisdiction that will help you make the most of the fiscal sector.
- Reliable banking system: Mauritius has a network of banks that are trustworthy. There are niche banks and international firms that vary in in size, capability and offerings. Some examples are Absa, AfrAsia, Bank One, Maubank, SBM, or MCB. Our agents can help you find out which one will best suit your needs.
- No foreign exchange controls, capital gains, nor withholding tax.
- First country in Africa for doing business: On the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index, Mauritius is ranked at the first position. As such, you can rest assured when processing transactions and conducting other daily operations when establishing your headquarters in the island.
- Good corporate governance: On Mo Ibrahim’s Governance Index, Mauritius is ranked at number one in Africa for good corporate governance.
- Qualified and experienced workforce: If you are establishing a company in Mauritius, you are going to need people to work for you. You do not have to worry about this since you can benefit from a skilled bilingual workforce in Mauritius. Indeed, residents here are fluent in both English and French. Both languages are mandatory since primary level in educational institutions.
- Hybrid legal system: Both Common Law and French Civil Code are applicable.
- Stable democracy: ranked at the first position in Africa.
- No harmful practices in its regime. Mauritius fulfils all the requirements of the OECD’s BEPS Action 5 and is fully compliant with EU tax good governance principles.