The COMESA Business Council recently convened in Harare, Zimbabwe, to discuss the implementation of a COMESA Business Visa Scheme. This initiative aims to enable entrepreneurs and professionals to move freely across the 21 countries in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. The council's efforts were highlighted during the 19th COMESA Business Forum, which took place from October 19 to 21.
The forum brought together over 400 participants, including chambers of commerce, investors, and policymakers. Patrice Marie, a member of the COMESA Business Council and president of the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), attended the event alongside Mauritian Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, and International Trade, Rajen Narsinghen. The Mauritian delegation emphasized the importance of creating business opportunities and generating trade within the region.
For Mauritius, the stakes are high, as the COMESA region comprises over 680 million people and an economy worth approximately $1 trillion. The country has seen a significant shift in its trade dynamics, with Africa now accounting for 28% of its exports, up from 19% in 2015. The Kenyan market has become a major outlet for Mauritian sugar, while Madagascar absorbs a substantial portion of the country's textile exports.
The growth of Mauritius' service sector has been remarkable, with services now representing over 76% of the country's total exports. In 2024, the surplus in services, amounting to 107 billion rupees, helped offset a significant portion of the trade deficit on goods, which stood at 185 billion rupees. Mauritius sees significant potential in offering financial, business, and technology services to COMESA member states.
The MCCI has been actively working on enhancing access to markets and mobility of service providers, mapping the country's service offerings sector by sector. The chamber is also developing a database of projects in the Indian Ocean and Africa that Mauritian service providers could bid on, leveraging existing protocols of agreement with African chambers.
The MCCI's efforts align with the COMESA Business Council's initiative on mobility, which aims to facilitate the free movement of professionals within the region. According to Drishtysingh Ramdenee, Secretary General of the MCCI, the COMESA region is no longer a secondary market for Mauritius, and the chamber's role is to pave the way for Mauritian businesses to capitalize on emerging opportunities.
Economic diplomacy plays a crucial role in this endeavor, with the MCCI seeking to promote the interests of the Mauritian private sector within regional institutions like the COMESA Business Council. The goal is to ensure that decisions taken at the regional level translate into concrete opportunities for Mauritian businesses, ultimately driving growth and development.
Key points
- The proposed COMESA Business Visa Scheme aims to facilitate travel for entrepreneurs and professionals across the 21-member region.
- Mauritius has seen a significant increase in trade with Africa, with the continent now accounting for 28% of its exports.
- The country's service sector has experienced remarkable growth, representing over 76% of its total exports.
