https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Board_of_Investment_(Mauritius)
"The Board of Investment (BOI) is the national investment promotion agency of the Government of Mauritius with the mandate to promote and facilitate investment in the country. It is the first point of contact for investors exploring business opportunities in Mauritius and the region. BOI also assists investors in the growth, nurturing and diversification of their business.
With a view to facilitating the implementation of investment projects and, more importantly, to continuously improve the investment and business climate, BOI works in close collaboration with Government bodies, institutions and private sector companies. Mauritius capitalized on the sale of strategic coastal land to foreigners through the Property Development Scheme programmes of the Board of Investment.[1]
BOI has an important role of policy advocacy to continuously improve the competitiveness of Mauritius.
The Board of Investment accompanies investors looking at opportunities in Africa.
The Board of Investment (BOI) has been awarded the prestigious ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Certification on 3 December 2013."
https://steemit.com/bitland/@yasemin-gencer/bitland-global-visits-mauritius-and-presses-forward-operations-in-kenya-and-botswana12 September 2016 (Bloomington, Indiana): Bitland Global co-founder and chief security officer Chris Bates is traveling to Mauritius this week to meet with the nation’s Board of Investment in Ebene-Cybercity. On 15 September Mr. Bates will participate in the board-sponsored Blockchain Seminar and present the Bitland project and its Ghana pilot. On 16 September Mr. Bates will participate in a Working Session in Port Louis to discuss the practical applications of blockchain technology in government with the Mauritian Ministry of Technology, Communication, and Innovation, local entrepreneurs, and fintech start-ups. Afterwards a roundtable including the guest speakers will assemble with representatives from the Board of Investment for a special program on the National Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBCtv) to air at 18:30.
Bitland is also excited to report that its new partnership with Brookside SMS, a local short messaging system based in Kenya, is already producing fruits! This alliance has accelerated the establishment of the first Bitland Kenya location to open in Nairobi. Furthermore, the Kenyan government has agreed to make recently digitized land titles available for Bitland to register on both the Bitland blockchain and the TAO Network blockchain—providing two extra layers of security for the preservation of these vital records. Recent developments in Kenya include the dissolving of their land administration due to corruption.
Bitland Global expands further, this time into southern Africa, with plans to open a land title registration hub in Botswana. Partnering with Botswana’s leading Bitcoin enthusiast and non-profit entrepreneur, Alakanani Itireleng, Bitland looks forward to cooperating with the Ministry of Lands and Housing to register existing digitized land titles on the secure blockchains of Bitland and the TAO Network.
Visit the Bitland Global website at
http://www.bitland.world/ for more information.
It takes time to work with governments.
Things are moving EXTREMELY fast by all measures.
The above article is from September. The Mauritian government is already traveling around Africa advocating for Blockchain as you can see from the workshop.
I am not sure if people get what happens when you convince a small, but capital rich government to push for Blockchain acceptance.
Other governments listen.
http://www.mcbgroup.com/en/news/2016/2016-09-20-G-40-African-bankers-discuss-collaboration-in-MauritiusPort Louis, 19th September 2016: The Mauritius Commercial Bank Group (MCB) hosts 40 top executives representing 40 African banks at the week-long 2016 Africa Forward Together conference which opened this morning at the five-star Ravenala Attitude Hotel. Africa Forward Together (AFT) is an annual event organised by MCB since 2009 to showcase its “Bank of Banks” initiative. Since its inception, 351 delegates representing 108 financial institutions and representing 27 countries have attended the conference, which also aims at fostering better understanding and mutual cooperation between African banks.
Main focus
Opening the conference, MCB Group Chief Executive, Pierre Guy Noel said: “Africa remains our main focus for growth. There are plenty of things we can do in Africa and loads we can achieve together”. African banks can leverage MCB’s unique position in the region. Established since 1838, MCB is a strong regional leader, currently ranked first in East Africa and 17th among African banks according to The Banker.
The Bank of Banks
« Bank of Banks » aims at positioning MCB as a regional platform offering bundled banking and financial industry capabilities to its counterparts. Bankers attending the Africa Forward Together event get first-hand knowledge of MCB’s human expertise and technological capabilities while exploring collaboration possibilities that could allow them to boost their services through outsourcing in Mauritius.
Over the last few years, an increasing number of African banks have teamed up with MCB to serve their customers better and more efficiently. Some have managed to offer new services to their customers in record times without investing heavily in technology or human resources. Others have discovered opportunities to expand their businesses through intelligent collaboration with one of Africa’s leading banks.
A true partner
The « Bank of Banks » initiative is a key component of MCB’s African growth strategy. Instead of opening outlets across the continent and competing with local banks, MCB prefers to position itself as a privileged partner for institutions that want to scale new heights. As Africa gradually fulfils its promises and realizes its enormous potential, the continent’s banks are facing new challenges and have to meet growing and changing customer needs.
Summing up the challenges Africa has to face, Raoul Gufflet, Deputy Chief Executive, MCB, insisted on the fact that Africa is at a crossroad where it has to choose the right way forward. “This is where MCB fits in. AFT is not solely meant to showcase MCB’s value proposition but to explore new avenues of collaboration and sharing between African banks. AFT is about you, about your objectives and goals and what you would like to put into practice,” Raoul Gufflet, Deputy Chief Executive of MCB, told African bankers today.
Adding value to banking
MCB offers a full range of value added services to banks. This includes the issuance of documentary credits, international payments, management of cards services and electronic banking, internal auditing, risk management, non-banking financial services, custody services, SWIFT transfers and consulting services among others. By leveraging MCB’s world-class expertise, rich experience and state-of-the-art technology, other banks have an opportunity to speed up their development while delighting their customers. Raoul Gufflet also indicated that MCB intends to expand its Private Banking arm in Africa.
A regional leader
Established in 1838, MCB is today the largest bank in East Africa and the 17h biggest on the continent. It is a blue chip on the Stock Exchange of Mauritius where it accounts for nearly a quarter of market capitalisation. Its strategy is to continuously diversify its services and its markets. To date, MCB’s international operations account for 55% of its results. It is currently present in Mauritius, South Africa, Kenya, Seychelles, Madagascar, Maldives, Réunion, Mayotte and France through a network of branches, associate companies and representative offices. It also has a vibrant network of correspondent banks across Africa and the rest of the world.
