Mauritius to allow pvt airlines

Mauritius on Monday said it would soon adopt the open sky policy and allow private airlines from India to use its air space.

"Open sky policy will be applied now. Air India is already coming to Mauritius. We will allow other airlines also to fly in to Mauritius and move ahead to Johannesburg, along with Air India," Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam said at a business meeting here held by industry chambers CII, FICCI and Assocham.

"We will allow any airlines with the means and reputation," he said, adding that there would soon be flights from Scandinavia and Australia flying into Mauritius and he hoped that carriers from India too would tap the opportunity.

Stressing on further enhancing bilateral trade and investment relations with India, the visiting prime minister said that the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement which he would be signing later this evening, "will be a bold step forward."

"It (CECPA) will provide a framework for free movement of capital, goods and services, and of people between our two countries. The agreement will be a model for a new type of regional integration of mutual benefit," he said.

Inviting Indian investments in sectors like ICT, biotechnology, IT and ITeS, BPO, tourism and setting up of disaster recovery centres, Ramgoolam said his government was engaged in a process to streamline investment procedures.

Two sub-committees have been set up to improve the overall business climate in Mauritius. The country has also envisaged a fiscal incentive package to attract foreign investors in sectors like medical services and pharmaceuticals and research and tertiary education.