Mauritius 2023/2024 Budget: The key measures

On Friday, June 2, the Minister of Finance, Renganaden Padayachy, presented his fourth budget to the National Assembly. The budget included several significant measures, such as:

1. Free education from kindergarten to university level.
2. Allocation of Rs 191 million to schools catering to students with special needs.
3. Increase in compensation for hit-and-run victims to Rs 1.5 million.
4. Allocation of Rs 100 million to the E-Health project for public hospitals.
5. Rs 50 million for the construction of dispensaries.
6. Announcement of the construction of swimming pools in Curepipe, Flacq, and Rivière des Anguilles.
7. Increase in meal allowance for SENS schools students to Rs 120.
8. Construction of a new 2.1 km runway in Rodrigues at a cost of Rs 7.7 billion.
9. 10% increase in excise duty on cigarettes and alcohol.
10. Subsidy of Rs 15,000 on the purchase of water tanks for those earning less than Rs 60,000 per month.
11. Installation of solar panels on the roofs of 200 state schools by the Development Bank of Mauritius (DBM).
12. Grant of Rs 30,000 per year for one year to 10 high-level athletes for international competition preparation.
13. Cash rewards of Rs 100,000, Rs 75,000, and Rs 50,000 for gold, silver, and bronze medalists, respectively, in high-level competitions.
14. Operational port in Agalega by December 2023.
15. 0% income tax for those earning Rs 390,000 per year or Rs 30,000 per month.
16. Full coverage of medical treatment expenses abroad for individuals under 18 years old.
17. Full coverage of medical treatment expenses for children with cancer, whether treated in Mauritius or abroad.
18. Increase in the social allowance for those registered on the social register to Rs 3,775.
19. Increase in the Grant for slabs from Rs 100,000 to Rs 130,000.
20. Rehabilitation of 25 coastal erosion sites.
21. Employment premium of Rs 15,000 per month for two years for newly employed or unemployed women for at least one year.
22. Target of 1.4 million tourists for 2024.
23. Construction of 10 new reservoirs over the next four years.
24. Expansion of the Metro Express Project to include Saint-Pierre and La Vigie.
25. 25% increase in the tourism budget for promoting Mauritius.
26. Increase in Lump Sum for fishermen aged 65 and above from Rs 62,500 to Rs 100,000.
27. Replacement of current streetlights with solar-powered streetlights.
28. Installation of solar panels on social housing.
29. Demolition of the Emmanuel Anquetil building and its replacement with Emmanuel Anquetil Park.
30. Introduction of a pension scheme for registered artists.
31. Removal of VAT on all musical instruments.
32. 25% increase in winter allowance for tea planters (Rs 2.50 per kg).
33. Introduction of daycares in companies with a minimum of 250 employees.
34. Nurseries in shopping centers.
35. Increase in old-age pension by Rs 1,000.
36. Subsidy of 9% granted to bakeries for food production.
37. Increase in basic pensions by Rs 1,000.
38. Improvement, renovation, and repainting of all public schools over the next five years.
39. 5 days of leave for women who have had a miscarriage.
40. Full coverage of medical treatment for children with disabilities, including autism.

Source: Le Mauricien