The Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) has received a total of 2,985 applications from businesses seeking financial assistance for the payment of the minimum wage and wage compensation.
Of these, 2,092 have already been paid for January, benefiting 42,866 employees, with a total disbursement of Rs 110.3 million.
“Out of the 2,092 companies that have been paid, 1,766 are small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and export companies.
The remaining requests are currently being processed,” stated the MRA. As of February, Rs 99.5 million has already been paid to eligible businesses, with more than Rs 100 million expected to be disbursed by next week for March.
However, according to the SME Chambers, most SMEs have not yet received the MRA allocation for the payment of the minimum wage and wage compensation of Rs 2,500 per employee. Rs 1,000 is for the minimum wage, while Rs 1,500 is for wage compensation.
“The government had promised financial support to SMEs for wages, but we are already three months into the year and most of them have not received anything yet,” said Maya Sewnath, vice-president of SME Chambers.
Sewnath highlighted a lack of communication within the MRA, stating that the agency is not providing explanations by phone or in person, and requests for information via email have gone unanswered.
She emphasized that entrepreneurs are facing financial difficulties and rely on government support for their survival, calling on the MRA to expedite the payment process.
In response, the MRA stated that complaints about SMEs not receiving payments are unfounded, as the agency has established a dedicated service for SMEs.
They urged any SMEs that have not received a scheduled payment to email FSU@mra.mu. The financial assistance application process is available on the MRA website, where employers can submit their requests using their Employer Registration Number (ERN) and password provided by the MRA.
Upon approval, the funds are directly credited to the employer’s bank account after internal verification checks.
Source: Defi Media
