The Economic Development Board (EDB) has officially launched the Business Obstacles Alert Mechanism (BOAM) on Wednesday, June 24, designed to strengthen business facilitation and improve the business environment. Businesses regularly interact with public authorities when establishing, operating, or expanding their activities.
The latest initiative helps ensure that Businesses in Mauritius now have access to a new online mechanism designed to facilitate the follow-up of business obstacles encountered in the course of their operations.
Whether applying for licences, permits, authorisations, utility connections, or other regulatory approvals, businesses engage in interactions that form an essential part of the business environment. While most procedures are completed through the normal channels, business obstacles may occasionally arise that affect the timely implementation of projects or business activities.
These may include delays, uncertainty over the status of an application, difficulties in coordinating with different institutions, or issues requiring clarification from the relevant public authorities.
To provide businesses with a structured channel through which such obstacles may be brought to the attention of the Economic Development Board (EDB), the Business Obstacles Alert Mechanism (BOAM) has been established as an online business facilitation mechanism.
A structured mechanism for business facilitation
Businesses encountering business obstacles during licensing, permitting, authorisation, or other administrative procedures may submit details of the obstacle through the BOAM online platform. BOAM complements existing administrative procedures and supports the follow-up of business obstacles through coordinated engagement between the EDB and the relevant public sector agencies.
BOAM should therefore be understood as a business facilitation mechanism and is not intended to replace the responsibility of the competent authority, nor does it substitute existing application procedures.
The purpose is to facilitate coordination between businesses, the EDB, and the relevant public sector agencies, while providing greater visibility on the follow-up of business obstacles.
Identifying Recurring Business Obstacles
In addition to facilitating the follow-up of individual cases, BOAM provides a structured repository of business obstacles reported by users. Over time, the information generated through the platform may assist the EDB in identifying recurring issues and common bottlenecks encountered by businesses, thereby supporting discussions on possible improvements to administrative processes.
How the process works
The BOAM process follows a structured workflow:
• A business operator first registers on the platform and submits details of the obstacle encountered. The submission is then reviewed by the EDB. Where appropriate, the case is routed to the relevant EDB department and, if necessary, referred to the Ministry or public authority for resolution.
• The system enables progress to be tracked and allows the outcome to be recorded once the issue has been addressed.
• This workflow provides greater traceability and supports a more systematic approach to the handling of business obstacles.
