The cabinet last met on Friday, July 25, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr Navin Ramgoolam, where several key decisions were taken pertaining to the Income Tax (Amendment) Regulations 2025, the Electronic Transactions Act 2000 and several agreements were inked with various stakeholders, among others.
The cabinet noted that the Income Tax (Amendment) Regulations 2025 will be promulgated with the view to providing amendments to the Statement of Emoluments and Tax Deduction, to include the date employees start employment with the employer; amount of Portable Retirement Gratuity Fund (PRGF) contributed by the employer for the year.
The proposed declaration by employer on the date of commenced employment and the PRGF amount contributed in the Emoluments and Tax Deduction is designed to: Provide greater transparency and visibility to employees pertaining to PRGF contributions by the employer to the Mauritius Revenue Authority’ strengthen compliance by employers; facilitate the computation of gratuity payable upon retirement, death, cessation, or termination of employment; and avoid dispute risks arising from the non-disclosure or under-declaration of PRGF contributions.
Amendments are being brought to the Electronic Transactions Act 2000, aiming to expand the scope of electronic signatures, incorporating provisions for smart contracts and recognising foreign Certificate Authorities and electronic signatures that will enhance business facilitation by providing robust legal certainty, international interoperability, and operational efficiency.
The cabinet has also given its nod to amendments taking place to the Information and Communication Technologies Act to better address new sector realities. The aim of amendments encompasses: Bringing clarity to consumers on services falling under the mandate of Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA); clarify the functions of ICTA as a regulator and licence provider of radio communications apparatus operating on board ships and aircrafts; clarify the role of ICTA in relation to the conduct of examinations and issuance of certifications to operate radio communication services; ease out the procedure for licensing of engineering licences in favor of business facilitation; introduce a mechanism for compounding technical ICT offences for efficient resolution of certain violations.
The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Data Protection Office and the Bank of Mauritius was also agreed to benefit the business environment. The agreement will help enable the BoM to streamline or devise requirements for local bank, adhering to the collection of Know Your Customer (KYC) data to comply with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) legal frameworks, while at the same time ensuring the appropriate mechanism is in place for the mandating of strict privacy measures to handle personal data.
It is noted that sharing information between the BoM and the Data Protection Office will help ensure the bank’s KYC procedures fulfill AML requirements and comply with data privacy laws, integrating specialized training on data protection best practices into the broader financial compliance programs.
In line with such outlines, the Data Protection Office can offer such training to employees of financial institutions, regulated by the BoM.
The signing of a Financial Agreement between the European Commission and Mauritius for the implementation of the Circular Economy Roadmap has obtained the assent of the cabinet, with a commitment of Euro Rs 3.5 million to be implemented over 48 months, aimed at strengthening socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable development.
