ICT Playing Greater Role In Mauritius Economy
In 2006, value added generated by the ICT sector in Mauritius was R10.5 billion
(US$341 million), more than double the 2000 figure of R4.5 billion, the government
has announced in a new report on the sector. The contribution of this sector to the Gross Domestic Product was 5.8% in
2006. After growth of 6.4% in 2001, the sector registered double digit
annual growth during the period 2002 to 2006. The growth rate in 2006 was 11.2%,
compared to 18% in 2005. According to the first issue of the Economic and Social Indicators report dedicated
to the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector, there were a
total of 116 large establishments operating in this sector in 2006 compared
to 52 in 2000. The number of internet service providers (which was only one in
2000) reached seven in 2006. The number of internet subscribers at the end of 2006 reached 137,500, compared
to 35,000 in 2000, representing an increase of 300%. The number of internet
subscribers per 100 inhabitants worked out to 10.9% in 2006, compared to only
2.9% in 2000. As regards mobile cellular subscribers, the number reached 772,400
in 2006, compared to 174,500 in 2000. Mobidensity, or the number of mobile
cellular phones per 100 inhabitants, increased by more than 300%, reaching 61.5
in 2006, compared to 14.6 in 2000. Figures published in the Economic Indicators report show that the number of fixed
telephone lines was 357,300 in 2006, compared to 262,000 in 2000. Teledensity -
defined as the number of fixed telephones lines per 100 inhabitants - was
22.0 in 2000, and increased to around 28.4 in 2003, a level which was maintained
in 2006. In 2006, the number of local calls made from a fixed telephone amounted to
1,391.2 million minutes, compared to 1,440.1 million minutes in 2005. Conversely,
during the same period, the total number of calls from mobile cellular telephones
increased from 702.9 million minutes in 2005, to 853.3 million minutes in 2006. The number of employees in ICT establishments increased by 87.6% to reach
8,180 (4,600 males and 3,580 females) in 2006, from 4,360 (2,750 males and 1,610
females) in 2000. Employment in the ICT sector as a percentage of total employment
in large establishments increased to 2.8% in 2006, from 1.5% in 2000. A comprehensive report in our Intelligence Report series examining offshore e-commerce and online gaming is available in the Lowtax Library at http://www.lowtaxlibrary.com/asp/subs_reports.asp and a description of the report can be seen at http://www.lowtaxlibrary.com/asp/description_report6.asp
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