Русский
Mauritius is working on introduction of cards of the Russian MIR card payment system, according to Konstantin Klimovsky, the Russian Ambassador in the country. He said. “Authorities of Mauritius have plans for MIR use but it is difficult for the time being to say whether this will be achievable in 2024.”
Having access to Russia’s MIR system means that Russian or other MIR card holders in Mauritius can directly access their accounts in Russia and use their credit and debit cards to pay for goods and use ATM machines.
The Indian Ocean island nation is a popular tourist destination, however the potential impact of MIR access goes a lot further – Mauritius is an offshore financial centre and a member of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). That gives it preferential duty free status with most African countries.
Mauritius is also a member of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), a regional economic community in Africa with twenty-one member states stretching from Tunisia to Eswatini.
Russia has negotiated a Double Tax Treaty with Mauritius however this has not yet been ratified. Should it be, Mauritius is likely to develop as a convenient base for Russian-African trade.
Further Reading
Russia – Africa 2024 Trade & Development
Russia’s trade and development dynamics in Africa are comprehensively featured in our 2024 Russia’s Pivot to Asia guide, which is a complimentary download and can be accessed in English here and in Russian here.
