Mauri-China: to Optimize the Tax-Free Port Asset

Mauri-China projects with partners from China Win World, to add even 10,000 m 2 of storage space at its current warehouse.

Mauri-China Freeport Development is among the first companies to believe in the potential of Jin Fei and settle in this special economic zone development.

Mauri-China has established itself as a service provider AZ operators of Freeport. Operational since a few months, his success was rapid. At the head of Mauri-China, the Managing Director Gino Stern has over 25 years experience in the logistics industry. He has worked at Ready Cargo Somatrans and IBL, before launching his own company, Southern Transit Logistics (freight) and Austral Transit International (freight and shipping) and Austral Shipping (shipping agent).

" I started in early 2000. I proposed logistics services to fishing vessels for transshipment and customs clearance including, but as there was a great demand from the operators of the free port for logistics and storage, we have launched Mauri-China, in partnership with Hong Kong investors Win World China group , "says

Gino Severus.

Warehouse 5000 m2

Win with World China as majority shareholder, Mauri-China is recorded in late 2011 and started its activities in Freeport Developer six months later. The company operates as a Third Party Developer, providing operators with local and foreign port franc all the necessary services such as warehousing and logistics. Freeport operators are forced to go through a developer to use the facilities at Freeport and store their goods duty before they are exported. "As a developer, we propose a warehouse of 5000 m 2 , which is adjusted according to customer needs. Spaces can be rented for the processing of products , "says Gino Severus.

Mauri-China currently has a warehouse of 5000 m 2 but plans, with its partners in China Win World, to add even 10,000 m 2 of storage space, that in a second phase of its development.

The company sees the future with confidence and ambition for success was meteoric. Currently, its facilities are used at 60%, but in the coming days, warehouses are filled to 100%. " We are already profitable after only one year of operation. I believe that our greatest asset is the fact that we operate out of the port area and we are easily accessible, while being close to the port. Moreover, it is also where the interest of the industrial zone of Jin Fei has enormous development potential , "said Gino Severus. Another advantage of Mauri-China: it can store all types of products as being out of the port area. It can even store " hazardous products "such as chemicals, paints and lubricants. What is forbidden in the port area.

If its warehousing operations started on hubcaps, Mauri-China also offers space for the processing of various products. The developer has signed with customers in this regard. " The advantage for the customer is that transforming the products in our free port under certain predefined conditions, the very name of the product changes, and they can benefit from the 'Made in Mauritius' label and re-export their products to SADC and COMESA taking advantage of trade agreements and thus do not pay 'Corporate Tax' if they re-export at least 85% of their processed products to Africa. There are several agreements between Mauritius and the countries of the region that allow Mauritian companies and processed in our Freeport to be very competitive products in the region. It is necessary to optimize these trade agreements. We should be able to attract foreign companies to make the transformation in Freeport, acquire the label 'Made in Mauritius' and then re-export to the region. It would be advantageous for these companies and for our country , "says Gino Severus.

Development of showroom

The contractor Mauritius and Hong Kong partners have other projects, such as developing a large showroom on land adjoining their store to sell duty-free goods to foreigners and Mauritians. This showroom is unique in the region because of its location in Freeport. " With this project showroom, we want to attract foreigners to come to shop here instead of traveling to Asia. The showroom contains all the products and equipment for projects - commercial and residential - local and imported products. All will be on display in an area of 2000 m 2 . We want to position this showroom as a 'one-stop duty free shop'. For Mauritians shop in this showroom will be very beneficial because they will not have to go to Asia to furnish their homes. They benefit directly here products at very attractive prices excluding taxes and only pay VAT , "says our interlocutor.

Generally for real estate projects in Mauritius, residential or commercial, whose value exceeds Rs 6,000,000, the owners travel to Asia to buy equipment and furniture. And it is precisely this kind of clients target Mauri-China, offering Asian products directly in his showroom. Thus, the Mauritian customers will save on the price of airline tickets. This will be their cheaper, says Gino Severus. " And for foreigners, it will be as attractive as they benefit from duty free. Moreover, we have already established contacts with potential customers in countries such as Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa and Seychelles have confirmed their interest in this type of store , "says our interlocutor. The new showroom will be operational in late 2014.

The competitive advantage of the Mauritius Freeport

According to officials of Mauri-China, Gino Stern and Joel Pascal, Business Development Manager , the Freeport of Mauritius is very competitive in terms of price. For example, faced with global giants like Freeport Jebel Ali in Dubai, Mauritius began to make significant inroads.

" We have been contacted by companies operating in Jebel Ali and want to decentralize their operations to reduce their operating expenses as here, the prices are cheaper than in Dubai. Moreover, even in South Africa, they operate free ports but again, Mauritius is cheaper in terms of price and taxation. "