Mauritius ICT sector ranked 47th in the world

The Global Information Technology Report 2010-2011 of the World Economic Forum is out.

According to the report, Mauritius has consolidated its predominance in the sub-Saharan Africa region. It has been ranked 47th internationally with a six-place improvement and first in Africa.

“This is a matter of pride for Mauritians as the government has been doing a lot for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Mauritius. From 58th in 2009-2010 to 47th in 2010-2011 demonstrates the great improvement made in the ICT field,” said an official from the ICT ministry.

According to the report, the country has an extremely conducive market and regulatory environment, with little red tape, non-distortive tax rates, good standards of intellectual property protection, and a high level of competition in Internet and telephony, among other elements.

This is coupled with the country’s high level of interest and preparedness in the use of ICT by all national stakeholders (36th, 60th, and 45th for individual, business, and government readiness, respectively).

The ministry official added, “ICT, and the Internet in particular, have already changed the world dramatically. All indications point to an even higher rate of transformation of our lives over the next decade.”

The report also mentions that there is the perception that the government places a high priority on ICT diffusion in its development strategy, notably using these technologies to provide better access and quality of basic services for its citizens.

“ICT has evolved into a key enabling infrastructure across industries while proving to be a powerful driver of modernisation and enhanced living conditions and opportunities around the globe,” he said.

He added, “ICT has changed the world dramatically over the last decade or so, and it is bound to continue to do so at an even higher rate going forward. Mauritius will not be left behind in this change.”

Internet connectivity levels in the island are not yet at the intensive use level, but Internet and broadband adoption are quickly accelerating.