Monthly Salary Compensation Ranging From Rs 1,500 To Rs 2,000 For All Employees From January 2024

The tripartite meeting, chaired by Dr. Padayachy, was attended by several government members, including the Minister of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives, Mr. Soomilduth Bholah; the Minister of Financial Services and Good Governance, Mr. Mahen Kumar Seeruttun; the Minister of Labour, Human Resource Development and Training, Mr. Soodesh Satkam Callichurn; the Minister of Trade and Consumer Protection, Dr. Marie Christiane Dorine Chukowry; as well as by trade unionists.

Padayachy recalled that the tripartite meeting is a dialogue between representatives of employers and employees under the mediation of the government. He said that as a responsible government, the objective was to find common ground between the demands of trade unionists and those of entrepreneurs. He also thanked the trade unionists and business representatives present for their participation in the discussions.

In addition, he recalled that a mechanism has been put in place for several years by the Mauritius Revenue Authority to help SMEs pay salary compensation to their employees.

Regarding inflation, the Minister of Finance stressed that it is a global phenomenon, recalling that in 2022, the inflation rate in Mauritius was around 10% and 7% in 2023. He also spoke about imported inflation due to the war between Russia and Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic and stressed the need for local production.

He reaffirmed the government's priority to support employees facing the decline in their purchasing power while recalling that the basic retirement pension has been increased as well as the national minimum wage.

For his part, Minister Bholah indicated that the government will provide the necessary support to SMEs which are having difficulty paying salary compensation to their employees.

As for Minister Callichurn, he said the National Wage Advisory Council will release its report in March 2024 regarding pay disparities. He clarified that salaries will also be calculated based on profession.