Mauritius Country Summary

FATF Status

Mauritius is no longer on the FATF List of Countries that have been identified as having strategic AML deficiencies

Compliance with FATF Recommendations

The latest follow-up Mutual Evaluation Report relating to the implementation of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing standards in Mauritius was undertaken in 2022. According to that Evaluation, Mauritius was deemed Compliant for 26 and Largely Compliant for 14 of the FATF 40 Recommendations. It remains Highly effective for 0 and Substantially Effective for 0 of the Effectiveness & Technical Compliance ratings.

Mauritius experiences a relatively low prevalence of corruption compared to regional standards, although issues such as graft and nepotism persist, leading to public frustration. The government has enacted various laws to combat corruption, including the establishment of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, but enforcement remains weak and legal loopholes exist, raising concerns about transparency and accountability in governance.

In terms of crime resilience, Mauritius is considered a full democracy with a generally independent judiciary, yet challenges such as human trafficking, drug smuggling, and financial crimes persist. While the government has made strides to improve its anti-money laundering framework and has a strong civil society, issues like media polarization and the influence of political and business interests on press freedom indicate areas needing further development.

Mauritius has established itself as a stable and competitive economy, achieving middle-income status within 50 years of independence and recently classified as an upper-middle-income country. The nation has successfully diversified its economy from a sugarcane monoculture to a robust service and manufacturing sector, with notable contributions from tourism, financial services, and information technology. Despite facing challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic and global conflicts, Mauritius has demonstrated resilience, with a projected GDP growth of 7% in 2023, driven by a recovering tourism sector and government initiatives aimed at transforming the economy into a green-certified destination.