While tracking trade in ICT services remains difficult globally due to rapid tech evolution and limited data, Mauritius is stepping up efforts to improve transparency and support digital policy. The country’s ICT sector contributed MUR 33.9 billion (USD 735.6 million) to the economy in 2024, added 5.6% in gross value, and became its fifth-largest service export category.
To unlock the sector’s full potential, high-quality trade data is crucial; yet, only 56 countries currently report service trade by partner country. Mauritius aims to change that.
The government is implementing a national digital strategy through its 2025–26 budget and upcoming Digital Transformation Blueprint, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), digital services, and innovation. Accurate ICT trade data will help guide these efforts and attract investment.
In partnership with the International Trade Centre (ITC), institutions like the Bank of Mauritius, Statistics Mauritius, and the Ministry of ICT are working to improve trade data quality. A July 2025 workshop focused on data integration, trade surveys, and transitioning to new international standards under the upcoming Balance of Payments Manual (BPM7), which includes digital trade metrics such as cloud computing and crypto.
The Bank of Mauritius currently uses the International Transactions Reporting System (ITRS). According to Satishingh Jugoo, Chief of the Statistics Department:
The ITRS offers frequent data, but we face accuracy issues in identifying partner countries.
He noted that financial flows often do not match the country of residence of service providers or clients, especially for ICT services. Many countries therefore use surveys, requiring collaboration between central banks, national statistical offices, and regulators. Plans are underway to enhance this system and publish bilateral trade data.
Rajivsing Jeetoo, the Ministry’s Program Manager, added:
The open exchange of experiences showed our collective strength in tackling shared challenges.
This effort is part of the African Trade Observatory project, led by the African Union, implemented by ITC, and funded by the European Union (EU).
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