News Release

Highly conducive regulatory environment behind the
leading performance of Mauritius in World Economic Forum GITR report

Port Louis: Mauritius tops the bill amongst African countries for its Network Readiness Index (NRI) in sub-Saharan Africa in the World Economic Forum’s 2010-2011 Global Information Technology Report (GITR). 

The report which is published annually has this year measured 138 countries, the highest number ever in its tenth year of publication. Mauritius has moved up from 53rd place last year to 47th ahead even of South Africa which is placed 61st in the global rankings. Sweden remains at the top of the ranking.

According to the report’s authors, the laudable performance of the country has been achieved on several counts: Mauritius is ranked 26th for its highly conducive competitive environment and the enabling regulatory environment for ICTs, with the country coming in 33rd position under the section measuring Political and Regulatory Environment.

 
And for Internet and Telephony competition, the country is ranked first testifying to the efforts of policy making bodies and of the national ICT regulator, the ICTA, towards fulfilling its Mission of promoting affordable and adequate access to quality ICT services through functional market-driven competition and regulatory principles in a trouble-free Networked Information and Knowledge Society.

Mauritius earns a ranking of 17 for the effectiveness of its law-making bodies and gets in at 53 for the category of Laws relating to ICT.

The findings of the report and improved rankings for Mauritius have been welcomed by the ICT Authority’s Chairman, Mr Trilock Dwarka and its Executive Director, Dr Krishna Oolun who view the results as testimony to the effectiveness of the national ICT regulator in fulfilling its vision of playing a leading role in the future of ICT in Mauritius contributing to an efficient, competitive and optimally regulated ICT sector.

The Network Readiness Index (NRI) is a baseline tool for countries to assess and compare their capabilities to capture the opportunities that information and communication technologies offer.  The NRI takes in   three components: the environment for ICTs created by a given country or community, the readiness of the community’s key stakeholders (individuals, businesses, and governments) to use ICTs, and finally the level of usage of ICT amongst these stakeholders.

15 April 2011