This small island nation is seeking to become a major power in the world of Blockchain.

Mauritius is a small Island in the Indian Ocean off the South East coast of continental Africa.

Mauritius has already established itself as one of the most dynamic and innovative countries in the region and in the world.

"Since its independence in 1968, the former Dutch, French and British colony has become one of the most successful economies in the region by building itself up as a technology and financial services hub. Now, Mauritius is looking at blockchain as a catalyst to fortify its competitive advantage and drive continued innovation on the island. "

Now  the nations leaders are looking to take the economy to the next level with blockchain.

"We are working to take our economy to another level, and these kinds of technologies are very important in our strategy," said Atma Narasiah, head of technology, innovation and services at the Board of Investment Mauritius, the national investment promotion agency of the island. "

Narasiah said the following to Coindesk in this interview

"Blockchain is an area where we will be focusing, building competencies and ensuring that it permeates other sectors of the economy and government."

Why Mauritius?

You might be wondering why this tiny Island nation is prime to become a blockchain power house.

First of all, Mauritius already has a lot of financial and technological infrastructure , including plans to cover the island in free WiFi.

Second, and possibly most important,  Mauritius encourages entrepreneurs by removing regulations.

"Mauritius has issued an open call for innovators to take advantage of the country's new Regulatory Sandbox License (RSL)."

"The sandbox allows companies operating in areas such as financial, medical and communications technology to start operating despite the absence of a formal legislative or licensing framework."

"Modeled after similar approaches employed in Australia, Singapore and the UK, the RSL is open to all innovators, but there's an emphasis on attracting blockchain innovators across all verticals."

As a side note I will also be publishing an article about some efforts to encourage blockchain innovation made by Switzerland.

"Since launching in November 2016, the RSL has fielded 11 project proposals, with most under the fintech umbrella."

The third reason for the appeal of Mauritius is its bilingual workforce.

Facts About Mauritius

Mauritius

Country in East Africa

Mauritius, an Indian Ocean island nation, is known for its beaches, lagoons and reefs. The mountainous interior includes Black River Gorges National Park, with rainforests, waterfalls, hiking trails and wildlife like the flying fox. Capital Port Louis has sites such as the Champs de Mars horse track, Eureka plantation house and 18th-century Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Gardens.

Capital: Port Louis

Currency: Mauritian rupee

Population: 1.263 million (2015) World Bank

Other languages: List c: Chinese (Hokkien, Hakka and Mandarin); Hindi; Marathi; Tamil; Telugu; Urdu

(Via Google)

What do you think about this project?

Would you like to see your city become a region of FinTech growth?

Would you like to visit Mauritius or have you already been?

Check out the original Coindesk article and interview using the link in the Sources section below.

Sources

http://www.coindesk.com/mauritius-the-tropical-paradise-looking-to-become-a-blockchain-hub/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauritius

 

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