Africa Business Communities

[Air Mauirtius] Africa Forum 2016 on logistics and transport opens

Mauritian Prime Minister Sir Anerood Jugnauth on Wednesday indicated that a historical agreement has been signed between Mauritius and Changi Airport in Singapore for the establishment of an air corridor between Asia and Africa using Mauritiusand Singapore as hubs.

Speaking at the opening of the Africa Forum 2016 on Logistics and Transport, Sir Anerood said this agreement reinforced the economic vision of his government to transform Mauritius into one of the Indian Ocean's biggest aviation hubs, and to cement the country's role as the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean. 

 "This agreement will be a game-changing deal that allows the country full scope to bridge the two continents. Changi Airport's position as one of the biggest hubs in Asia, and worldwide, will no doubt help Mauritius to be associated with the leaders of the industry," he emphasised.

According to him, the air corridor will not only serve the passenger traffic, but also anchor new economic opportunities for Mauritius. 

"Furthermore, in order to improve connectivity with mainland Africa, Air Mauritius has made good progress to increase the number of destinations and frequencies in Africa."

He said Air Mauritius was planning to operate to Dar-es-Salam andMaputo as from May this year and also to other destinations such asHarare, Lusaka, Mbabane and Gaborone in the coming months.

Sir Anerood spoke also of the new Port Master Plan wherein the PortLouis Harbour would be developed as a modern port with state of the art facilities.

"But if Port Louis is to become a major port in this part of the world, we inevitably need increased sea connectivity, especially with other Indian Ocean islands and the Eastern and Southern African ports. To that end, we are discussing the need for forming a regional shipping company to serve the region in line with the Indian Ocean Commission'srecommendations." 

According to the Prime Minister, the Mauritian Government was bent on transforming the transport and logistics sectors into major drivers of growth and development, "but more importantly in order to positionMauritius as a key economic player in this part of the world".

"The international economic environment is in the midst of a changing paradigm. The distribution and flow of capital, technology, personnel, resources and products around the world have led to an expansion of world trade, which has, in turn, placed an increased pressure on port and shipping industries," he said.

Sir Anerood believes international competition and technological advancement, coupled with a growing demand for quality and rapid services, have brought about a host of revolutionary changes in the transport and logistics industries.

"For example, ships have become larger, more specialised and modernised; international transport network more closely connected; and the modern logistics service more widely used," he said.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister emphasised that Mauritius had to evolve and change, "if we are to continue to do well and achieve our aim to become a high income country."

 On his part, the chairman of CILT Mauritius, Naden Padayatchi, said there was no denying that Africa was on the move and was the most sought after continent. "We have quite a lot of things to share and learn from the experience of the continent," he said.

www.airmauritius.com

 

 

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