It is mandatory to have trade license in all countries which also includes Mauritius. The license is issues by the country’s local authorities such as district councils and municipal councils. Along with this the applicant should receive tax account number and the VAT number which is issued by MRA, the requirement is needed for the trade system for both import and export goods.
Requirements of the trading system:
Apart from the above-mentioned statements for trade license in Mauritius, there are other detailed factors which are required in Mauritius to carry out trades process.
- As a part of trading system labelling and packaging is an important sector. There are specific regulations for each type of goods on how they should be packed. As for the export system then it is required to receive the customer details so that they can export according to the specific country’s requirement. As for the import procedure, all products which a received should be packed according to the requirements of Mauritius.
- There should be an issue of phytosanitary certificate which is issued by the plant health inspector. This certificate is to show a statement that plant materials are free from harmful pests and various diseases from plants. The plant inspection in the country is known National Plant Protection Office (NPPO) which is the ministry of agriculture industry and food security. Especially for exporters they should obtain the specific certificate and further requirements of importing the country to guarantee the products are not rejected for non-compliance.
- As for the sales contract in the country, it is the right for the buyer and seller in different circumstances. They can also contact a new buyer for another delivery date.
- For the convenience of containers, in loose the goods can be sent by cargo from a consolidator and CBRIS company search Mauritius. As per the names suggested the consolidators can have other consignments in the same container in the shipping.
- In Mauritius there are several courier services. It is necessary for the Mauritian courier to be registered for operating a courier service in the country. The courier service in the country should provide the list of members who are available in the services. some of the available courier service in the country are DHL, Mauritius International Express Courier and Cargo, IOL Express, TNT international, Fedex Express, etc.
- As for the clearance goods it depends on the type of goods to be taken. Its minimum takes one day to clear out the goods. The imports are further required to give information about the regulatory bodies such as NPPO, Customer Protection Unit (CPU), Trade Division and Port Health Offices.
- The standards which is expected in Mauritius for the trade system is queit specific. The import system is verified based on the quality, inspection, testing and publishing of certificates. When there are certain goods to be imported, then according to the standard of Mauritius trade system there should be a check on the approval Certificate of Conformity through the supplier.
Payment in Mauritius trade system:
The payment of the trade system fee of the country depends on the place and type of business plan in Mauritius. The payment is done in local municipal or it can also be done in district council. The list of district and municipal councils can be seen in the portal of local authorities of the republic of Mauritius.
The Ministry of Finance in the country has exemption for SME. The annual trade license come around Rs 5,000/-. In SME there are around 84 categories where 75,000 is to be paid. The measure of payment in annually taken place for every January of the year.
The letter of credit (L/C) is a legal document issued by bank for export guarantee payment. L/C is a mode of payment for the trade system. For this legal document, documents are required along with the shipping commencement and limited liability partnership in Mauritius. Among the importer and exporter, it is the exporter who are required to pay. The documents which is to be given by the exporter are commercial invoice, bill of lading, list of packing, certificate of compliance and origin certificate.
Following table shows the payment to be charged to get the trade license for various trade system in Mauritius.
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES |
PRICE FOR LICENSED GOODS |
Pastries (have to pay to the municipalities) |
Rs. 2,500 |
License for Annual trade |
Rs. 3,000 |
Beauty salon |
Rs. 2,000 |
Trade license charge for resellers of books and stationers |
Rs. 3,500 |
Bread sellers |
Rs. 500 |
Nursery school |
Rs. 3,000 |
Florist for selling fruits and vegetables |
Rs. 3,000 |
License from municipalities |
Rs. 2,500 |
License from district councils |
Rs. 3,000 |
Other charges taken:
- Port charges such as Storage charges
- Handling charges
- Shipping line charges such as Container charges and Clearing agents fee
Online payment:
The city council of Port Louis states have announced that the payment can be done online. This can be done with the help of local authorities and the customs in Mauritius. The online payment can be done in e-service and economic operators from the council. The availability for the registration form can be found at Public Health Department.
Documents to be submitted for trade license:
- Commercial invoices are needed for supporting documents in the trading procedures.
- Freight forward or clearing agent arrangement for the import and export system.
- There should be a detailed information about details of goods, values, gross and net weight and country of origin and K2 Visa Application Process.
- The bill of lading where there is a requirement of exporter and carrier
- Evidence documents such as receipts for goods into the custody of the carrier
- Packing list, number of packages, gross and net weight measurements and details of the products packaged
- Certificates and permits of the company
- Certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificates, import permits, etc.
For online payment and registration form for Public Health Department, the following supporting documents to be submitted;
- National identity card
- Certificate of incorporation
- Business registration card
- Latest receipt for trade fee