New Mauritius budget confirms AI core to economic strategy

Government shares plans to train 50,000 people in AI skills

Jun 26, 2026

Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam speaking (Image credit: Prime Minister’s Office)

#Mauritius #Budget20262027 — Mauritius has made artificial intelligence and digital transformation a central pillar of the 2026/27 national budget. The budget speech, delivered by Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam on June 19th, names AI as the first of seven strategic pillars of the country’s economic plan. The budget weaves AI policy through education, healthcare, immigration, financial services, a new Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and commits to training 50,000 people in practical AI skills over the coming year. Supporting measures for the digital economy include a 10-year tax holiday for startups, a dedicated AI and digital investment scheme at the Côte d’Or Special Economic Zone, and tax credits for companies investing in AI.

SO WHAT? — The new 2026/2027 budget reflects a comprehensive approach to AI and national digital transformation. The budget includes AI and digital provisions for schools, hospitals, the civil service, immigration, banking regulation and a new economic zone. It was clear from the Prime Minister’s speech that AI and digitisation are now top priorities for his government. Mauritius now seems to view AI adoption as infrastructure to build into every part of the state, rather than a series of digital transformation initiatives.

On June 19th the Mauritius government announced the new national budget 2026/2027, naming “Leveraging AI and Digitisation” as the first of seven strategic pillars. It’s a clear declaration that the government aims to ensure the country prepares for, participates in, and benefits from the AI revolution.
Among the initiatives wasAI training or enablement for 50,000 people over the coming year, including 25,000 Mauritians in developer, entrepreneur and SME-owner roles, 8,000 secondary school teachers, 5,000 public officers, and 12,000 Grade 9 students receiving AI-powered learning tools.
A new high-tech Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Côte d’Or will offer AI and digital technology investors 100 percent foreign ownership, a special electricity tariff for data centres, VAT recovery, and fast-track work permits for specialised foreign staff.
The government is introducing a Start-Up Act with a 10-year income tax holiday, alongside a Start-Up Hub at Côte d’Or, a public-private Start-Up Council, and an Accelerator Scheme at the Economic Development Board.
AI is being built into public services directly, including a multilingual AI chatbot on the National Electronic Licensing System, AI tools at the Financial Services Commission, and a dedicated Healthcare Innovation and Artificial Intelligence Unit to evaluate clinical AI deployment.
Manufacturing companies investing in AI solutions and patents will receive a 15 percent investment tax credit annually over three years, worth 45 percent in total, extended until 30 June 2029.
A Golden Visa scheme will target investment specifically in fintech, AI, biotechnology, renewable energy and global treasury activities, widening the pool of incentives beyond the Côte d’Or zone.
The government is engaging major American and European companies to position Mauritius as a trusted AI and cloud services hub for the Indian Ocean and Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, and will join Google’s America-India Connect subsea cable initiative to strengthen connectivity.
A Champion of AI Programme will launch in partnership with India to develop AI leaders across government and business, supported by a new National Artificial Intelligence Guideline governing responsible AI use in higher education and the civil service.

ZOOM OUT — The budget's AI and digitisation provisions build on the National AI Strategy 2025-2029 launched by Mauritius in April. The strategy, co-designed with input from the private sector, academia, civil society and trade unions, set out six priorities including data and compute infrastructure, skills, and responsible AI in government, overseen by a new government AI Unit. It also introduced DIVA, an AI assistant now serving as the default interface for government mobile services, and a Regional AI Marketplace connecting startups and public institutions across Africa. The budget's training targets and SEZ incentives effectively put financial weight behind a strategy that, until now, existed mainly as a policy framework.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

Source: Government of Mauritius, state media