World Bank Country Director Visits Mauritius to Discuss Development Challenges and Opportunities, and Reinforce Ties

The World Bank Country Director for Mauritius, Madagascar, Mozambique, Seychelles, and Comoros, Mr. Mark Lundell, will visit Mauritius from September 10-15; his first official visit to Mauritius in his capacity. This visit will serve to review the current stage of cooperation between Mauritius and the World Bank Group in view of its strengthening.     

During his stay, Mr. Lundell will meet with cabinet ministers, development partners, and other development stakeholders, and will hold a press conference. Other important milestones of his visit will include chairing a workshop marking the launching of the World Bank Group’s Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) for Mauritius, a first of its kind to be prepared for Mauritius.

The SCD is a comprehensive analysis containing a candid assessment of the main development opportunities and challenges facing Mauritius in the coming years, and it is prepared in close consultation with national authorities and other development stakeholders. The SCD findings will underpin the preparation of the new Country Partnership Framework, a document that defines the operational and strategic framework of collaboration for the next couple of years between the World Bank Group and Mauritius.

“I’m pleased to visit Mauritius at such a crucial juncture in our program and relations with the country,” said Mr. Mark Lundell, Country Director for Mauritius, upon his departure from Mozambique where he is based. “Mauritius has been doing well in terms of the World Bank Group’s twin goals of reducing extreme poverty and improving the well-being of the bottom 40 percent of its population. Despite these laudable achievements, challenges remain. With my visit, I also want to reiterate our commitment to support Mauritius achieve its ambition of reaching high income status in the medium term.”  

The World Bank Group has been supporting Mauritius with lending and non-lending assistance. The World Bank lending is complemented with technical and analytical support on a variety of topics, including infrastructure, review of public expenditure, health, tourism, education, social protection and poverty, public enterprises, civil service reforms, finance, diaspora, and institutional strengthening with the government. A number of knowledge and technical assistance products are in the pipeline related to monitoring and assessment of poverty and inequality.