History Of Entrepreneurship In Mauritius Business Essay

History Of Entrepreneurship In Mauritius Business Essay Several measures and policies have been implemented since independence regarding SMEs, the priority of the government of maximizing social welfare has been considered through the creation and promotion of entrepreneurial businesses. The origins of SMEs in Mauritius begins in the 1960s when Mauritius was experiencing a timid industrialization change-over with the main objective of supplying the local market with imported goods and helping the country to gain a certain autonomy. At that time, the government was encouraging the production of different types of commodities such as manufacturing of blades, electrical bulbs, batteries, soap, welding and steel work for construction, refining edible oils, plastic industry, food canning, industrial poultry breeding, yogurt manufacturing, biscuits, shoes and so on for the domestic market. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry established the Small Scale Industry Unit (SSIU) in 1976 which in 1983 became the Small Industry Development Organizati on (SIDO), the primary aim of such company was to provide general advice and guidance to small businesses and in 1988, the Small Scale Industry (SSI) experienced a true change-over through the presentation of the Small Scale Industries Act. This act promoted the development of the SSI by adopting a legal definition of SSI, voluntary registration of SSI, duty exemption on production equipment and the setting up of an advisory board. The Industrial Expansion Act 1993 consisted of the SMIDO Act which was considered as the next landmark in promoting entrepreneurship in Mauritius, the idea was to establish a framework for consolidating, expanding and enhancing the competitiveness and developing a SME sector. The government implemented a Ministry of SMEs in December 2003 and two years after the Small Enterprises and Handicraft Development Authority (SEHDA) was created following the union of the SMIDO and the National Handicraft Promotion Agency (NHPA). The SEHDA main objective was to prom ote a more effective and efficient use of available resources allocated to the entrepreneurial sector in Mauritius. The SEHDA Act 2010 was replaced by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development (SMEDA) Act and this was the latest development with regards to the SME policy framework in Mauritius. The SMEDA nowadays works under the aegis of the Ministry of Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives and represent one of the most well-known organizations promoting entrepreneurship in the Mauritian economy. Definition of entrepreneur and entrepreneurship Who is an entrepreneur? The term entrepreneur has been defined in various forms over the past years based on professional experience of individuals or based on observations and researches made to understand what an entrepreneur is. According to the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon (1725), an entrepreneur is someone who accepts to pay a certain price for a commodity (for instance materials) and to resell it at another price thus deciding about the practical use of resources while consequently admitting the risk of enterprise. The French economist Jean-Baptiste Say (1803) stated that a business person is an economic agent who regroups all factors of production- land, labor, and capital and produces a product as such shifting economic resources out of an area of lower productivity to a higher one. The American management consultant Peter Drucker (1964) stated that an entrepreneur is one who looks for and respond to change, thus enjoying opportunities by converting a source into resource. Another defini tion implied that an entrepreneur is an individual starting a new business in a new market where no one before has started business, this was stated by W.B. Gartner in 1985. Thus it can be seen that the definition of an entrepreneur varies according to time and according to observations and perceptions of people who considers it as mainly individual making money by accepting to take risks to achieve his/her goal. But in order to understand clearly the concept, a simpler but direct definition should be considered and as such, an entrepreneur is an individual who decides to take the risks of managing a business and especially manipulating factors of production such as land, labor and capital for the sake of making profit. The main characteristics that an entrepreneur should possess are enthusiasm, intelligence, creativity, determination, courage to take risks, communication skills, human relation abilities, business secrecy, administrative ability, ability to manage pressure, leading skills, technical knowledge, problem-solving skills and so on. Entrepreneurs are classified based mainly on Functional characteristics being innovative, imitative, skeptical, cautious, or resistant to change. Development angle- being eager for expansion, survival, efficient, or concentrated only on local trading. Types of entrepreneurial business- manufacturing, wholesaling, retailing, or service business. Nine personality types of entrepreneurs- being an improver, advisor, highly qualified, highly creative, visionary, analyst, optimistic, leader, determined. Types of motivation- motivated by profit, rewards, and self-fulfillment. Types of area- urban or rural entrepreneurs Types of gender- male or women entrepreneurs. What is entrepreneurship? The term entrepreneurship has also been defined by some researchers, economist and consultants where different meanings have been developed in order to clarify what it is really. According to the economist Joseph Schumpeter in the 1930s, entrepreneurship employs the concept of gale of creative destruction where past innovations on the market are replaced by new ideas thus implementing new concepts for boosting economic growth. The two American economists Peter Drucker (1970) and Frank H Knight (1921) stated that entrepreneurship deals with taking risks for the sake of making money , the acts of free enterprise is often subjected to no guarantee that the individual will be able to challenges the market uncertainties. Entrepreneurship is considered to be a major driver of economic growth for a country according to the American economist David B. Audretsch, in Mauritius for instance, SMEs re greatly participating in the development of the country, especially in reducing poverty and unem ployment. But for now, let us define what entrepreneurship is really. It is the process of increasing business interests by adopting creativity and innovation in a way to set up an enterprise. It is the action of an individual involve in minimizing the use of resources and taking risks in order to generate profits. In Mauritius, free enterprise is usually referred to as Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) where a small enterprise is defined as a business generating an annual turnover of around 10 million rupees and medium enterprise is defined as a business having an annual turnover of not more than 50 million rupees. The SMEDA in collaboration with the Ministry of Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives aims at promoting emergence and competitiveness of SMEs, advising the Ministry regarding how to control the SMEs sector and implementing support programmes. http://www.sbmgroup.mu/images/653_200_sme.gif Incentives for entrepreneurship For the past decades, there have been many incentives and supports given to enterprises for the promotion of the SME sector in Mauritius. The Ministry of Business, Enterprise and Cooperative has been working with different institutions to be able to provide the most services possible to small and medium enterprises, the budget 2012-2013 has considered financial services which include the release of Rs 3bn of loans from the banking sector to SMEs till 2014 at an interest rate of 3% above the repo rate that is 8.5 % and processing costs and related charges will be renounced. Here is a list of the different institutions and support schemes given to entrepreneurs. Small and Medium Industries Development Organization (SMIDO) Export Credit Guarantee Insurance Scheme: Joint effort of SMIDO and SICOM Ltd Protects the exporting SME against failure of buyer to pay all export transactions after shipment Pays 85% of the invoice value to the policyholder in cases of default Export Assistance Scheme Financial support to enable SMEs forward samples of their products abroad to prospective buyers 50% refund on airfreight subject to a maximum of Rs. 2000 twice a year Start-Up Scheme Financial support of up to a maximum of Rs. 100,000 to entrepreneurs to set up their enterprise Prospective recipients have to enter Business Plan Competition Training, Consultancy and Benchmarking Impart new and develop latent Skills, and Knowledge of entrepreneurs in various areas/fields through Training programmes, workshops and seminars Company analysis and guidance Business Counseling and Information Information and guidance to potential and existing entrepreneurs Assist entrepreneurs to prepare or update a comprehensive business plan Monitoring of business and advice Feasibility Study Grant Scheme Grant equivalent to 50% of the costs of a feasibility study for a viable project Max. amount granted Rs. 75,000 Study is to be undertaken by an approved consultant/consultancy firm Mauritius Industrial Development Authority (MIDA) Export Business Support Scheme Financial support for participation in trade missions organized by MIDA funding of up to 75% of cost of stand and 25% refund on the cost of air tickets Financial support for participation in other trade shows funding of up to 60% of cost of stand and 25% refund on the cost of air tickets International Credit Checking Service 50% refund on the cost of each search effected, subject to a max. of 5 company checks per annum SME Exhibition Centre Virtual Exhibition Centre Showcase and Communicate products of SMEs to both local and foreign buyers. Industrial Buildings/ Estates Rental of industrial buildings tailor-made for SMEs Overseas Market Testing Free testing of products in selected markets Assistance, Advice and Information Advice on Development of Promotional Tools Advice on Export Documentation Product Information in selected markets Assistance in Market Research Trade Information Centre Assistance and guidance for marketing trips Loans offered by the Development Bank of Mauritius (DBM Ltd) Scheme Max. Quantum Allocated Max. Loan Amount Interest Rate   (per annum) Term   (years) Start-ups 90% of cost of project Rs 200 000 8% 4 Financing of Production Equipment 70% of cost of equipment Rs 3 m 10 11% 5 Technology Improvement Scheme 60% of cost of project Rs 1 m 9% 6 Working Capital 70% of cost of stock Rs 400 000 to Rs 1 m 10 12% 4 Business Sector 70% of project costs Rs 3 m 12% 5 Construction of Office Commercial Space 70% of project cost Rs 3 m 12% 7 Construction of Industrial Building 60% to 90% of project costs Rs 3 m 11.5% to 12% 10 Printing Publishing 60% of cost of new equipment Rs 3 m 10% 5 Local Newspaper 60% of the cost modernization Rs 2 m 8% 5 General Service 70% of cost of project Rs 3 m 12% 5 Freeport Sector 75% of working capital requirements Rs 1 m 12% 5 ICT Sector 75% of cost of project Rs 1 to 5 m 8% 5 Joint Venture with Overseas Partners Rs 1 m 10% 6 Export Development Fund (for Overseas Market Surveys and Participation in Trade Fairs) 70% of project cost Rs 100 000 3% 3 Selected Investment Schemes Scheme/Certificate Qualifying Activities Key Incentives Export Enterprise http://smido.intnet.mu/images/bullet.gifManufacture of goods principally for exports No customs duty or VAT on raw materials and equipment Corporate tax of 15% No tax on dividends and capital gains 60% remission of customs duties on buses of 15-25 seats 50% exemption on the normal registration fee for the purchase of land and buildings 50% relief on personal income tax for 2 expatriate staff Pioneer Status Enterprise http://smido.intnet.mu/images/bullet.gifActivities involving above average technology and skills   http://smido.intnet.mu/images/bullet.gifActivities likely to enhance industrial and technological development No customs duty on raw materials and equipment as per schedule list Corporate tax of 15% No tax on dividends Strategic Local Enterprise http://smido.intnet.mu/images/bullet.gifManufacture of goods for local market http://smido.intnet.mu/images/bullet.gifActivity likely to further economic, industrial and technological development Corporate tax of 15% No tax on dividends Small and Medium Enterprise http://smido.intnet.mu/images/bullet.gifManufacturing activity subject to an investment in production equipment not exceeding Rs 10m No customs duty on production equipment and raw materials as per schedule list Corporate tax of 15% Freeport Enterprise http://smido.intnet.mu/images/bullet.gifOperations in the Freeport   http://smido.intnet.mu/images/bullet.gifGoods for export only http://smido.intnet.mu/images/bullet.gifStorage, assembly, redistribution and logistics No Corporate tax No tax on dividends No customs duty on raw materials, goods and production equipment Reduced port handling charges for all goods destined for re-export Barriers to entrepreneurship in Mauritius Development of entrepreneurs in Mauritius List of organizations engaged in promoting entrepreneurship Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) Mauritius Industrial Development Authority (MIDA) Development Bank of Mauritius ( DBM) Board of Investment (BOI) Mauritius Freeport Authority (MFA) Association Of Mauritian Entrepreneurs ( AME) Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) Conclusion