Publication: Mauritius : Financial Sector Assessment
Loading...
Date
2003-08
ISSN
Published
2003-08
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
This Financial Sector Assessment (FSA) is the joint IMF-World Bank work, based on the context of the Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP), intended to identify strengths, and vulnerabilities, as well as development needs of the financial sector. The report thus summarizes main findings, and policy recommendations as follows. Mauritius has been remarkably successful in achieving rapid growth, and substantial diversification of a formerly mono-agricultural economy. However, maintaining the past high rates of growth, and employment will pose a major challenge. The trade preferences on which two of the pillars of the economy are founded are being eroded, forcing the sugar and textile industries, to significantly improve their competitiveness, or lose market share to larger, lower-cost producers. In partnership with the private sector, the government is taking decisive measures to build a knowledge economy based on higher value-added services, notably in information and communication technologies. They have also adopted programs to modernize, and improve competitiveness in the sugar and textile industries, and, are investing heavily in education, in order to realign the labor force with the requirements of the new engines of growth. Mauritius has a relatively large and well-developed domestic financial system, and a growing offshore sector, however, the country needs to further diversify its financial sector, namely within the banking system. This includes continuing the strengthening of banking supervision, fostering the development of alternatives to bank lending to reduce portfolio concentrations, and increase competition. Additionally, there is the need to encourage sound international risk diversification, by strengthening provisioning levels, so as to enhance the resilience of the system to a downturn in economic activity, and, by reducing the government's implicit contingent liability in the banking system.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2003. Mauritius : Financial Sector Assessment. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/14340 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication The Role of Occupational Pension Funds in Mauritius(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2003-04)Mauritius belongs to a select group of developing countries where contractual savings-savings with insurance companies and pension funds-exceed 40 percent of GDP and represent a major potential force in the local financial system. Pension funds account for 75 percent of contractual savings. Contractual savings institutions invest in government securities, housing loans, corporate securities, real estate and bank deposits. They currently hold 35 percent of government securities and also account for 36 percent of total outstanding housing loans.Given their strong demand for long-duration assets, they can stimulate the issue of long-term government bonds (both inflation-linked and zero-coupon) and the development of corporate debentures, mortgage bonds, and mortgage-backed securities.Mauritius has a balanced and well-managed multipillar pension system. In addition to several public components, such as the Basic Retirement Pension, the National Pensions Fund (NPF), the National Savings Fund, and the Civil Service Pension Scheme, there are over 1,000 funded occupational pension schemes that play an increasingly important part in the whole system. The funded schemes are divided into two main groups-those insured and/or administered by insurance companies, and those that are self-administered and are registered with the Registrar of Associations. Coverage of the funded schemes is estimated at about 10 percent of the labor force. Together with the unfunded civil service scheme, occupational pension schemes cover about 100,000 employees or 20 percent of the labor force. All types of pension funds, including the public ones, report low operating costs. This reflects the absence of marketing and selling costs and, in the case of large private pension funds, the assumption of some costs by sponsoring employers. The investment performance of the self-administered funds was less than fully satisfactory in the late 1990s, reflecting poor returns on the local and foreign equity markets. Funds insured or administered by insurance companies as well the NPF performed better during this period because of their heavier allocations in government securities and housing loans. However, over a longer period, the private pension funds probably outperformed the NPF. The regulatory framework, though fragmented, is not unreasonable. It has many important provisions, such as observance of internationally acceptable accounting and actuarial standards and minimum vesting and portability rules, and it does not impose prescribed limits on investments. However, consolidation and modernization of the regulatory framework is required, while supervision, which is currently nonexistent, needs to be developed and to be proactive.Publication Slovakia : Financial Sector Assessment(2002-12)A joint IMF-World Bank Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) mission visited Slovakia from February 14-March 1, 2002 and April 8-19, 2002 to undertake an assessment of the financial sector. The principal objective of the missions was to assist the Slovak authorities in evaluating the potential vulnerabilities and key development priorities in the Slovak Financial System. This work was seen as being of particular importance in light of Slovakia's eventual accession to the European Union (planned for the beginning of 2004). This report provides a summary of the main findings of the mission, and the policy priorities identified.Publication Financial Sector Assessment : Georgia(Washington, DC, 2002-03)As part of the Bank-fund Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP), two missions visited Georgia, one in May, 2001 and the second from July 24 to August 7, 2001. The missions focused on three broad areas: (i) the Georgian financial system s short-term stability and its resilience to shocks; (ii) progress in meeting international standards and good practices in regulation, supervision, and transparency of the financial system; and (iii) key medium-term and developmental issues in the financial system. The mission produced a number of reports that were reviewed by and delivered to the authorities. This report summarizes the strategic assessment; macroeconomic context; near-term and middle-term vulnerabilities in the financial system; longer-term vulnerabilities anti developmental issues; and priorities for the financial sector.Publication Bank Regulation and Supervision around the World : A Crisis Update(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2012-12)This paper presents the latest update of the World Bank Bank Regulation and Supervision Survey, and explores two questions. First, were there significant differences in regulation and supervision between crisis and non-crisis countries? Second, what aspects of regulation and supervision changed significantly during the crisis period? The paper finds significant differences between crisis and non-crisis countries in several aspects of regulation and supervision. In particular, crisis countries (a) had less stringent definitions of capital and lower actual capital ratios, (b) faced fewer restrictions on non-bank activities, (c) were less strict in the regulatory treatment of bad loans and loan losses, and (d) had weaker incentives for the private sector to monitor banks' risks. Survey results also suggest that the overall regulatory response to the crisis has been slow, and there is room to improve regulation and supervision, as well as private incentives to monitor risk-taking. Specifically, comparing regulatory and supervisory practices before and after the global crisis, the paper finds relatively few changes: capital ratios increased (primarily among non-crisis countries), deposit insurance schemes became more generous, and some reforms were introduced in the area of bank governance and bank resolution.Publication Financial Sector Assessment Program - Poland : Credit Union Sector Regulatory and Supervisory Framework in Transition(Washington, DC, 2014-01)A World Bank-International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission visited Warsaw February 19 - March 5, 2013, to undertake an update of the Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) conducted in 2006. The team was led by Luc Everaert (IMF) and Brett Coleman (World Bank) and included Karl Driessen, Nancy Rawlings, Yinqiu Lu, Jorge Chan-Lau, Rishi Ramchand (all IMF), Katia D'Hulster, Heinz Rudolph, Andrey Milyutin, John Pollner, Ignacio Tirado (all World Bank), as well as external experts David Walker (Canadian Deposit Insurance Corporation), Monnie Biety (independent consultant), and Fernando Montes-Negret (former World Bank and IMF). This note is prepared by Monnie Biety. The primary focus of this note is on the legal, regulatory, and supervisory framework of Poland's credit unions (SKOKs) at a time when the authorities are transitioning them to a stronger, more stable footing. The note reviews the law, regulations, and supervision regime in force at the time of the FSAP mission and suggests ways to help strengthen the SKOKs in a phased manner that gives viable SKOKs the necessary time and support to meet the new requirements. While the draft law was not reviewed during the FSAP as it was anticipated that there were to be many changes to the draft, key aspects of the draft law were analyzed using information and reports gathered that discussed the contents of the law. The note concludes with a discussion of these elements of the draft law. Numeric data used in this report were provided by National Association of Savings and Credit Unions (NASCU) during the FSAP mission, with some corrections provided by KNF post mission.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication The Mexican Social Protection System in Health(World Bank, Washington DC, 2013-01)With a population of 113 million and a per-capita Gross Domestic Product, or GDP of US$10,064 (current U.S. dollars), Mexico is one of the largest and highest-income countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The country has benefited from sustained economic growth during the last decade, which was temporarily interrupted by the financial and economic crisis. Real GDP is projected to grow 3.8 percent and 3.6 percent in 2012 and 2013, respectively (International Monetary Fund, or IMF 2012). Despite this growth, poverty in the country remains high; with half of the population living below the national poverty line. The country is also highly heterogeneous, with large socioeconomic differences across states and across urban and rural areas. In 2010, while the extreme poverty ratio in the Federal District and the states of Colima and Nuevo Leon was below 3 percent, in Chiapas, Guerrero, and Oaxaca it was 25 percent or higher. These large regional differences are also found in other indicators of well-being, such as years of schooling, housing conditions, and access to social services. This case study assesses key features and achievements of the Social Protection System in Health (Sistema de Proteccion Social en Salud) in Mexico, and particularly of its main pillar, Popular Health Insurance (Seguro Popular, PHI). It analyzes the contribution of this policy to the establishment and implementation of universal health coverage in Mexico. In 2003, with the reform of the General Health Law, the PHI was institutionalized as a subsidized health insurance scheme open to the population not covered by the social security schemes. Today, the PHI covers all of its intended affiliates, about 52 million peoplePublication Argentina Country Climate and Development Report(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11)The Argentina Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) explores opportunities and identifies trade-offs for aligning Argentina’s growth and poverty reduction policies with its commitments on, and its ability to withstand, climate change. It assesses how the country can: reduce its vulnerability to climate shocks through targeted public and private investments and adequation of social protection. The report also shows how Argentina can seize the benefits of a global decarbonization path to sustain a more robust economic growth through further development of Argentina’s potential for renewable energy, energy efficiency actions, the lithium value chain, as well as climate-smart agriculture (and land use) options. Given Argentina’s context, this CCDR focuses on win-win policies and investments, which have large co-benefits or can contribute to raising the country’s growth while helping to adapt the economy, also considering how human capital actions can accompany a just transition.Publication Classroom Assessment to Support Foundational Literacy(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-21)This document focuses primarily on how classroom assessment activities can measure students’ literacy skills as they progress along a learning trajectory towards reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of primary school grades. The document addresses considerations regarding the design and implementation of early grade reading classroom assessment, provides examples of assessment activities from a variety of countries and contexts, and discusses the importance of incorporating classroom assessment practices into teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers. The structure of the document is as follows. The first section presents definitions and addresses basic questions on classroom assessment. Section 2 covers the intersection between assessment and early grade reading by discussing how learning assessment can measure early grade reading skills following the reading learning trajectory. Section 3 compares some of the most common early grade literacy assessment tools with respect to the early grade reading skills and developmental phases. Section 4 of the document addresses teacher training considerations in developing, scoring, and using early grade reading assessment. Additional issues in assessing reading skills in the classroom and using assessment results to improve teaching and learning are reviewed in section 5. Throughout the document, country cases are presented to demonstrate how assessment activities can be implemented in the classroom in different contexts.Publication Guide to the Debt Management Performance Assessment Tool(Washington, DC, 2008-02-05)The purpose of this document is to provide guidance and supplemental information to assist with country assessments of debt management performance, using the Debt Management Performance Assessment (DeMPA) tool. The DeMPA is a methodology used for assessing public debt management performance through a comprehensive set of 15 performance indicators spanning the full range of government Debt Management (DeM) functions. It is based on the principles set out in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank guidelines for public debt management, initially published in 2001 and updated in 2003. It is modeled after the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) framework for performance measurement of public financial management. The DeMPA has been designed to be a user-friendly tool to undertake an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses in government DeM practices. This guide provides additional background and supporting information so that a no specialist in the area of debt management may undertake a country assessment effectively. The guide can be used by assessors in preparing for and undertaking an assessment. It is particularly useful for understanding the rationale for the inclusion of the indicators, the scoring methodology, and the list of supporting documents or evidence required, and the questions that could be asked for the assessment.Publication Crime and Violence in Central America : A Development Challenge - Main Report(World Bank, 2011-01-01)Crime and violence are now a key development issue for Central American countries. In three nations El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras crime rates are among the top five in Latin America. This report argues that successful strategies require actions along multiple fronts, combining prevention and criminal justice reform, together with regional approaches in the areas of drug trafficking and firearms. It also argues that interventions should be evidence based, starting with a clear understanding of the risk factors involved and ending with a careful evaluation of how any planned action might affect future options. In addition, the design of national crime reduction plans and the establishment of national cross-sectoral crime commissions are important steps to coordinate the actions of different government branches, ease cross-sectoral collaboration and prioritize resource allocation. Of equal importance is the fact that national plans offer a vehicle for the involvement of civil society organizations, in which much of the expertise in violence prevention and rehabilitation resides. Prevention efforts need to be complemented by effective law enforcement. The required reforms are no longer primarily legislative in nature because all six countries have advanced toward more transparent adversarial criminal procedures. The second-generation reforms should instead help deliver on the promises of previous reforms by: (i) strengthening key institutions and improving the quality and timeliness of the services they provide to citizens; (ii) improving efficiency and effectiveness while respecting due process and human rights; (iii) ensuring accountability and addressing corruption; (iv) increasing inter-agency collaboration; and (v) improving access to justice, especially for poor and disenfranchised groups. Specific interventions reviewed in the report include: information systems and performance indicators as a prerequisite to improve inter-institutional coordination and information sharing mechanisms; an internal overhaul of court administration and case management to create rapid reaction, one-stop shops; the strengthening of entities that provide legal counseling to the poor and to women; and the promotion of alternative dispute-resolution mechanisms and the implementation of community policing programs.