Patricia Piper Properties ltd

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Yes, the owner of an IRS or RES is entitled to rent out their property either for long or short term.

The owner will have to pay the 15% of tax on the revenue generated from the rental.

www.newsnow.com the Mauritian new online.

MELENIE CATCHES SOME RAYS WHILE BRITAIN SHIVVERS...

The bitterly cold European winter of 2009-2010 has helped Mauritius immensely. More and more people from the continent are making their annual get-away to the island where sunshine and warmth greet them. Research shows that there are more fans of Mauritius in December and January today than ever before.

One of these people, presently visiting Mauritius for the first time in five years, is Melenie Pyndiah. Born and raised in England to Mauritian parents, Melenie has thoroughly enjoyed her holiday experience in Mauritius this year. “The weather here on the island is incredibly beautiful and there are so many things to do,” she says.

While some people may argue that development in Mauritius is slow, Mel disagrees. “There have been lots of changes in the last five years. So many new roads have been paved; so many new buildings have sprung up. This is especially true of Ebene where I only remember one building. Now, so many tall structures are visible as you drive along the highway.”

She spent her early years in England where she also went to school. “I was brought up in Kingston upon Thames just outside London. It was a great place to live and study but I started my professional career here in Mauritius.

“Although I was always more interested in the production side of things, my first job was as a reporter for the Sunday Mirror. This didn’t last very long but surely jumpstarted my career and helped me get noticed in a few places.”

She experienced her fair share of language problems, having no command over French and Creole. “I was limited to a few things and events every now and then because of the language barrier. I usually covered the entertainment sector. My education had focused around broadcasting so I continued to try to get into the MBC to create documentaries, films, radio programmes, etc.”

She also felt the slower pace of life on the island but agrees that one has to adapt to it, “when in Rome”! “Like all young people, I was full of energy, ready to run into the next challenge. I would be asking for another project before one was finished. My colleagues told me to slow down. They use those terms, you know – chill out, this is island life not London.

“When I finally got the kind of job I had been looking for, I couldn’t just stay behind the camera, which was what I had always hoped for. We could not find someone to present the show, so I was compelled to host the show too. It was called ‘Get Connected’. In it, I tried to include all that goes on around Mauritius – local cooking, the environment and other things that interested me. It was the only English programme on MBC at the time.

“I got the job on merit and not because of any connections and I was relatively happy with it while it lasted. The show went pretty well and I did reasonably well too,” she says.

“My next position was scriptwriting. I worked on a few programmes for the Mauritius College of the Air. Then I decided to move on and work with my father as his administrative assistant. He is an electronics engineer by trade though he has accomplished a lot more in so many areas.

“We worked together on a programme called ‘Technovation’. This programme was his idea and how he looked at everything from a scientific, engineering point of view. You should listen to him explain one of the common, everyday things....”

Mel has to be one of the biggest fans of her distinguished father. She talks excitedly about how he can tell you about the technical aspects of making a “farata”. Gaj Pyndiah still presents his own show on local TV and is a renowned name in Mauritius for myriad reasons.

Melenie moved back to England in 1999 and started her search for a job in broadcasting, production or something close to that. She now works for the BBC Library which, she says, is the largest library in the world and contains sound archives, film archives and a number of other formats.

“I had a clumsy interview and never thought I would get a job with one of the best organisations in the world. I couldn’t believe it when they called me two days later.”

She loves children and the fascinating world of wonders they live in. “I worked with this great children’s presenter named Simon Green and unlike most people who talk down to children, he would treat them like normal people and that made such a difference.

“A better part of my job is quality control. Thousands of movies, films, documentaries, voice recordings and other material is being digitised. I have to ensure that they are of perfect quality and that nothing has been missed in the process. This gives me the chance to see unlimited documentaries and movies on sports, comedy, war, politics, animals, people and everything under the sun.”

Apart from the non-stop flow of information, there are many positives that come out of the QC aspect of her job. “I get to watch a whole bunch of programmes that the BBC does from time to time. While watching a series on sports back in February, I said to myself that I couldn’t just sit here and watch sports, I had to do something. So I went out on a cold, winter evening and started jogging. Since then, I have continued to jog regularly.”

She may not be very sporting but one of the most striking things about her is that she, along with her entire family, is a Formula One fan. You can talk to her all day about F1.

“This is the off-season and a time for behind-the-scenes activity. I can’t wait for the season to start. When it does, all weekend appointments on race weekends are set around the races, practice and qualification sessions. If we want to go out, it has to be after the race.”

Mel has been having fun in the sun and isn’t really jumping with joy about going back to England where recordbreaking snow will greet her. “I’m going to miss this place when I return home next week,” she says. Nonetheless, she says she wants to return to Mauritius when the time is right.

“In 1999 I took part in the MFDC (Festivals de Courts Métrages) and won an award for being amongst the ten best films submitted. The film was called ‘Immortel’. As I was on stage receiving the award I noticed I was the only female to get a trophy. It would be great to go back into film-making. I would love to produce documentaries on the destruction of the environment in Mauritius because this is a subject that has always been close to my heart.”

Melenie is also learning French and is rather good at it already. Speaking fluent French will definitely make it easier for her to get around Mauritius and the rest of Europe.

news from www.newsnow.mu

Tourists arrived in Mauritius in record numbers last month, giving the struggling industry a much-needed boost in the face of the biggest dowturn in living memory.And according to Minister of Tourism Xavier Luc Duval yesterday, “we have already reached the trough and we should be riding back up again”.

In November, 78,544 visitors arrived here – topping the 75,380 for last year and even eclipsing the record set in 2007 at 77,236. Minister Duval said he was “very pleased” with these results as it shows that the Mauritian destination has been able to reverse the trend during a negative year.

According to Mr Duval, the results are “the fruits of a joint effort between the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority and the tourism operators as well as the opening of the sky on some key markets”. Many traditional markets have rebounded with positive growth during November. For example, India posted a record growth of 64.8%, which South Africa grew by 9%.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, the French and Reunion markets are the only markets that remained positive throughout the year.

From January to November 2009, some 767,626 tourists visited Mauritius. And if the latest trends are a guide, December is also looking positive.

The official forecast of a 10% drop in tourism has also been reviewed upwards and it is now expected that tourism will decline by a smaller 6% for the current year.

By Mahesh Bugnath

www.newsnow.mu

New business park opens its doors

The newly- developed Beau Plan Business Park from the Harel Freres Group, at the site of the Beau Plan sugar factory, boasts above 4,600 square metres of office space and can accommodate a maximum of 17 tenants.

The new development has made the most of the existing architecture at the site, while attention has been paid to creating serene surroundings for businessmen who want to escape the hustle- and- bustle of Port Louis.

The business park is located close to the l’Aventure du Sucre. The complex uses an innovative air- conditioning system, based on cold water which has the added benefit of not using the usual toxic products used for air- conditioning units. This new system is a first for the country.

Harel Freres has been one of the major economic players in Mauritius for over a century. It is active in many sectors, including agricultural, energy, alcohol production, tourism and travel, technology and communications, Freeport activities and financial services.

Over the past 10 years, the group has diversified its activities and has recently branched out to property development and management. The management of the Beau Plan Business Park is with Sagiterre Ltd.

www.newsnow.mu

MAHESH BUGNATH talks to the developers of a Rs20bn landmark project in Mauritius

Developers plan a new metropolis over the next 10 years

The Rs20 billion Ebene City project by Four Equal Mauritius will be a 600,000 m ² development consisting of a shopping centre, mixed- use residential and retail, commercial offices, consulting rooms, educational facilities, hotels, service stations and medical centre covering 39 city blocks of different sizes.

The total number of residential apartments planned are in excess of 2,000.

The development of the site, which is to be set on 34 hectares, is planned over the next ten years. The first phase, unveiled last week, will be the construction of a shopping mall, Named the Mall of Mauritius, it will consist of some 50,000 m ² of commercial spaces; completion is expected in March 2012. The mall will be host to some 150 shops and about 70% of those will be local tenants while the remainder will be international names, say the developers.

It is expected that this will create about 1,200 jobs will be created.

The mall will be the focal point of the project in attracting the necessary critical mass of consumers according to Jaco Odendaal, Chairman of Four Equal Mauritius. The construction of the mall has been contracted to a local construction firm for some Rs3.5 billion.

The design of the project has been entrusted to DSK Architects, a South African firm in partnership with Pravin Desai Architects, a local company. The promoters are currently holding talks with the international hotel chain Marriot for the operation of a 150- bed hotel.

The mall will include shopping space, food court with some 12 outlets, basement parking with 2,500 parking spaces, and a cinema complex.

One of the focal points of the development will be Ebene Square, a public space that will be made available for festivals and other public events.

The promoters attach particular importance to the office space that will be developed. These will consist mainly of eco- offices that will make use of the environment surrounding the development. The buildings will be low- rise with a maximum height of three storeys and will overlook the Terre Rouge River which flows behind the Ebene City site.

A total of 16,000 m ² of office space is planned.

The complex will have its own access roads from the motorway and a proposed link road.

During the planning phase, consideration has been given to future developments. For instance, the project will make use of the proposed Terre Rouge- Verdun link road and the Highlands City that the government plans to build.

Tourism is also included as a potential source of revenue.

In line with government policy, the promoters have based themselves on potential arrivals of only 1.4 million tourists by 2015 as compared to the two million projected by government.

Currently all of the 12 commercial spaces available have been let and some 60% of the 150 retail outlets have been rented, say the developers.

I have just come accross this article on www.newsnow.mu where they announce the official launch of this project... 

I'd like your comments on this, as personnally I think it's quite outrageous! 

There is already a shopping mall being buildt next to Trianon Shopping centre, the new Phoenix Les halles looks like a ghost mall each time I go there...  I'm not sure who this new shopping centre would be aiming at? 

 Rs20bn investment for ‘Ebene City’

By Mahesh Bugnath

Biggest shopping mall in the region part of 10-year project

There was a major boost for the economy yesterday when the promoters of Ebene City announced the official launch of their project to build a modern complex in the Ebene region.

The project is expected to bring a total of Rs20 billion of investment over the next 10 years.

The complex will include the construction of a shopping mall, the biggest of its kind in the Indian Ocean region with a total surface area of 50,000 square metres.

The total cost for the construction of the first phase is estimated at Rs3.4 billion.

The shopping mall, named Mall of Mauritius, will be open seven days a week and will be due for completion in March 2012, according to the promoters.

The mall is expected to create some 1,200 direct jobs.

A total of 150 shops will be open and the head of the project, Jaco Odendaal, told NEWSNOW that some 60% of the space has already been allocated to tenants.

Of these, 70% are Mauritians, while the remaining 30% “ will be from names not seen before in Mauritius”.

“ We have been considering investments all over Africa and Mauritius seems the natural candidate for our investment,” he told NEWSNOW. Mr Odendaal, Chairman of Malls of Mauritius, is also Chairman of Abacus Asset Management based in Stellenbosch.

He hopes that the new venture here will contribute 2.7% of the country’s gross domestic product once completed.

The Ebene City project has been brought by a Mauritian national living in South Africa, Raj Ramrachia. He told NEWSNOW that the project is in line with the government’s objective of transforming Mauritius into a world- class country.

“ This is my contribution to achieving that goal,” he said.

The project includes the construction of a hotel, green- office space, residential apartments and the shopping mall.

THE BOTTOM LINE

‘ We have been considering investments all over Africa and Mauritius seems the natural candidate for our investment ’

www.newsnow.mu

Expat women learn about Pakistan

Corona North, a group of expats comprising mostly non- working womenliving in the North of the island, met in a local hotel yesterday withthe 30- plus members present discussing upcoming events and ongoing projects.

The monthly gathering invites a localspeaker to talk to the members – I was the “ guinea- pig” yesterday andwas delighted to talk about my home country, Pakistan, and how it gotmore than its fair share of bad press inland and internationally.Working for NEWSNOW and life in Mauritius during my five months herewere also touched on.

The group is meeting onFriday at La Suffren Hotel after sunset to enjoy happy hour and alesson and demonstration in Salsa from choreographer and dance pro,George Jacob, who also runs the Dancing in the City studio in PortLouis.

Members of the group take part in severalhealthy and creative activities including volunteer work at localschools, tours of the island and a “ cleanliness” drive organised lastmonth. The blogs on their website also contains valuable advice andinformation posted by members.

Corona North isaffiliated to international non- profit organisation Corona Worldwidewhich has its headquarters in London. Its members reside in 100countries around the world.

The organisation helpsnewcomers acclimatise, foster relations with the local population,raise funds for charities and conduct creative activities.

Link to the corona club website: http://www.coronaworldwide.org/node/8

 www.newsnow.mu

Our columnist is now settling in Mauritius after arriving a few months ago from his home country of Pakistan and will be giving a regular update of life in our island Paradise ? A couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to get a weekend test drive in a classy automobile – I am looking for a new set of wheels – so I took the opportiunity it presented to take the children out for a long drive. I wanted to leave early so that we could do all we could before sunset as the TP registration did not permit me on the road after dark. We packed most of our stuff in the trunk and loaded five girls in the backseat. We stopped at a couple of showrooms to check out a few more cars before we headed South towards Mahebourg. It was fun driving down the M2 highway. Our first stop was at the National History Museum. Is it at Mahebourg? Since I’m still rather new to the island, forgive me for mixing up a few names and locations. Inside the museum, the curators warmly welcomed us and other visitors and readily answered all our questions. The museum housed some of the relics of imperial rule on the island and pictures of those who ruled it. The poor dodo was on display in all its bony glory, along with pre- historic weapons and tools. The museum must have been painted recently because it was hard to breathe inside. However, since the children were having fun looking around, we had no option. The gardens outside the museum are a joy, though. The fresh air was a welcome relief for our lungs. We found a patio and sat down in the shade of trees, listening to the chirping birds veiled in them. We also found a solitary music- man in the gardens, softly playing a guitar while a harmonica lingered near his mouth in mystical fashion. Once the girls finished their exploration of the museum, we moved on from “ La Maison de Robillard”. Our next stopover was at the picturesque Blue Bay Marine Park where we found a good mix of foreign holidaymakers and locals – the former sunbathing as usual while the latter mostly indulged in selling services. Boat rides We found a stall selling glassbottom boat rides at just Rs100 per head. That’s not a bad deal, unless you’ve already had one for free during your honeymoon hotel stay! I saw a few men tossing a volleyball in the water but nobody swimming in the very limited swimming zone demarcated by yellow buoys and floats. One of the most amazing features of Mauritian beaches is the juxtapose of blues and greens in the water. It’s something that I’ve seen in few pictures and only on this island in real life. Blue Bay is a small yet complete tourist spot great for an entire day of idleness. They have a few stalls for shopping, in case you’ve forgotten your beachwear, and a reasonable Tuck Shop in case the ladies with you live by whatever- we- canfind- outside. While driving around the Southern coast on our way to the West, there are a number of small townships and interesting locations where tourists can obviously pause and picture. Among them, I hear, is the La Vanille Reserve Des Mascareignes where you can find turtles and crocs. I am told it is designed like a tropical rainforest and visitors can take a nature walk with the animal life on Mauritius, Rodrigues and Reunion Island. We couldn’t stop here unfortunately, as time was racing by. If you have a 4x4 or another vehicle that can make it through tough off- road terrain, you must visit Le Souffleur. I’ve been told that a rockface here resembles one of the most famous poets of the island who was also a resident of nearby Souillac. Unlike the picturesque beaches of the island, this coastal region is marked by cliffs where the waves come crashing in with ferocity and you are sprayed with seawater every few seconds. Keeping you sensitive camera equipment dry becomes a challenge too, so beware of the elements. The view and the experience are well worth the trouble, I must confess. I wished I could just sit down on one of the rocks here and meditate, But I have promises to keep; and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep… We were trailing a map and our next stop nearly took my breath away. Once again we had to go off- road but this time the track was more earthen and less rocky. We drove through fields with magnificent mountains in the foreground. After 10 minutes or so of snail- pace driving, we parked between a handful of vehicles next to another sugarcane field in the middle of what seemed like nowhere. Rochester Falls I was led by myMauritian family down a hill on to a path running through more, taller sugarcane. I was told that we were going to Rochester Falls, which is another natural wonder on the island. It wasn’t long before I could hear the water falling but I could not have expected the beauty that awaited me. The twisting path leading to the falls was damp but we kept going. Finally, it was within sight, and it truly was a sight to behold! A huge cascade of river water splashes down with enormous ferocity here, sending sweet droplets into the air in the narrow gorge. It was awesome, the sound of the water thundering down. I gazed at the falls for a few minutes, speechless with joy at the spectacle. It’s an unbelievably beautiful place; one I would love to visit again and totally divulge in for an entire day. This road leading to the Western coast was at times lined with trees on both sides, joining each other in an embrace and creating a graceful shade on an otherwise bright day. I’m still not programmed to carrying my thermos full of tea and coffee, so I felt exhausted at times from the continuous driving but when my better half told me we could have tea at this place called St. Aubin. I turned in without a second thought. St. Aubin is a sugar, tea and rum estate and was a welcome break from the monotony of twist, turn, accelerate and break. It is as scenic as any resort on the island. A vast entrance welcomes drivers in through one side and you have to make a U- turn to get to the restaurant, rum distillery and souvenir shop. I sat down for a cup of coffee while the kids enjoyed fresh fruit juices. The souvenir shop sells their brand of tea leaves in a variety of flavours along with brown sugar and five variations of local rum made from sugarcane juice. It’s worth a sip even if you’re driving. The freshness and zest of the products is certainly worth a mention. And the place is great for relaxing. I desperately wanted to stop at the Valley of Colours and see the Chamarel Coloured Earth but time was rapidly running out and I had to speed my way back home before or shortly after sunset. On our way back, I also came across another place I want to see, the Casela Bird Park, where I hear they have South African lions besides other animals. Although I still have a lot of globe- trotting among my plans for the future, I doubt if I will ever come across a sunset like the one I witnessed at Ilot Sanchez near Le Morne. There’s something about the sunsets here which I cannot put in words. They’re breathtaking, and of course, they provide for perfect photography, as you may see from the image I’m posting today. The only complaint I have is that there was not a drop of rain on the weekend. On the following Monday, the clouds rolled in and I forgot about the hot weekend – my kind of weather! I’ve got many more adventures lined up in the coming weeks that I hope will keep you reading about my explorations around this fantastic island. Until next week folks, Adios.

www.newsnow.mu   10/08/2009

Building costs on way down

The cost of building a house has dropped over the previous three monthsaccording to latest figures released by the Central Statistics Office.

The construction price index, a measure that keeps track of the cost ofbuilding a mediumsized house, has decreased by 1.5% during the secondquarter. A similar trend was noted during the first quarter of 2009,where a 2% decrease was registered.

The highnumber of construction projects in the country had pushed prices ofconstruction materials up for the better part of the past four years.That pressure seems to have abated according to the latest figuresavailable.

The cost of inputs for the constructionof a single- storey house as tracked by the CSO, have been declininggradually since November last year.

There has beena 9% decrease in the price of steel bars in the month of April; thisfollows another 10.8% drop the previous month.

Fora medium- sized housed consisting of two bedrooms, living room andother amenities, the cost of labour represents nearly 35% of the totalcost.