Port Louis, Mauritius: The Chief Minister of the Indian state of Bihar, Honourable Nitish kumar arrived in Mauritius for a weeklong official visit, on Thursday, July 26. He was at the head of a 15-member delegation in the context of the celebration of the Indian Diaspora Week, celebrated by the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO).
At a business meeting organised by GOPIO, under the theme “ Invest in Bihar” at the Grand Bay conference centre on Monday, July 30, Mr Nitish Kumar addressed the gathering of ministers, businessmen and government officials on the vast business opportunities offered by the state of Bihar to foreign investors.
“ Since my government came to power, we have introduced many laws to facilitate the investor. One of them is the ‘Bihar Single Window Clearance Act’ that was passed in 2006. Our road networks are also being improved to encourage investors to invest in different parts of Bihar”, the Bihar chief minister said.
Members of the Bihar Industries Association and the Bihar Chamber of Commerce also accompanied Mr Nitish Kumar. They took the opportunity to interact with their Mauritian counterparts and studied various channels of trade and investment.
Mr Nitish Kumar would go down in history as the first Chief Minister of Bihar to undertake a trip abroad to Mauritius and to talk to Mauritians, among whom are a large number whose forefathers are of Bihari origin.
He urged Mauritian investors to study investment prospects such as the setting up of dairy plants, sugar mills, fruit-processing plants, cattle feed manufacturing and frozen vegetable units. He also said that sugar cane being a major crop in Mauritius; there is a vast scope for cooperation between the two countries in this sector, especially for the production of alcohol and bio-fuels. The Bihar State Electricity Board could purchase power, generated from sugar biomass.
The Prime Minister of Mauritius, Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam announced the setting up of a Mauritian consulate in Patna. “ The opening of a consulate in Patna would facilitate travelling by the people of both countries for any business transactions”, he said.
Ministers from the Mauritian government, notably Mr Rama Sithanen, vice-prime minister and minister of Finance, Mr Rajesh Jeetah, Minister of Industry and Commerce and Mr Madun Dulloo also addressed the gathering.
At the end of the meeting the Minister of Finance, Mr Rama Sithanen told the local Television “ Mauritian entrepreneurs are beginning to invest abroad even though we are attracting FDI (Foreign Direct Investment). For the past five years they have invested for more than Rs 5 billion. They have been investing in Africa and Madagascar in the fields of tourism, banking and manufacturing industries. Now they want to invest in India that is an emerging economic giant. I think it will be beneficial for the country”.
BY OEMCL News Services..
