insights

RIA in Mauritius
Following a joint public-private sector initiative
between the International Trade Division of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and
International Trade and the Mauritius Chamber of
Commerce and Industry, capacity building sessions
were held for public and private sector officials in
conducting RIA. The project was funded by the EU-
ACP TBT Programme and two foreign Consultants
trained about 30 public officials and 20 representatives
from the private sector in conducting Regulatory
Impact Assessment. The Consultants also undertook
RIA on specific legislations in Mauritius including the
proposed legislation to ban plastic bags.
The training was followed by a sensitisation
workshop for senior officials in the public sector on
the importance of conducting RIAs particularly with
regard to legislations that impact on businesses. A
manual incorporating the guidelines to conduct RIAs
in Mauritius was also published and submitted to
participants.
Implementation of RIAs in Mauritius will certainly
assist the policy-makers in taking informed decision
by assessing the efficiency of a proposed policy
and the cost-effectiveness of its instruments. By
improving the basis used to compare the costs and
benefits of different regulations, RIA can help to
establish regulatory priorities across regulations and
regulatory areas. Allocating resources from lessefficient
regulations to more-efficient regulations will
certainly improve effectiveness and reduce the cost of
government action.
the quality of policy decisions.
When should RIA be
used?
RIA should always be undertaken
prior to a decision to regulate. It is
initiated at the earliest possible stage
so as to assess the likely impacts of
the proposed legislation on business
and/or the society as a whole.
In practice, it may be cumbersome
to carry out RIA on every single
piece of legislation. It is therefore
recommended to undertake RIA
for selected legislations based on
specific criteria which may include
trade regulations, laws affecting
minorities, norms and codes of
conduct with expected large impacts,
and regulation issued by a specific
government agency, amongst others.
It is also important to carry out
RIA where an existing legislation
is being supplemented by new
regulations. In such circumstances,
RIA should be undertaken to focus
on the costs and benefits of the
“RIA is not a substitute
to decision making but
is best used as a guiding
instrument to improve
and enhance the quality
of policy decisions.”
requirements of the new regulations.
Who undertakes RIA?
In some countries that have already
adopted a system of Regulatory
Impact Assessment, the process
is undertaken by the Ministry
responsible of the proposed
legislation. In other countries, a unit
commonly known as the Office of
Best Practice is set up under the
purview of the President or Prime
Minister to carry out RIA on specific
legislations which is then sent to the
Minister directly involved with the
proposed legislation and to other
members of parliament. The RIA is
also sent to all stakeholders involved
in the process.
Conducting RIA may not be
applicable or relevant for several
cases including budget, automatic
increases in fees, emergency
legislation (for example, measures
introduced after floods, natural
calamities), repeal of existing
legislations that have become
redundant, consolidation of existing
legislation that do not affect the
substance of the main Act, security
legislations and criminal legislations.
Vivagen AMOOMOOGUM
Analyst- Trade Division
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