Budget 2026–2027: Mauritius to strengthen financial sector and intensify fight against financial crime

Government is set to further strengthen Mauritius as a trusted International Financial Centre through a wide-ranging reform programme under Budget 2026–2027. It aims at modernising the banking and financial services sector, reinforcing regulatory oversight, and ensuring full preparedness for the 2027 Mutual Evaluation by the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group. The reforms are designed to enhance financial integrity, strengthen resilience, and support the continued transformation of Mauritius into a competitive and forward-looking financial hub.

A major focus of these measures is the strengthening of the national framework to combat financial crime and cyber threats. In this context, a National Crime Agency will be established to consolidate and reinforce investigations into serious fraud, corruption, money laundering, and complex transnational crimes.

At the same time, the Mauritius Police Force will be equipped with specialised investigative tools to support cases involving virtual assets, financial crime, and forensic accounting, thereby enhancing the country’s enforcement capacity in an increasingly digital financial environment.

Concurrently, efforts will be intensified to strengthen cybersecurity and protect citizens and businesses from digital threats. The Computer Emergency Response Team of Mauritius will introduce a national fraud reporting and response mechanism to improve detection and response to cyber fraud and scams.

In addition, the Bank of Mauritius will deploy a Threat Intelligence Sharing Platform to enable real-time exchange of cybersecurity intelligence among financial institutions, thereby improving system-wide resilience and coordination.

Beyond enforcement and protection, Government is also laying the groundwork for the next generation of financial services through innovation and digital transformation. Clear regulatory frameworks will be introduced for the issuance of investment-related stablecoins and the tokenisation of real-world assets, reflecting the growing role of digital finance.

An Open Banking Framework will also be established to enable the secure sharing of customer financial data between licensed banks, virtual asset service providers, and authorised fintech companies, while ensuring strong safeguards for data protection and financial stability.

To ensure that the regulatory architecture keeps pace with these rapid changes, Government will introduce, before the end of the year, a new Bank of Mauritius Bill, a new Banking Bill, and a comprehensive resolution regime. These reforms will modernise legislation dating back to 2004, strengthening governance, enhancing prudential supervision, reinforcing consumer protection, and supporting financial stability while creating space for innovation in financial services.

At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI) will be leveraged to enhance efficiency and service delivery across the financial ecosystem. A multilingual chatbot and AI-powered automation tools will be deployed on the National Electronic Licensing System Platform to provide 24/7 support to investors and businesses, while similar AI-driven tools will be introduced at the Financial Services Commission to improve regulatory responsiveness and operational effectiveness.

23 June 2026

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Topics: Financial Services