Mauritius Becomes First African Nation to adhere to IMF’s SDDS Plus

GIS – 18 March 2026: The Prime Minister, Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam, announced that Mauritius has officially adhered to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) Plus as of yesterday. Mauritius is the first country in Africa and the 32 nd country globally to achieve the SDDS Plus milestone - the IMF’s highest tier of data dissemination standards, widely recognised as the most advanced and rigorous among all international data benchmarks. In a statement delivered on Tuesday, 17 March 2026, at the National Assembly, the Prime Minister emphasised that Mauritius’ graduation to SDDS Plus is a significant achievement, noting that only 31 countries worldwide have met this standard, the majority being OECD or high-income nations. “Through this achievement, we now stand alongside advanced countries, particularly in terms of the transparency, credibility and integrity of our official statistics”, he said. The Prime Minister likewise reiterated the Government’s commitment to uphold the highest standards of transparency and accountability in the production and dissemination of statistics. In a global environment of heightened scrutiny and interconnected risks, Dr Ramgoolam underscored that adherence to SDDS Plus provides Mauritius with a strong institutional signal of commitment to the highest standards of macro-financial transparency. According to him, the SDDS Plus is not merely a statistical benchmark but a strategic instrument, sending a clear message to investors, rating agencies, and international partners that Mauritius’ statistics can be relied upon for informed decision-making. The Prime Minister also recalled the establishment of a steering committee to oversee SDDS Plus implementation and expressed appreciation to the IMF for its continued support in helping Mauritius achieve this milestone. “The adherence to the SDDS Plus means that we are agreeing to publish more data, faster, and with tighter guarantees on quality, integrity and openness, especially for government finance, the financial system, and external exposures”, he stated while adding that “in practice, the SDDS Plus requires Mauritius to meet detailed IMF benchmarks on the coverage, frequency, and timeliness of a set of core and additional datasets that are considered essential to monitor vulnerabilities and risks in modern economies”. Dr Ramgoolam highlighted that Mauritius’ graduation to SDDS Plus is more than symbolic, bringing concrete economic benefits. It reinforces the country’s international credibility; boosts investor and rating agency confidence; and strengthens financial stability oversight. The achievement aligns with Mauritius’ ambitions as a global financial centre, enhances institutional governance, and facilitates more efficient access to international markets.

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