Mauritius partners with OECD to combat International Bribery and Financial Crime

The Public-Private Dialogue on the Implementation of the Anti-Bribery Pillar organised by the Financial Crimes Commission (FCC), in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), kickstarted this morning in Flic-en-Flac.

The three-day event being held under the OECD Mauritius Country Programme, will focus on the theme, “Creating the Conditions for Mauritius’ Accession to the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions.”

The event brings together representatives of the OECD, countries that are members of the OECD Working Group on Bribery, law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies, public institutions and the private sector. Discussions will focus, among others, on the role of the public and private sectors in preventing, detecting and combating corruption, as well as on ways to strengthen cooperation between the two sectors.

In his keynote address, the Attorney General, Mr Gavin Glover, underscored the pivotal role Mauritius plays in structuring investment flows into Africa, largely driven by its active engagement with the OECD. He described Mauritius as a small, open, and internationally connected economy built on a foundational framework of political stability, the rule of law, and institutional credibility.

He cautioned that foreign bribery and financial crimes severely corrode this credibility, distort competition, and disadvantage enterprises operating in good faith, ultimately damaging investor confidence, banking relationships, and global market access.

To safeguard its economic integrity, the Attorney General outlined several critical steps and upcoming milestones under a broader international strategy detailed in the 2025–29 Program. This initiative explicitly commits Mauritius to good governance, institutional independence, and the comprehensive restoration of trust. As part of this commitment, Mauritius will undergo its next major international evaluation in 2027 to assess the effectiveness of its financial intelligence, investigations, prosecutions, asset recovery, and international cooperation, he recalled.

Furthermore, Mr Glover announced that the Government will shortly establish a dedicated National Crime Agency to tackle financial crimes, cybercrimes, and complex organised crimes. This will be supported by the upcoming implementation of the major Criminal Justice (Offenders Assisting Investigations and Prosecutions) Bill, which will further strengthen the nation's legal arsenal, he added.

The Attorney General emphasised that a robust anti-bribery framework is a deliberate choice that serves the national interest. By reinforcing Mauritius’ position as a trusted international financial centre founded on transparency, substance, and integrity, the country significantly enhances its capacity to dismantle complex, cross-border transactions and combat illicit financial flows, he pointed out.

Dr Carmine Di Noia, Director for Financial and Enterprise Affairs of the OECD, commended Mauritius for its proactive leadership in spearheading the high-level dialogue, underlining the nation's active engagement on the issue. According to Dr Di Noia, while robust laws and strong public institutions form the bedrock of integrity, seamless collaboration between public authorities and the private sector is equally essential as well fostering a culture of trust and integrity. He underlined that the credibility of anti-bribery frameworks hinges entirely on their effective implementation and enforcement, alongside credible reporting channels and robust whistleblower protections.

Maintaining these high standards, he added, will reinforce global trust and significantly boost investor confidence.

The Director-General of the FCC, Mr T. Dawoodarry, stated that law enforcement alone cannot defeat bribery, urging the private sector—specifically compliance officers, auditors, and frontline staff—to act as the first line of defence.

To strengthen this collaborative framework, he encouraged companies to adopt comprehensive compliance programs aligned with the OECD Good Practice Guidance on Internal Controls, Ethics, and Compliance.

Furthermore, Mr Dawoodarry highlighted that committing to the Anti-Bribery Convention will secure Mauritius's reputation as a transparent global financial centre, particularly ahead of the 2027 Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group mutual evaluation.

07 October 2026

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Topics: Financial Services