Kenya and Mauritius will continue supporting the private sector by ensuring a conducive environment for enterprises to thrive, President Uhuru Kenyatta and Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth said on Friday.
The two leaders noted that private enterprise is the key to unlocking the economic potential of their countries as well as the entire African continent.
President Kenyatta says his administration is fully committed to ensuring investments by private enterprises in Kenya thrive and that private businesses play a key role in generating jobs, wealth and tax revenue needed for basic services.
“Mine is to pledge to my good friends here (private sector players) that we will do everything we can to facilitate you, to ensure you and our nations prosper so as to create jobs,” President Kenyatta said.
Mr. Kenyatta and his host spoke during the Mauritius-Kenya Business Forum organised by the Mauritius Economic Development Board, the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa) and the Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest).
The event themed “Mauritius-Kenya: An Economic Corridor promoting Intra Africa Trade & Investment” brought together business people for talks on deepening private sector trade and investment.
President Kenyatta further told Mauritian investors that his government was in the process of setting up a one-stop-shop for processing requisite documents so as to cut the bureaucracy of establishing enterprises.
He thanked that government for its commitment to strengthening trade and investment ties and challenged the private sectors in both countries to take advantage of similarities in policies and infrastructure to set up businesses.
“We are two countries with a common vision, which share common principles and values. We are open, democratic societies that believe in the rule of law”.
President Kenyatta also challenged private sector investors in both countries to take advantage of their growing ties to ensure both Kenya and Mauritius move up the economic value chain, create sustainable economies by accessing international markets and attract foreign direct investments.
The prime minister pointed out that one of the potential areas of cooperation between Kenya and Mauritius was in the establishment of a regional maritime service.
