2026/27 Budget Names AI the Government's Top Strategic Pillar

When the Mauritian government delivered its 2026/27 national budget on 19 June, "Leveraging AI and Digitisation" topped the list of seven strategic pillars — a clear signal that AI has moved from side initiative to central economic strategy.

Where the Money Goes

The budget allocates Rs 25 million to equip government ministries with AI tools for policymaking and service delivery, and introduces tax deductions of up to Rs 150,000 for startups and MSMEs investing in AI. A new AI Unit at the Ministry of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation (MITCI) will coordinate rollout, alongside a planned AI Innovation Start-Up Programme.

Training at National Scale

The government has committed to AI training or enablement for roughly 50,000 people over the coming year: 25,000 citizens through digital skills programmes aimed at developers, entrepreneurs, and SME owners, 8,000 secondary school teachers, 12,000 Grade 9 students receiving AI-powered learning tools, and 5,000 public officers.

A New Investment Zone

A high-tech Special Economic Zone at Côte d'Or will offer AI and digital technology investors 100% foreign ownership, preferential electricity tariffs for data centres, VAT recovery, and fast-track work permits for specialised foreign staff — part of a broader push to draw international AI and cloud companies to the island.

Beyond AI specifically, education curricula will carry a mandatory AI module at public higher education level, the Financial Services Commission will roll out an AI-enabled assistant on its e-licensing platform, and the Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute will offer AI subscription services to food producers.