The Textiles and Clothing Industry and Economic Development: A Case Study of Mauritius

  • Aveeraj S. Peedoly
Chapter

Abstract

The export-oriented development strategy promoted by the Mauritian government from the 1970s onwards and which was centred mainly around the manufacturing of textiles and clothing (TC) has been a key element in the take-off and sustained growth of the economy (Burn, 1996; Durbarry, 2001) and earned itself the success which has in many ways distinguished Mauritius from the rest of Africa (Wignaraja and Lall, 1998; Wignaraja, 2002). Over the course of three decades, the Mauritian TC sector has established itself as the most developed TC industry in Sub-Saharan Africa (HPC Report, 2002) and has arguably ‘compacted in this time period what the industry in Western Europe achieved over almost 200 years and the “tigers” in Asia in almost 50 years’ (Gherzi Report, 2000: 2). At the turn of the twenty-first century, Mauritius was the world’s second-largest fully fashioned knitwear producer, the third-largest exporter of new wool products and Europe’s fourth-largest supplier of T-shirts (Tait, 2002).

Keywords

Foreign Direct Investment Trade Fair Trade Liberalization Innovation Policy Southern African Development Community 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Anker, R., Paratian, R. and Torres, R. (2001) Mauritius, Geneva: International Labour Office.Google Scholar
  2. Bheenick, R. and Schapiro, M. (1989) ‘Mauritius: A Case Study of the Export Processing Zone’, in Successful Development in Africa: Case Studies of Projects, Programs and Policies, Washington, DC: World Bank Economic Development Institute, Analytical Case Studies No. 1, 97127.Google Scholar
  3. Bowman, L. (1991) Mauritius: Democracy and Development in the Indian Ocean, Boulder, CO: Westview Press.Google Scholar
  4. Burn, N. (1996) ‘Gender and Export-oriented Industrialization: Case Study of Mauritius’, in U. Kothari and V. Nababsing (eds), Gender and Industrialisation, Stanley: Editions de L’Ocean Indien, pp. 33–79.Google Scholar
  5. CASR (2002) Survey of Attitudes of Unemployed Regarding Taking Up Jobs in the EPZ, University of Mauritius Reduit UOM Press.Google Scholar
  6. Common Country Assessment: Mauritius (2000), Office of the United Nations Country Representative, Mauritius, May.Google Scholar
  7. CSO (2003) 2002 Collection of Statistics of Economic Activities, Port-Louis, Government of Mauritius: Central Statistics Office.Google Scholar
  8. Dommen, E. and Dommen, B. (1999) Mauritius: An Island of Success. A Retrospective Study1960–1993, New Zealand/UK: James Currey Publishers.Google Scholar
  9. Durbarry, R. (2001) ‘The Export Pocessing Zone’ in: R. Dabee and D. Greenaway (eds), The Mauritian Economy: A Reader, Basingstoke: Palgrave — now Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 105–29.Google Scholar
  10. EPZDA (2002) Report of the High-Powered Committee: Adapting to the Changing Environment, Government of Mauritius Port-Louis, Mauritius: EPZDA.Google Scholar
  11. Gherzi Report (2000) ‘Sectoral Study of The Textile and Garment Industry in Mauritius and Designing of a Blue-Print to Boost Exports’. Unpublished report prepared for the Government of Mauritius/UNDP/UNIDO.Google Scholar
  12. Gibbon, P. (2000) ‘Back to the Basics through Delocalization: The Mauritian Garment Industry at the End of the 20th Century’, Centre for Development Research Working Paper sub-series on Globalization and Economic Restructuring in Africa no. 00.7, Copenhagen.Google Scholar
  13. HPC (High Powered Committee) Report (2002) Strategic Plan for the TC Sector, Government of Mauritius, Port-Louis: Ministry of Industry and International Trade.Google Scholar
  14. HPC (High Powered Committee) Report (2003) Strategic Plan for the TC Sector, Port-Louis: Ministry of Industry and International Trade, Government of Mauritius.Google Scholar
  15. Hureeram, D. and Little, D. (2002) ‘Apparel Trade: The Challenge Facing Developing Economies and Mauritius’, Science and Technology Research Journal, University of Mauritius Reduit Mauritius, 19: 43–62.Google Scholar
  16. Jeetah, R. and Coughlin, P. (2001) ‘SADC Study of the Textile and Garment Industries: Mauritius’. Unpublished document, Ministry of Industry and International Trade Port-Louis Mauritius.Google Scholar
  17. Joomun, G. (2006) ‘The Textile and Clothing Industry in Mauritius’, in H. Jauch and R. Traub-Merz (eds), The Future of the Textile and Clothing Industry in Sub-Saharan Africa, Bonn: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, pp. 193–211. http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/iez/03796/14mauritius.pdf last accessed January 2007.Google Scholar
  18. Kearney, R. (1990) ‘Mauritius and the NIC Model Redux: or How Many Cases Make a Model?’, Journal of Developing Areas, 24: 195–216.Google Scholar
  19. Kothari, U. and Nababsing, V. (eds) (1996) Gender and Industrialisation, Stanley: Editions de L’Ocean Indien.Google Scholar
  20. Lamusse, R. (1989) ‘Adjustment to Structural Change in Manufacturing in a North– South Perspective: the Case of the Clothing Export in Mauritius’, Working Paper No. 27, World Employment Programme Research, ILO.Google Scholar
  21. Lamusse, R. (1995) ‘Mauritius Country Study’, in S. M. Wangwe (ed.), Exporting Africa: Technology, Trade and Industrialisation in Sub-Saharan Africa, London and New York: Routledge (in association with UNU Press).Google Scholar
  22. Lamusse, R and Burn, N. (1990) ‘Structural Adjustment, Employment and Poverty in Sub-Saharan’, paper written for ILO/JASPA unpublished.Google Scholar
  23. Lim Fat, E. (1985) ‘The Mauritian EPZ’, in PROSI May 1985 Issue, Port-Louis: Public Relations Office of the Sugar Industry.Google Scholar
  24. Mattoo, Aditya, Roy, Devesh, and Subramanian, Arvind (2002) The African Growth and Opportunity Act and its Rules of Origin: Generosity Undermined?, Development Research Group World Bank, Policy Research Working Paper # 2908.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. Maujean, R (1996) ‘The Role of the Small Scale Sector in the Socio-economic Development of Mauritius’, in SMIDO (1996), A New Vision for SME Development, Coromandel, Mauritius: SMIDO, pp. 14–27.Google Scholar
  26. Meade, J. (1961) The Economic and Social Structure of Mauritius, London: Methuen.Google Scholar
  27. MEPZA (2003, 2004, 2005) Annual Reports and Directories, Port-Louis, Mauritius: MEPZA.Google Scholar
  28. Milner C (2001) ‘International Trade and Trade Policy’, in R. Dabee and D. Greenaway (eds), The Mauritian Economy: A Reader, Basingstoke: Palgrave — Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 79–104.Google Scholar
  29. Mukonoweshuro, E. (1991) ‘Containing Political Instability in a Poly-Ethnic Society: The Case of Mauritius’, Ethnic and Racial Studies, 14(2): 199–224.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  30. Ng Ping Cheung (2003) ‘To What Extent is AGOA Pertinent?’, Business Magazine, 8 January.Google Scholar
  31. NPCC (2003) Laying the Foundations for a Competitive Future, Port-Louis, Mauritius: National Productivity and Competitiveness Council.Google Scholar
  32. NPCC (2005) Competitiveness Foresight: What Orientations for Mauritius?A Discussion Paper, Port-Louis, Mauritius: National Productivity and Competitiveness Council.Google Scholar
  33. Ramasawmy, H. and Soyjaudah, K. (2002) ‘Scope for the Application of an Automated Overhead Material Handling System in the Mauritian Apparel Industry’, Science and Technology Research Journal, 9: 79–87.Google Scholar
  34. Subramanian, A. (2001) ‘Mauritius: A Case Study’, Finance and Development: A Quarterly Magazine of the IMF, 38(4). Available online at www.imf.org.
  35. Tait, N. (2002) ‘Prospects for the Textile and Clothing Industry in Mauritius’ in Textile Outlook International, Wilmslow: Textile Intelligence Limited.Google Scholar
  36. UNCTAD/WTO Discussion Paper for the session ‘Building Business Competitiveness’, at UNCTAD XI, Sao Paolo, Brazil, 17 June 2004, International Trade Centre.Google Scholar
  37. UNCTAD (2001) Investment Policy Review: Mauritius, Geneva: United Nations.Google Scholar
  38. Wignaraja, G. (2002) ‘Firm Size, Technological Capabilities and Market-oriented Policies in Mauritius’, Oxford Development Studies, 30(1): 87–104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  39. Wignaraja, G. and Lall, S. (1998) Dynamiting Export Competitiveness in Mauritius, London: Commonwealth Secretariat.Google Scholar
  40. World Bank (2001) ‘Mission to Mauritius: Aide-Mémoire and Policy Note’, Washington, DC.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Aveeraj S. Peedoly 2009

Authors and Affiliations

  • Aveeraj S. Peedoly

There are no affiliations available

Personalised recommendations