It is a Great Honour and Privilege for the Mauritius Export Association to invite the representatives of the World Textile Industries to the 2008 Annual Conference of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation which will be held in Mauritius from October 12 –14, 2008.
Mauritius is known as a tourist destination with its fabulous and beautiful beaches. In 1896, the author Mark Twain wrote: “You gather the idea that Mauritius was made first and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius.”
Needless to say that Mauritius is also known to be a safe destination, with the existence of a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society.
But above all, Mauritius has also a vibrant and dynamic textile and clothing industry, employing over 55,000 people and providing over 165,000 indirect jobs.
We also produce annually some 100 million t-shirts, 20 million shirts, 10 million trousers and 8 million sweaters. Last year, the growth rate of the textile and apparel sector reached approximately 15 % and is expected to accelerated this year to over 20 %.
The Mauritian textile & clothing industry has come a long way since its inception in the early '70 s and has acquired throughout this period an enormous amount of experience. And this experience acquired remains one of our biggest assets.
This Government with its political will and budget has chartered a new road map for the export sector. The textile and clothing industry has been put back on the path of expansion and development while taking into consideration the new market realities on the international front.