Dealing with Construction Permits in
Mauritius
Listed below is detailed summary of the procedures, time and costs to build a warehouse —including obtaining necessary licenses and permits, completing required notifications and inspections and obtaining utility connections.
The information appearing on this page was collected as part of the Doing Business project, which measures and compares regulations relevant to the life cycle of a small- to medium-sized domestic business in 183 economies. The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in June 2011.
-
Building a warehouse
-
Estimated Warehouse Value:
MUR 10,405,000
- City: Port Louis
| No. |
Procedure |
Time to Complete |
Associated Costs |
| 1 |
Obtain plan approval from Central Electricity Board (CEB)
The procedure of obtaining plan approval consists of a notification and a check that all the requirements have been met, rather than an approval per se. Approvals from the utilities and the Fire Department are a prerequisite for the building and land-use permit.
Agency: Central Electricity Board (CEB)
|
15 days
|
MUR 250
|
| * 2 |
Obtain plan approval from Central Water Authority (CWA)
The procedure of obtaining plan approval is a notification and a check that all the requirements have been met, rather than an approval per se. Approvals from the utilities and the Fire Department are a prerequisite for the building and land-use permit.
Agency: Central Water Authority (CWA)
|
15 days
|
MUR 250
|
| * 3 |
Obtain plan approval from WasteWater Management Authority (WMA)
The procedure of obtaining plan approval is a notification and a check that all the requirements have been met, rather than an approval per se. Approvals from the utilities and the Fire Department are a prerequisite for the building and land-use permit.
Agency: WasteWater Management Authority (WMA)
|
15 days
|
MUR 250
|
| 4 |
Obtain building and land use permit simultaneously
The Business Facilitation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act of 2006 provides for a new legal framework that would allow businesses to start operations on the basis of self-adherence to comprehensive and clear guidelines. As of October 1, 2006, every person who intends to either start construction work or make extensive alterations, additions or repairs to an existing building or carry out land development activities must apply to the local authority for a building and land-use permit (BLP). This is a single permit that replaces both the development permit and the building permit. This effectively consolidates two procedures into one. The authority for execution and enforcement of the Building Act and of the Town and Country Planning Act is the local authority of the town or district where the relevant establishment is to be built or the land to be developed. Note that every application for a building and land-use permit must in accordance with provisions of the Building Act, the Town and Country Planning Act, and the Planning and Development Act of 2004. The following documents are needed along with the application: - Copy of the title deed. - Copy of the lease and planning clearance from the Ministry of Housing and Lands (for state land). - Consent of owner and copy of the owner’s national identity card. - Copy of the national identity card of the applicant. - Three sets of plans, comprising site and location plans, layout, elevations, and sections. - Public notification by way of plate display and notice in two daily newspapers (for development within residential zones). - Consent of neighbors (not required in this case because it is industrial). Consent is required if the distance between the new building and neighboring constructions is less than 1 meter for one-story buildings and 1.5 meters for two-story buildings. - PER/environmental impact assessment (EIA) LICENSE for SCHEDULED undertakings: the PER is for small projects, while the EIA is for bigger ones with a potential environmental impact. Neither applies to a warehouse, as considered here - All plans must be signed by the draughtsman for buildings of less than 250 sq. m. in floor area and must include the name and address. The total floor area is to be indicated on the site plan, while the floor area for each level is to be indicated on the corresponding floor plans. - For buildings of 250 sq. m. or more in floor area, all plans are to be signed by a registered professional architect, including the architect’s name, address, VAT registration number, and registration number with the Professional Architects Council. The total floor area is to be indicated on the site plan, while the floor area for each level is to be indicated on the corresponding floor plans. The application form can be obtained from the Planning Department of any local authority, Small Enterprises and Handicraft Development Authority (SEHDA), the Board of Investment, or the Ministry of Local Government, or it can be downloaded from various Web sites, including the Web sites of the agencies mentioned above. When the application is in accordance with the act and guidelines, the development and building permits should, under the Chief Executive authority, be issued within 2 weeks of the effective date of receipt of the application. The 2-week timeframe is adhered to if all these requirements have been met. The costs associated with the application for the dual permit include an application fee of MUR 500 (USD 15) and additional charges computed based on land area as follows: - MUR 10 (USD 0.30) per sq. m. for areas of 250 sq. m. or less. - MUR 20 (USD 0.60) per sq. m. for areas ranging from 251 to 500 sq. m. - MUR 50 (USD 1.49) per sq. m. for areas of more than 500 sq. m.
Agency: Local Authority (Municipality)
|
14 days
|
MUR 65,530
|
| 5 |
Receive initial stage inspection
By law, the company must notify the municipal authority in writing that it plans to begin construction activities. In reality, this does not happen, and inspections are rarely carried out.
Agency: Municipality
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 6 |
Receive foundation level inspection
Inspections rarely occur in practice.
Agency: Municipality
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 7 |
Receive roof inspection
Inspections rarely occur in practice.
Agency: Municipality
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| * 8 |
Receive and receive fire inspection
BuildCo needs a series of clearances in order to apply for a building permit, such as a fire clearance and clearances from the Central Electricity Board, Central Water Authority, and sewerage authorities. After completion of construction and before starting up business operations, BuildCo informs the Fire Department, which sends out inspectors and issues a fire certificate immediately after the inspection has been completed.
Agency: Government Fire services
|
1 day
|
MUR 100
|
| 9 |
Receive sanitary inspection from WasteWater Management Authority (WMA)
Agency: WasteWater Management Authority (WMA)
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 10 |
Obtain sewage connection from WasteWater Management Authority (WMA)
Agency: WasteWater Management Authority (WMA)
|
60 days
|
MUR 1,750
|
| * 11 |
Receive plumbing inspection from CWA
Agency: Central Water Authority (CWA)
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 12 |
Obtain water connection from CWA
Agency: Central Water Authority (CWA)
|
14 days
|
MUR 1,500
|
| 13 |
Obtain phone connection from Mauritius Telecom
Agency: Mauritius Telecoms
|
10 days
|
MUR 2,000
|
| * 14 |
Notify municipality of the completion of construction and receive final inspection
At the end of the construction, BuildCo contacts the municipality to apply for an occupancy permit. The municipality conducts the final inspection within 10 days. The findings of this inspection are then sent to the Evaluation Office of the Ministry of Local Government. This office assesses the occupancy permit fee. This assessment takes another 10 days.
Agency: Municipality
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| * 15 |
Obtain fire safety clearance
The procedure of obtaining plan approval is a notification and a check that all the requirements have been met, rather than an approval per se. Approvals from the utilities and the Fire Department are a prerequisite for the building and land-use permit.
Agency: Fire Department
|
14 days
|
MUR 250
|
| 16 |
Issuance of occupancy permit by the Ministry of Local Government
There is no need to register the building at the end of this process because the building is registered for tax purposes through the issuance of an occupancy permit.
Agency: Ministry of Local Government
|
10 days
|
no charge
|
* Takes place simultaneously with another procedure.