The Smart City Scheme is set up under the Investment Promotion Act. The Investment Promotion (Smart City Scheme) Regulations 2015 sets out the more detailed requirements for companies that intends to develop a project under the Smart City Scheme.
The Smart City Scheme is administered by the Board of Investment. Under the Smart City Scheme (SCS), a project, other than a technopole project, should:
- be developed on land of an extent of at least 21.105 hectares (50 arpents)
- adhere to the live, work and play concept and provide for a majority of the residential population to live and work in the same location
- incorporate within the development a mix of compatible land use including commercial, leisure and residential and consisting of a combination of office, light industrial, hotel, retail, public entertainment and housing so that the inclusive development achieves physical and functional integration and creates a pedestrian oriented urban environment
- have at least 25 percent of the residential properties sold to citizens of Mauritius or members of the Mauritian Diaspora registered with the Board of Investment under the Mauritian Diaspora Scheme
A smart city project, other than a techno-pole project, must include:
- business facilities, with a mandatory innovation cluster
- residential properties on the condition that the land area planned for the construction of residential properties does not exceed 50 percent of the total land area
- affordable housing units for middle income earners
- civic centres and leisure amenities
- high-quality public spaces that help promote social interaction and a sense of community, including but not limited to gardens, open plazas, cycle routes and pedestrian precincts
- day-to-day management services
- use of information and communication technology to sense, analyse and integrate the key information to provide intelligent urban management and services
- the use of technological products or practices resulting in substantial operational cost savings through reduced energy consumption and utility costs
- measures which to the extent possible –
- generate their own energy requirements through eco-friendly mechanisms such as solar plants and wind farms
- produce their own water needs; and
- are autonomous in their waste management systems.
Sale of serviced land for residential purpose
A smart city company or a smart city developer may sell plots of serviced land for the construction of residential properties provided that the leisure amenities under the project are available.
Person who are eligible to acquire residential plots
The following two categories of persons may acquire a plot of land to build an individual house:
- a Mauritian either in his/her own name or through an entity
- a member of the Mauritian Diaspora registered under the Mauritian Diaspora Scheme
Non-citizens are NOT allowed to acquire a plot of land to build an individual house on their own.
Conditions for the sale of serviced land for residential purpose
A smart city company or smart city developer has to:
- complete the infrastructural works, including those relating to roads, walls, drains, landscaping and utility services in respect of the area where plots of serviced land are being sold
- ensure that the total area of all plots of serviced land does not exceed 25 per cent of the land area planned for the construction of residential properties
- subdivide that land where each plot of serviced land should not exceed 2,100 square metres in area
Obligation of the person acquiring a plot of serviced land
- The buyer should build a residential property on the land within 5 years from the date of its acquisition in accordance with the architectural guidelines issued by the smart city company or smart city developer.
- The buyer of a serviced plot cannot sell or transfer the plot of serviced land he has acquired unless the construction of the residential property is completed on the plot.
Sale of built residential properties
Type of residential properties
Built-up residential properties comprising villas, houses, townhouses, apartments and duplexes can be developed under the Smart City Scheme.
This section deals with the sale of built-up residential properties including sales made under the provisions of a vente en l’état futur d’achèvement (VEFA).
Eligibility for acquisition of residential property
a citizen of Mauritius
- a non-citizen
- a member of the Mauritian Diaspora
- a company incorporated or registered under the Companies Act
- a société, where its deed of formation is deposited with the registrar of companies
- a limited partnership under the Limited Partnerships Act
- a trust, where the trusteeship services are provided by a qualified trustee
- a Foundation.
