Integrated reporting is gaining traction in Mauritius

The first approved training sessions on the <IR> Framework have now taken place in Mauritius, the island state where integrated reporting continues to gain traction with major local companies. Ali Jamaloodeen, CEO, Ventures AA looks at the reason integrated reporting is proving popular.

Around 35 participants took part in <IR> Training Courses held last November in Mauritius. The first session was a public training day aimed at creating awareness, whilst the second was a private ‘in house’ session tailored to support a conglomerate on its journey to integrated reporting.

These training sessions came about due to the growing traction that integrated reporting has gained over the last three years in this dynamic country, where sustainable development must be central to economic thinking as the island state has to preserve its resources in the long term.

A look at the annual reports of the major companies in Mauritius shows that at least fourteen companies already refer to the <IR> Framework. I also know of several more that are looking to do so in the current reporting cycle. This growing interest started when Ventures AA, an innovating business unit of the Anglo African Group, supported the publication of the first Integrated Report of our holding company. After the publication of this first report I was amazed by the interest it received, and I quickly began to get requests from other companies to support their reporting processes. This finally led to the training sessions held at the end of 2017, delivered by Ventures AA in cooperation with Beat Grüninger, Partner of BSD Consulting, an <IR> Foundation Training Partner.

35 delegates from companies in the financial, real estate, agriculture, telecoms and tourism sector have attended the courses. Companies in these key sectors consider embracing the <IR> Framework as an important next step in the evolution of their reporting processes. Inspired by nearby South Africa, it is also possible that regulatory incentives could accelerate this step.

I am passionate about inspiring other companies to start the integrated reporting journey, to help and support them on this adventure, to reap the benefits that we as a Group already experience constantly. It is my sincere hope that integrated reporting will soon become standard best practice in the wider region where our company has operations.