GSI-Mauritius Network Services partnership lasts 30 years, opens businesses to international markets

GS1 Mauritius and the Mauritius Network Service (MNS) have been in existence for 30 years. On July 26, around a hundred Mauritian industry figures came together to mark three decades of standardization and innovation that have profoundly changed the country’s economic landscape.

To the Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer Drishtysingh Ramdenee, CEO of GS1 Mauritius, said GS1 Mauritius provides a common language that enables businesses to communicate effectively on the global stage. He said what started as a tool for hypermarkets has now become a passport for products to enter international markets.

“The impact of this standardisation has been felt quickly in the mass distribution sector. Mauritian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), previously limited to the local market, have been able to integrate global supply chains thanks to the adoption of GS1 standards. Exporters have seen their products gain credibility and traceability in foreign markets, opening up new growth opportunities.He said.

Sonny Wong, Chairman of GS1 Mauritius, confirmed this remarkable development with data. He said the company now has more than 3,000 companies in its database. Some 2,000 entrepreneurs have been trained in the use of barcodes, with 83% of users being SMEs. “These figures tell the story of a comprehensive economic transformation, in which standardization played a catalytic role in growth and internationalization.”

Mauritius Network Services (MNS) plays an important complementary role in this transformation, alongside GS1 Mauritius. MNS, also created in 1994 as a public-private partnership, has developed the technical infrastructure required to fully exploit the standardization provided by GS1. The synergy between standardization and digitalization has enabled Mauritius to position itself as an innovation hub in the region.

The event was also an opportunity to present GS1 Mauritius’ vision for the future. In fact, Sonny Wong unveiled the SUNRISE 2027 strategy, which aims to transition users to 2D barcodes. “This transformation is more than just an evolution of technology. It’s an opportunity to integrate more information about the quality, sustainability and origin of our products directly into the barcode. We envision a future where every Mauritian product will carry not only a unique identifier, but also the story of its origin and quality.”he explained.

This initiative is part of a wider ambition to bring Mauritian products to the global market under the banner of “A Piece of Paradise”. The aim is to create added value for local products in the international market by using 2D barcode technology to convey Mauritius’ image of quality and sustainability. Rajnish Hawabhay, CEO of Mauritius Network Services (MNS), recalled that MNS was created in April 1994 as a public-private partnership to facilitate trade. He took the opportunity to showcase three new innovative solutions: Track2Asset, DocuChek and Mall API.

The event also held a 30 Years of Innovationbringing together local and international experts. The discussion highlighted the overall impact of GS1 standards. So, Christina Sam met me, Senior Manager Innodis highlights how adopting GS1 standards has enabled his company to streamline operations and more easily enter international markets. “In an increasingly globalized world, this is a critical competitive advantage”she argued. At the end of the event, the MCCI Secretary General was convinced that in the next 30 years, the standards of all aspects of the Mauritian economy, including health, will be further integrated.