If, whilst strolling down the aisles of a supermarket, hardware store or other shop, you have wondered which products are manufactured on these fair shores, then visiting the Salon de l?Industrie Mauricienne is a must. This fair, which arrives hot on the heels of last year?s ?Buy Mauritian? campaign, is the first of its kind and provides 90 non-Export Processing Zone (EPZ) local manufacturers with the opportunity of showing off their myriad products. If the sector was long considered the EPZ?s poor cousin, this is no longer the case. Local manufacturing now accounts for 10% f the country?s GDP, employs 55 000 people and boasts a steady annual growth rate of 5%. In 2004, Rs 3.6 billion was invested in the sector.

The president of the Association of Mauritian Manufacturers (AMM), Jacques Li Wan Po, explains that the objectives of the event are threefold. It aims, firstly, to create awareness about products manufactured locally and, secondly, to be a showcase for local expertise and technological developments that have swept local manufacturing. Finally, he says, the fair should promote the image and stimulate demand for Mauritian products, which ?consumers will look for on shop shelves?. Jacques Li Wan Po also noted that local manufacturers should strive to consolidate their market share and are ?capable of further job-creation?. The fair, which is open until 20th March, will also allow visitors to discover the Swami Vivekananda conference centre. Another alluring trait of the fair is the goods at discounted prices. Thus, jackets, building materials and foodstuffs will be available at almost 50% less than normal prices. An incentive to take a look at what the Salon of Mauritian industry has on offer.