WELCOME

ABOUT OCRA (MAURITIUS) LIMITED

Welcome

OCRA Mauritius provides professional clients and businesses with company formation, tax planning and structured corporate advice, often utilising the advantages of double tax treaties along with other structures and support.

Our philosophy is simple; we want our clients to succeed. The key to our approach is the relationship between OCRA Mauritius and a client. Understanding a client’s business and financial needs means that we are best placed to give the right advice at the right time.

It is our mission statement to create practical solutions, not jargon or non-committal advice, to help our clients develop their businesses, save money and get the best return on their capital, all in a cost-effective manner.

Commitment to client care and accessibility are vital elements of our approach to business.

At OCRA Mauritius, we are committed to providing staff continuity on each client assignment. We take time to understand the business of our clients as a whole, as well as their aims and objectives. Unless specifically requested, we do not offer “quick fix” solutions (though there can often be a need for such a remedy). We look to the future to ensure that our solutions are robust. We aim to provide long term security by providing the right solutions.

We do not seek to compete with the large accounting firms or law practices that offer an excellent service. We are a focused and creative group of practitioners, specialising in matters related to the Indian Ocean, who take an interest in our corporate clients’ business.

The hallmark of the OCRA Mauritius service is that it is based on personal contact with our in-house professional specialists.

What is OCRA Mauritius?

OCRA Mauritius, established in 1995, administers over 1,000 client companies and is a member of OCRA Worldwide, which is a leading international corporate and trust services provider with 15 offices and over 200 staff around the world.

OCRA Mauritius is a secure and established provider of company formation and management services.

What does OCRA Mauritius do?

OCRA Mauritius assists its clients form and administer:

  • Mauritius Global Business Licence (GBC) and Mauritius Authorised Companies (AC)
  • Seychelles, Seychelles CSL Companies, British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands offshore companies and United States LLCs
  • We provide our clients with introductions to offshore banks in Mauritius and Seychelles and elsewhere.
  • Our professional staff provide our clients with specialist advice relating to the utilisation of Mauritius GBC companies for double tax treaty planning.
Who are your key staff?

Dharmesh Naik
Amar Bheenick
Bart Dekker

Why should I trust you with my money and affairs?

Size and experience matters – OCRA Mauritius is a member of OCRA Worldwide, which has been in business for over 40 years, has 15 offices and employs more than 200 staffs globally. OCRA Mauritius has been providing services to clients since 1995 and administers over 1,000 client companies.

OCRA Worldwide’s internal procedure manual is rigorously applied and OCRA Mauritius’ office is subject to internal audit by OCRA Worldwide’s compliance team.

We are licensed and supervised by the regulatory authorities in Mauritius.

Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low income, agriculturally based economy to a middle-income, diversified economy with growing industrial, financial services, and tourist sectors. For most of the period, annual growth has been of the order of 5% to 6%.

Mauritius is a stable democracy; our legal system is robust, transparent and ethical; confidentiality is enshrined in law; our financial markets are developed and transparent; our time zone is convenient; we all speak English and French; many of us have English or French professional qualifications and, should you wish to visit us, Mauritius is the most beautiful island in the World!

What is your approach to due diligence?

In the sensitive and exacting relationship between professional advisers and the suppliers of international tax planning and offshore services confidentiality is of paramount importance.

Since our clients are dealing with experienced professionals, we respect that they need to have the confidence of knowing that their affairs will be handled with the utmost discretion.
Mindful of the international regulations on the prevention of drug trafficking and money laundering OCRA Mauritius balances thorough due diligence of all our corporate clients with a commercial appreciation of the practicalities of international business.

Whilst we respect and honour the confidentiality of our corporate clients, we are committed to undertaking a full and thorough due diligence of both our clients’ identities and the nature of their businesses. To this end, we need to be fully appraised of both the rationale behind the establishment of the corporate structure and its modus operandi. This formal approach to due diligence benefits both OCRA Mauritius and our client base.

Are your services confidential?

OCRA Mauritius will not divulge any information concerning its clients without their prior written consent.

However, OCRA reserves the right to treat this obligation of confidentiality as not applicable when and to the extent that OCRA Mauritius is obliged by law to divulge information or when OCRA Mauritius has been unable to obtain instructions from its clients and it appears to OCRA Mauritius to be in the best interests of its clients or their companies to provide information.

Who are your clients and what do they use their offshore companies for?

We look after the affairs of more than 1,000 client companies, they are used for a wide variety of purposes, roughly 1/3rd for trading, 1/3rd for holding investments and 1/3rd are personal service companies.

What sort of companies do you set up?

OCRA Mauritius assists its clients form and administer:

  • Mauritius Global Business Licence (GBC) and Mauritius Authorised (AC) companies
  • Seychelles IBC, Seychelles CSL Companies, British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands offshore companies
  • United States LLCs

Key Information:

Mauritius Authorised Companies are non-resident in Mauritius and consequently tax exempt, flexible business entities that are regularly utilised for international trade, investment and consultancy.

Mauritius Global Business Licence (GBC) Companies are resident in Mauritius and consequently subject to tax. However, they may benefit from tax credits. Correctly structured and managed Mauritius GBC I companies may access Mauritius’ network of over 40 tax treaties. Neither capital gains nor withholding taxes are levied. Consequently, Mauritius GBC companies are used by tax practitioners and businesses to structure investments into Mauritius’ treaty partners, which include China, India, Luxembourg and Thailand.

Seychelles, British Virgin Island, Belize and Anguilla International Companies are Offshore Companies which are not taxed in their country of incorporation.

The United States LLC is not a partnership or a corporation. It is a distinct business entity that offers an alternative to partnerships and corporations by combining the corporate advantages of limited liability with the partnership advantage of pass-through taxation.

US LLCs with non-resident members and which conduct no business in the US and which have no US-source income are not subject to US federal income tax and are not required to file a US income tax return. US LLCs are popular vehicles for conducting international business.

How much do companies cost to administer?

From about USD 1,500 per annum (excluding professional directors and nominee shareholders).

Can you set up Offshore Corporate Bank Accounts?

Yes, we set up corporate bank accounts for our worldwide corporate clientele.

How much does it cost to set up Offshore Corporate Bank Accounts?

The minimum charge is USD 1000.

How long does it take to set up a Mauritius Authorised Company or an Offshore Company with an offshore bank account?

Upon receiving all required documents/information from clients and our fees, we can usually set up a Mauritius Authorised Company or an Offshore Company within 1-2 weeks.

Provided we have been paid and we have all the information we required from clients, we can set up a Mauritius Authorised Company or an Offshore Company within 1-2 weeks.

Providing we have all the required documentation we can open a bank account in Mauritius within 48 hours.

How do I set up an International Company or Global Business Licence company and Offshore bank account?

The OCRA Mauritius Application Form must be completed, signed and sent by courier to us together with all required documents. With regards to opening of a corporate bank account, the appropriate documents must be sent in original.

Can you set up companies in other jurisdictions?

Yes, we regularly set up companies in the Seychelles, British Virgin Islands, Belize, Anguilla and the USA. We also have access to any of the jurisdictions that OCRA Worldwide supplies.

What proof of identity must clients provide you with?

To establish the identity and signature of all parties mentioned in our Application Form clients must provide a copy of one of the following, for each party:

  • Current Valid Full Passport
  • Current Valid National ID Card
  • Current Valid Full Driving Licence
  • Such copy must bear a photograph, a signature and the number and must be certified by:
  • An officer from an OCRA Worldwide office
  • A notary public
  • A senior authorised officer of a reputable and recognised bank
  • The document you send to us must bear the ORIGINAL signature of the person certifying the identity document; it must not be a copy.

To validate the home address of all parties mentioned in our Application Form, provide one of the following, for each party:

  • Original recent (not older than three months) bank statement from a recognised bank or an original and recent (not older than three months) credit card statement showing the residential address.
  • Original bank reference from a senior authorised officer of a reputable and recognised bank verifying the residential address. This may be addressed “to whom it may concern”.
  • Original recent (not older than three months) utility bill (telephone, electricity etc.) showing the residential address.
  • The Proof of Identity and the Proof of Residential address may be faxed to us however the originals must be sent to us by courier or mail and your company documents will not be despatched until they are received.
What are Mauritius Global Business Licence (GBC) companies?

This type of company is used by tax professionals and large corporations.

Mauritius Global Business Licence (GBC) ompanies are resident in Mauritius and consequently subject to tax. However, they benefit from tax credits. Correctly structured and managed Mauritius Global Business Licence (GBC) companies may access Mauritius’ network of over 40 tax treaties. Neither capital gains nor withholding taxes are levied. Consequently, Mauritius Global Business Licence (GBC) companies are used by tax practitioners and businesses to structure investments into Mauritius’ treaty partners, which include South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, Kenya, India and many more.

Mauritius GBC companies are governed by The Companies Act 2001 and regulated by the Mauritius Financial Services Commission under the Financial Services Act 2007. They are subject to compliance and reporting regimes similar to those of Luxembourg or UK companies.

All companies seeking to benefit from this status are granted licenses on a case by case basis by the regulatory authorities in Mauritius. This procedure demands the submission of a detailed business plan and disclosure of beneficial ownership.

Normally it takes about three weeks to set up a Mauritius Global Business Licence (GBC) Company.

How can you help us set up and administer a Mauritius Global Business Licence (GBC) company?

We will incorporate the company, administer it, arrange accounting and audit services, provide local management and assist clients in obtaining a licence from the regulatory authorities in Mauritius.

What does it cost to administer a Mauritius Global Business Licence (GBC) company?

From about USD 6,000 per annum.

OCRA Worldwide announces strategic merger with Acclime

17th November 2022, Hong Kong - OCRA Worldwide (OCRA), announces today that it has completed the strategic merger with Asia Pacific’s premier corporate services provider Acclime (www.acclime.com). This is the latest step in Acclime’s active expansion as the Asia specialist in compliance and corporate services throughout the region.

Established in 1975 and led by Bart Dekker and Dharmesh Naik, OCRA is one of the industry pioneers in the corporate services sector with a full suite of corporate services from company formation, company secretarial support, accounting, and HR services. Over the past 40 years, OCRA has become a truly global business by providing very personalised services to their clients, most of whom are private investors or companies investing abroad.

From its founding base in Europe, OCRA has morphed over the past decade to focus on the faster growing markets of Asia and the Indian Ocean, and currently has teams in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Mauritius and the Seychelles with around 80 staff. Additionally, OCRA is licensed in Samoa and the UAE to provide incorporation services to clients and referral partners.

"The high quality of the team, the interesting gateway jurisdictions of Mauritius and UAE which are important investment hubs for Africa and India, and the synergy of offering OCRA clients more services and Asian locations for expanding their business were the strategic logic for Acclime's interest in acquiring OCRA," said Martin Crawford, CEO and Co-Founder of Acclime. "We look forward to introducing OCRA’s corporate clients to our regional experts in China, Hong Kong, Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam," he added.

The sale of the business was managed by the corporate advisory team of Mazars in London (Paul Joyce & Fred Dearden), acting for the ultimate shareholder of OCRA, and was opened for bids. "Acclime was chosen as the preferred bidder as the team recognised the cultural similarities, with high quality, personalised services at the core," said Bart Dekker, OCRA’s Managing Director, Asia Pacific. Dharmesh Naik, OCRA's Managing Director, Middle East and Indian Ocean, added, "We are excited and delighted to become an integral part of a large international team with the established resources across Acclime's network, and to execute the transaction in line with OCRA's long term succession plan in the interest of all of our stakeholders."

OCRA will operate as an independent business unit within Acclime, supported by funding, IT and marketing initiatives that will grow the business further. Bart Dekker and Dharmesh Naik will remain running the business post-acquisition.

The transaction is subjected to regulatory approvals in several locations and Acclime is expected to complete the acquisition by the end of 2022.

About OCRA
Established in 1975, OCRA is one of the industry pioneers in the corporate services sector with a full suite of corporate services from company formation, company secretarial support, accounting and HR services. For over 40 years, OCRA has been providing personalised services to its clients, most of whom are private investors or companies investing abroad.

About Acclime
Acclime, the premier corporate services provider in Asia, helps corporate and private clients to advance their businesses and interests in difficult-to-navigate markets in emerging Asia. The company’s vision is to reinvent the corporate services sector with innovative solutions that are seamlessly delivered to the highest global standards.

Enquiries: enquiries@ocra.com