Inauguration of Solferino Post Office

The Posts and Telegraphs Department of Mauritius released on 14 August 1990 a Special Cover to mark the inauguration of a new Post Office in Solferino, a locality in the city of Vacoas-Phoenix.

According to the 25th Anniversary of the Mauritius Philatelic Society Souvenir Magazine (2015: 103), a Post Office was first opened in Solferino on January 13, 1970. It was then closed in 1974.

On 14 August 1990, a new Post Office was inaugurated; it is still in service today.

Technical Details:

Release date: 28 June 1990

Stamps:
40c - Sir Aneerood Jugnauth at desk
          From the '60th Anniversary of Prime Minister Sir Aneerood Jugnauth' issue of 29 March 1990

Rs1.50 - Indian immigration, 1835 
               From the 'History of Mauritius' Definitive of 12 March 1978

Rs3 – Places D’Armes, c. 1880 
          8 February 1989 reprint of the 'History of Mauritius Definitive' of 12 March 1978

Unregistered priority mail sent from Solferino Post Office on December 1, 2014

Registered commercial mail sent from Solferino Post Office on 14 February 2013.

Five Post Offices curently service Vacoas-Phoenix: Vacoas, Phoenix, Solferino, Mesnil and Glen Park.

Inauguration of D'Epinay Post Office

On 28 June 1990, the Posts and Telegraphs Department of Mauritius released a Special Cover to mark the inauguration of a new Post Office in D'Epinay, a village in the north west of the island.

According to the 25th Anniversary of the Mauritius Philatelic Society Souvenir Magazine (2015: 102), a Post Office was first opened in D'Epinay on December 1, 1951. It was then closed in 1954.

On 28 June 1990 though, a new Post Office was inaugurated; it is still in service today.

D'Epinay is named after Adrien D'Epinay (1794-1839), a French lawyer and politician born in Mauritius, then Isle de France.

Technical Details:

Release date: 28 June 1990

Stamps:
40c - Sir Aneerood Jugnauth at desk
          From the '60th Anniversary of Prime Minister Sir Aneerood Jugnauth' issue of 29 March 1990

60c - Pierre Poivre and the Nutmeg Tree (Muscadier)
         From the 'History of Mauritius' definitive issue of 12 March 1978

Rs4 - Fern Tree
         From the 'Protection of the Environment' definitive issue of 11 March 1989

First International Yoga Day

The Indian High Commission in Mauritius in collaboration with the Mauritius Post released on 21 June 2015 a Special Commemorative Cover to mark the first International Yoga Day.

On December 11, 2014, the 193 member United Nations General Assembly approved the proposal by consensus, with a record 177 countries co-sponsoring, a resolution to establish 21 June as 'International Yoga Day'.

Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice or discipline that originated in India. The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his UN Address suggested the date of June 21 as it is the longest day of the year (Summer Solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and has special significance in many parts of the world.

From the perspective of yoga, the Summer Solstice marks the transition to Dakshinayana. The first full moon after Summer Solstice is known as Guru Poornima. Lord Shiva, the first yoga practitioner (Adi Yogi) is said to have begun imparting the knowledge of yoga to the rest of mankind on this day and became the first guru (Adi Guru). Dakshinayana is also considered a time when there is natural support for those pursuing spiritual practices. (Source: Wikipedia)

"Yoga is an invaluable gift of ancient Indian tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature and a holistic approach to health and well-being.

Yoga is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with ourselves, the world and nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us to deal with climate change. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day."

Extract from the speech of

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi

at the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly

27 September 2014

"Yoga with its ancient roots is today valued and practised the world over for its holistic approach to health and well-being. The living discipline of yoga has evolved over thousands of years and is known to bring harmony in all walks of life including disease prevention, health promotion and regulating lifestyle-related disorders.

I am indeed happy that the United Nations has declared 21 June as the International Day of Yoga and take satisfaction that the Mauritian youth is increasingly appreciating the core benefits of practising yoga.

Let us celebrate the first International Day of Yoga in such a way that its quintessential message finds universal resonance."

Sir Aneerood Jugnauth

Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius

18 May 2015

Technical Details:

Release date: 21 June 2015

Stamp: Rs50 - Hibiscus fragilis

            From the 'Indigenous Flowers of Mauritius' definitive set of 9 April 2009

New Postal Charges in Mauritius

New postal charges are effective in Mauritius since Saturday 1 August 2015.

Souvenir cover hand stamped at Grand Bay Post Office on 31 July 2015

Souvenir cover hand stamped at Port Louis Centre Post Office on 1 August 2015

Under this change in charges, posting an inland (including Rodrigues) priority unregistered letter of up to 20g now costs Rs10 instead of Rs7 previously.  Each additional 20g or fraction thereof still costs an extra Rupee (R1).

Inland registration fee has increased from Rs14 to Rs17, from Rs40 to Rs50 for foreign letters; advice of delivery (AR) fee from Rs14 to Rs17 for both inland and foreign letters; inland express fee from Rs20 to Rs22.

Souvenir cover registered at Grand Bay Post Office on 31 July 2015

Souvenir cover registered at Port Louis Centre Post Office on 1 August 2015

Fees for inland printed papers have changed from Rs6 for the first 50g and Rs4 for each additional 50g or fraction thereof to Rs8 for the first 50g and Rs2 for each additional 50g or fraction thereof. Thus, postage for a 30g newspaper will now be Rs8 instead of Rs6 previously while that for a 75g newspaper will remain at Rs10 (Rs8 + Rs2 now, Rs6  + Rs4 previously).

New weight scales are now in use for foreign letters: they will still be charged according to the first 5g and the first 10g for 1st Class letters and 2nd Class letters respectively, and then according to each additional 10g  and 20g or fraction thereof instead of each additional 5g  and 10g or fraction thereof previously for 1st Class letters and 2nd Class letters respectively.

The new charges hence only work in the interest of customers only if the weight of their letters falls into the second half of the additional 10g for 1st Class and 20g for 2nd Class letters.

For instance, one mailing a 1st Class letter weighing 4g to Europe (Zone 2) will now be charged Rs18 instead of Rs15. One mailing a letter to Europe weighing 10g will now pay Rs18 + Rs13 = Rs31 instead of Rs15 + Rs11 = Rs26 previously. However if the same letter weighs 15g and is still Europe-bound, postage will still cost Rs18 + Rs13 = Rs31 instead of Rs15 + Rs11 x 2 = Rs37 previously. The same principle (but not the charges!) applies to Zones 1 and 3 too.

Sending aerogrammes to anywhere in the world now costs Rs12 (Rs10 previously).

Withdrawal fee stays at Rs10 and mailing literature for the blind within Mauritius remains free of charge.

Only the Certificate of Posting fee has decreased, from Rs8 to Rs3 (for both foreign and local mail).

The last change in charges dates back to 8 July 2009 when the fee for inland priority unregistered letters of up to 20g increased from Rs5 to Rs7 and inland registration fee from Rs10 to Rs14.

Reasons put forward in 2015 by the Mauritius Post to account for an overall increase in charges are:

- constantly dwindling volume of physical mail

- increasing operational charges

- modernisation of the postal system and implementation of more sophisticated tools.

The new postal charges can be consulted on the following link:

http://www.mauritiuspost.mu/document/Tariff%202015.pdf

9th Indian Ocean Islands Games

The Mauritius Post released on 1 August 2015 a new Rs17 stamp to mark the opening of the 9th Indian Ocean Islands Games (IOIG) in Réunion.

The Indian Ocean Islands Games (Jeux des îles de l'Océan Indien in French) is a regional multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from islands of the Indian Ocean.

The games were adopted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1976 and currently gather the islands of Mauritius, the Seychelles, the Comoros, Madagascar, Mayotte, Réunion, and the Maldives. Albeit both belonging to France, Mayotte and Réunion participate as two distinct islands under the French flag.

The number of athletes participating has increased over the years, from 1000 in 1979 to over 1500 in 2015.

The objectives of the IOIG are to:

- contribute to the development of sports in the region; and

- build friendship and promote mutual understanding among the populations of the islands of the Indian Ocean, in the spirit of Olympism.

Such Games enhance the sense of belonging to one's national flag. The IOIG are held in each country on a rotational basis and as per the level of sports infrastructures available in the country concerned.

This year's 9th edition is held in Réunion from 1st to 9th August - the football tournament started on 31 July. Mauritius (Club Maurice) will have a delegation comprising more than 400 athletes (including Paralympic ones), coaches, paramedical and officials.

The government of Mauritius through the Ministry of Youth and Sports invests heavily in the Sports Federation and has created Club Maurice to attract funds from the private and the public sectors companies to participate in the preparation of our elite athletes.

The 14 sports disciplines taking part in the 2015 IOIG for medals are:

- athletics (including handicapped

- badminton

- basketball

- boxing

- cycling

- football

- handball

- judo

- swimming (including handicapped)

- tennis

- table tennis

- volleyball

- weightlifting

- yachting

The postage stamp portrays the logo of the 9th Indian Ocean Islands Games.

The FDC illustrates the geographical locations of the participating islands in the Indian Ocean. It is sad to note that Rodrigues was left out of this map, knowing that Rodriguan athletes do participate in the IOIG, under the Mauritian flag, and that the first Mauritian Gold Medal at these 9th IOIG was won by a Rodriguan athlete, Antoinette Milazar in the half marathon (21.0975 km), establishing a new record as it is the first time that this discipline is featured in the IOIG.

The heading on the FDC is written in French and only the Comoros are written in French (Comores), the other islands are either in English (Mauritius, Réunion) or written the same in both French and English (Mayotte, Seychelles, Maldives & Madagascar) making it unclear whether they were intentionally written in either of those two languages. Of all the participating islands, only the Maldives are not historically linked to France.

Besides, the mascot of these 9th IOIG, Tibayoun, a hedgehog, is also featured on the FDC in pictograms performing the 14 sports disciplines. Tibayoun is the son of Bayoun, the mascot of the 5th IOIG and the lasts held in Réunion in 1998.

Tibayoun, the mascot of the 9th Indian Ocean Islands Games

Mauritius hosted the IOIG twice, in 1985 and in 2003; stamps were released on both occasions.

ALLEZ MAURICE!

Technical Details

Release date: 1 August 2015

Stamp denomination & illustration: 

 Rs17 - Logo of the 9th Indian Ocean Islands Games

Design: Graphic Department (The Mauritius Post Ltd.)

Size:  29.94 mm x 44.45 mm

Printer: BDT International Security Printing Ltd.

Process: Lithography

Number per sheet: 50 stamps set in two panes of 25

Perforation gauge: 14 × 2 cm

Watermark: w18 - CASCO
Courtesy:
  - Ministry of Youth and Sports
  - Mauritian Olympic Committee
  - Stamp Advisory Committee

3rd New Print of the Rs7 Bremeria landia Definitive Stamp

After September 2009 and March 2010, the Mauritius Post printed for the third time the Rs7 denomination of the 'Indigenous Flowers of Mauritius' definitive set issued on 9 April 2009. This new stamp was put on sale as from 9 June 2015.

Only 100,000 of the original April 2009 Rs7 stamp were printed and 1,000,000 for each of the first two new prints (Mauritius Philatelic Society 25th Anniversary 1989-2014 Souvenir Magazine, 2015, p.39).

The two printings of 2009 can be distinguished with the naked eye, the first being darker than the second.

However they can be easily confused and the 1:10 ratio of the first 2009 print to the 2009 reprint makes the first 2009 print very rare.

This third new print occured in a context of expected shortage of Rs7 (fee for inland priority unregistered letters of up to 20g) stamps since the last issue of a Rs7 stamp was the 'Dragonfly' stamp of the Fauna and Flora set of 28 March 2014.

The third new print with '2015' inscribed at the bottom

New postal charges effective as from 1 August 2015 - Rs10 instead of Rs7 for inland priority unregistered letters of up to 20g; Rs17 instead of Rs14 for inland registration - suggests that this 2015 new print will now be used in combination with other denominations to make up postage.

Priority unregistered mail sent from Port Louis Western (Bell Village) Post Office on 22 July 2015

Commercial mail registered at Moka Post Office on 14 July 2015

Commercial mail registered at Port Louis Centre Post Office on 23 July 2015

140th Anniversary of the Universal Postal Union (1874-2014)

The Mauritius Post released on 9 October 2014 a Special Commemorative Cover (SCC) to mark the 140th Anniversary of the Universal Postal Union (UPU).

Established in 1874, the UPU, with its headquarters in the Swiss capital, Berne, is the second oldest international organisation worldwide created shortly after the International Telecommunications Union. 

Twenty-two founding countries met in Berne, Switzerland on 9 October 1874 to establish the UPU that now boasts 192 members.

The UPU is an inter-governmental organisation which is the primary forum for cooperation among all postal operators. It helps to ensure a truly universal network to promote postal products and services and host numerous user groups to develop other sectors related to the postal sector.

Structure of the UPU

The UPU consists of four bodies:

 - The Congress

 - The Council of Administration (CA)

 - The Postal Operations Council (POC)

 - The International Bureau (IB)

Over the years, the UPU has strived to keep pace with a changing world , harnessing new information and communication technologies to further the development of efficient and accessible universal postal services facilitating communication worldwide. As borders disappear, migratory movements swell, and global trade flourishes, physical, financial and electronic postal services are the three main pillars of postal development which UPU recommends. These three pillars are important for a country's social and economic fabric as they foster people's inclusion in all facets of society, and fuel trade and economic growth at all levels.

2014 is a milestone year for the Universal Postal Union, as it celebrates its 140th anniversary. To mark this event, the International Bureau issued a special anniversary International Reply Coupon (IRC) which is reproduced on the above SCC.

The IRC was put on sale in Mauritius at Rs72 each as from 9 October 2014, concurrently with the Doha IRC, issued in 2013.  Akin to postage stamps, the International Reply Coupon has by tradition been a collector's item since its creation and is classified by the International Federation of Philately (FIP) as 'postal stationery'.

The souvenir reply coupon purchased at the Philatelic Bureau, Port Louis on 13 July 2015.

The UPU is a specialised United Nations agency and is actively engaged with numerous international organisations for the benefit of communication activities around the world.  The UPU is also very much concerned with Sustainable Development activities to reduce CO2 emission.

The Rs7 stamp featured on the SCC was chosen as it relates to the early years of the introduction of railway in Mauritius which contributed tremendously to the development of the postal sector, as testified by many Post Offices (Black River, Rose Hill, Poudre D'Or, Mapou, etc) being still located on the sites of old train stations.

On this occasion of World Post Day 2014, Mauritius also celebrated the 45th anniversary of its adhesion as a full-fledged member of the UPU following independence.

N.B.: The above text is adapted from the SCC insert.

Technical details

Release date: 9 October 2014

Stamp: Rs7 - Packet mail landing, 1915

            From the '240th Anniversary of Postal Services' issue of 21 December 2012

Closing of Belle Rose Post Office & Opening of Trianon Post Office

The Mauritius Post released on 6 October 2014 a Special Envelope to mark the closing of Belle Rose Post Office (PO) and the opening of a new Post Office at the Trianon Shopping Park.

Belle Rose PO opened on 16 March 1948. Belle Rose is a locality in the city of Quatre Bornes and is stuck between the city of Rose Hill, the recently-founded cybercity of Ebène and another small locality, Trianon.

Priority mail sent from Belle Rose PO on 8 February 2005

Mail registered on 14 July 2008 with Advice of Delivery (AR)

Mail registered on 24 May 2013...

...with barely legible datestamp

Mail registered on 22 August 2014 with illegible datestamp.

The Belle Rose Type D circular datestamp was visibly in a very poor state and clearly needed some well-deserved rest...

Following the closing of Belle Rose PO on 4 August 2014, all postal and non-postal services were transferred to the new Trianon PO which opened to the public on 6 October 2014.

Belle Rose must not be confused with Rose Belle which is a village in the south-east of Mauritius.

Mail registered on 12 July 2013 at Rose Belle PO

Official inauguration of the Trianon PO was held on 9 October 2014, World Post Day, in the presence of Tassarajen Pillay Chedumbrum, the then Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Arnaud Godère, the then Chairman of the Mauritius Post, and Giandev Moteea, the Chief Executive Officer of the Mauritius Post.

Commercial mail registered at the Trianon PO on 13 November 2014

Circular Type D datestamp of the Trianon PO with 'S.P' standing for 'Shopping Park'. Observant philatelists would have noticed the missing dot after the 'P'

The Trianon PO is the first one to be opened in a shopping mall in Mauritius.

Many Postal Agencies (PAs) used to operate in grocery shops (locally known as 'la boutik') such as Henrietta PA at a general store and La Louise PA at a bakery since 1969 until their closing on  17 August 2011 and in December 2012 respectively.

Albion PA currently operates in a supermarket.

Technical Details

Release date: 6 October 2014
Stamps: stamp-style pictures of Belle Rose PO (left) and Trianon PO (right)

150th Anniversary of the Death of Blessed Father Laval

The Roman Catholic Church of Mauritius in collaboration with the Mauritius Post released on 9 September 2014 a Special Commemorative Cover (SCC) to mark the 150th death anniversary of Blessed Father Laval.

SCC with Sainte Croix PO datestamp and Father Hym, vicar of the Parish of Sainte Croix's, signature

Born in 1803 in Croth (Eure), Normandy, France, Jacques Désiré Laval or 'Lal', as he nicknamed himself, had announced at the age of 7 that he would be either priest or doctor.  From 1830 till 1835, he was doctor in Normandy, and even thought about getting married.  But God's call would prove stronger.

His dream was to become missionary in China, but in 1838, he became priest and practised for two years in Pinterville.

However Father Laval wanted to serve the poor. He boarded the Tanjore in London on 2 June 1841 and arrived in Port Louis on 14 September 1841, as the first Spiritan in Mauritius. During his 23 years at the service of the Mauritian people, he succeeds in evangelising the former slaves by turning them into the Catechists of their brothers, and of their former masters too.

On 9 September 1864, at the age of 61,  Father Laval passed away, exhausted; a procession of 40,000 people carried his coffin to Sainte Croix ('Holy Cross' in English) where he chose to be buried.  2014 marked the 150 years of Father Laval's passing away; a Rs8 stamp was issued to mark this milestone.

He is recognised as the Apostle of the unity of all Mauritians ("L'Apôtre de l'unité de tous les Mauriciens"). 150 years after his death, accounts of gratitude for physical, moral, spiritual and relational recoveries still come in from all parts of the island and abroad.

Leaflet in French with plans of the new and modern shrine and bank details for donations

Mauritians of all religions and social classes flock to Father Laval's shrine all year round to confide their hopes and sorrows, their ups and downs to him.

150 ans benediksyon pou nou pei (150 years of blessing for our country)

On 30 April 1979, to commemorate the beatification by Pope John Paul II of Father Laval, Mauritius issued three postage stamps and a souvenir sheet.

"May this stamp remind us that whenever we doubt our Mauritianism (Mauricianisme in French), whenever we believe that our differences divide us instead of enriching us mutually, let us turn to Father Laval and we shall find the courage to believe that it is possible to build a future for our children, a future of peace and fraternity."

"Pour ce que vous êtes, pour ce que vous continuerez à être pour tout un peuple,

Merci Bienheureux Père Laval!"

'For what you are, for what you will keep on being for a whole people,

Thank You Blessed Father Laval!'

N.B.: The above text is adapted from the SCC insert and is translated from French.

Technical Details

Release date: 9 September 2014

Stamp: Rs8 - 150th Death Anniversary of Bienheureux Père Laval

            From the 'Anniversaries and Events' issue of 28 May 2014.

A collection of maxicards:

Hand stamped at Sainte Croix:

Painting of Father Laval exposed at St. Peter's Basilica during his beatification in April 1979; today in Sainte Croix church.

Former vault of Father Laval, erected in 1870, demolished in 1964.

Old Sainte Croix church destroyed by cyclone Carol in 1960.

Pope John Paul II praying at Father Laval's shrine on 15 October 1989 during his visit to Mauritius.

Hand stamped at the Philatelic Bureau, Port Louis:

New Sainte Croix church, at the end of a mass

90th Anniversary of the Cooperative Movement in Rodrigues (1924-2014)

The Mauritius Post released on 8 August 2014 a Special Commemorative Cover to mark the 90th anniversary of the cooperative movement in Rodrigues.

On 8 August 1924, Rodrigues witnessed the registration of the first cooperative society known as the Trèfles Cooperative Credit Society Ltd.

From statistics available as at June 2013, 70 cooperative societies were registered  in Rodrigues. The number of members of cooperative societies has reached the figure of 10,598. The percentage of the Rodriguan population grouped in cooperatives is around 25%. Altogether the cooperative sector in Rodrigues has a turnover of Rs 157M.

At the end of the 1950s, a Consumer Cooperative Store Society was set up in Port Mathurin to provide for a wide range of domestic commodities at competitive prices to its members.

Thereafter, in the early 1960s, a group of inhabitants of Saint Gabriel formed the Saint Gabriel Cooperative Stores Society Ltd. The Mauritius Consumers Cooperative Federation Ltd. was entrusted with the management of the Saint Gabriel Cooperative Stores Society Ltd. in 2007.

In 1967, the Rodrigues Agricultural Production and Marketing Cooperative Society (RAPMCS) was registered. Since its inception, it acted as the Agent of the Agricultural Marketing Board for the purchase of onions and garlics from planters of the island and shipped the produce to Mauritius.

Afterwards, in the early 1970s, five Regional Agricultural Credit and Marketing Cooperative Societies were established to decentralise the activities of the RAPMCS. In 1992, the Rodrigues Agricultural Marketing and Cooperative Federation Ltd. (RAMCF) was formed by the Regional Agricultural and Marketing Cooperative Societies to replace the RAMPCS.

Five Livestock Cooperative Societies joined to form the 'Fédération des Associations Coopératives des Eleveurs de Rodrigues Ltée.' (FACER - Federation of Cooperative Associations of Farmers of Rodrigues Ltd.). It operates at the 'Maison des Eleveurs et Agriculteurs' (Farmers' House) since its registration in 1987 and runs five distribution centres for the sale of animal feed, veterinary supply and so on. Equally, it coordinates the marketing of live animals for export to Mauritius.

The Rodrigues Fishermen's Cooperative Society Ltd. was the first fishermen's cooperative society established in the 1970s.

In 1985, six Large Net Fishermen's Cooperative societies joined to set up the Rodrigues Fishermen's Cooperative Federation Ltd. which was entrusted with the management of the 'Maison des Pêcheurs' (Fishermen's House). With a view to embarking on off-lagoon fishing, five new fishermen cooperative societies were registered in 2009.

The first food-processing cooperative society in Rodrigues was set up in 1996. Presently, there are seven food-processing and marketing cooperative societies in Rodrigues. They have been formed mainly by women entrepreneurs. A Cooperative Federation for Agro food-processing has also been registered on 26 August 2013 under the appellation of 'AGROD Cooperative Federation Ltd.'

The Cooperative Credit Societies have been a great pillar of the small economy of the island. They have enabled their members (mainly farmers) to mobilise savings from which loans at a reasonable rate were granted for crops cultivation and animal rearing. These cooperatives have contributed significantly towards the improvement of the standard of living of many Rodriguans.

The financial sector comprises four Cooperative Credit Unions, namely: the Rodrigues Northern, United Development, Nassola and Rodrigues Women as well as the 'Association Coopérative des Caisses Villageoises Lévé Débouté de Rodrigues' (Cooperative Association of Get Up Stand Up Villagers' Funds of Rodrigues). The latter has more than 60 branches throughout Rodrigues.

The members obtain financial support from these societies by way of loans at reasonable rate of interest for provident and productive purposes.

The agricultural sector in Rodrigues has been very prominent in the cooperatives sector. It is expected that with time other sectors, namely the food-processing and the tourism sectors, which are already predominant in Rodrigues, would bring their share.

N.B.: The above text is from the SCC insert.

Technical Details

Release date: 8 August 2014

Stamp: Rs11 - 250th Anniversary of the Observation of the Transit of Venus from Rodrigues (1761-2011)

             From the 'International Commemorative Events' issue of 8 September 2011.

50th Anniversary of the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (1964-2014)

The Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) in collaboration with the Mauritius Post released on 8 June 2014 a Special Commemorative Cover to mark their 50th anniversary.

The MBC is the national public broadcaster of the Republic of Mauritius, i.e. the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues and Agaléga. It was established a a body corporate under Act No.7 of 1964, and operates under the aegis of the Prime Minister's Office.

The headquarters of the MBC was traditionally at 1, Louis Pasteur Street, Forest Side, Curepipe until all staffs and equipments were moved in 2011 to new headquarters in Moka.  The MBC also operates a station in Rodrigues.

The MBC programmes are broadcast in 12 languages, namely: French, Mauritian Creole, English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhojpuri, Tamil, Telegu, Marathi, Gujrati, Mandarin/ Cantonese and Hakka; it provides 17 television channels in Mauritius, 4 in Rodrigues and 2 in Agaléga and 7 radio channels.

Source: Wikipedia

On 17 June 2015, the MBC switched all of its channels from analogue mode ("mode analogique" in French) to digital mode ("mode numérique" in French).

Leaflet in Mauritian Creole and in French on how to switch from analogue to digital

The website of the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation: http://mbc.intnet.mu/mbc/homepage


Technical Details

Release date: 8 June 2014

Stamp: Rs6 - Wind Energy (Maurice Ile Durable)

            From the 'Anniversaries & Events' issue of 30 May 2013