Mauritanie: Operating a Business

Setting Up a Company

Types of Companies and Capital (Max/Min)	Number of Partners/Shareholders and Liability
General Partnership No minimum	Free, but all partners are traders Joint and indeterminate liablity for the company's debt
Limited Partnership No minimum	Minimum one partner. Two types of partners: general partners and limited partners Liability of general partners is joint and indeterminate. Liability of limited partners is limited to the amount of their contribution.
Joint Venture Company No minimum	Free Personal responsibility if partner contracts in his personal name, joint if acting as a partner.
Limited Company Minimum 1m MRO	Minimum one partner. Maximum 50 partners Liability limited to the amount of contribution
Public Company Minimum 20 000 000 MRO required for the initial public offering. Minimum of 5 000 000 in other cases.	Minimum five partners Liability limited to the amount of contributioan

The Competent Organization: Since 1998, trying to encourage foreign investments, the Mauritanian government has created a single office in order to simplify the process of business establishment. This office is attached to the Ministry of Economy and Finances. It serves for the orientation of investors and all their projects, which are then studied by the Council of Ministries. In general they are all accepted.

Source: Doing Business.

Business Setup Procedures: Consult Doing Business Website, to know about procedures to start a Business in Mauritania.
Register a company.

Legal Weekly Duration: 40 hours. However, in reality it is not rare for a worker to work a 56 hour week.
Retirement Age: 60 years for men, 55 years for women.
Working Contracts: The Mauritanian work legislation is defined by the Law no 2004-015 concerning the Labour Code. It recognizes two types of contracts: non-fixed term contracts and fixed term contracts (renewable twice in the limit of two consecutive years). It lays down the conditions of dismissal, of women's and children's work. It established the modality of inspeciton control, occupational medicine and subjects offences to penalities. The disputes are treated by the Labour Court whcih can be reached after a tentative at reconciliation has been made. The Direction of Labour of the Ministry of Labour has the responsibility of applying the law, but in fact, respect for labour law is limied.
The right to collective negotiation is guaranteed by the Labour Code. A tripartite consultation process also exists: it joins the State, trade union representatives and the Economical and Social Council.

Minimum Wage: 21,000 ouguiya (USD77).
Average Wage: The average monthly gross earnings is MRO 40,000 (EUR 125).
Social contributions: Social Security Contributions Paid By Employers: 15%
Social Security Contributions Paid By Employees: 1%

Social Dialogue and Involvement of Social Partners: Trade union organization is divided into five centrals and four autonomous trade unions. The centrals are the Union of Mauritanian Workers (UTM), the General Confederation of Mauritanian Workers (CGTM), The Free Confederation of Mauritanian Workers (CLTM), The Union of Free Trade Unions of Mauritania (USLM) and the General Union of Mauritanian Workers (UGTM). The autonomous trade unions concern the dockers profession and education. Mauritania is also a member of the Arab Maghreb Union of Workers' Trade Unions. Different factors limit the unions' action power: they lack unity of action, they are subject to pressure and are victims of political intimidations. Faced with the boom of the informal sector, which completely escapes work legislation, they do not know how to intervene.
Mauritania also includes one employers' organisation: the National Employers' Confederation of Mauritania (CNPM).
Unions: General Confederation of Mauritanian Workers (In French)
Unionization Rate: Between 25 and 30% but these figures must be handled with care.
Labor Regulation Bodies: Center of European and International Social Security Relations and its summary of Mauritanian social security regime
Mauritanian Labour Code (French text)
The Law No 2004-017 concerning the Labour Code (French text)
Tha text of the Mauritanian interprofessional collective contract (French text)

Any Comments About This Content? Report It to Us.