financed from a cess on sugar produced and devoted to the develop­ ment of new cane varieties. manufacturing processes and the peri­ pheral disciplines concerend. The research Is very practical oriented and the benefits reaped fast enough for a aalnly private­ ly run research Institution. The aost Important S&T society that has so far endured Is the •Societe de Technologle Agricola et Sucrlere de Maurice•. Engineers are organised In the Council of·Reglstered Professional Engineers (with government recognition} and th-e Engineering Insti­tute of Mauritius conceren~ with the promotion of engineering. The equivalent of a national research council does not exist In Mauritius. A first attempt, In the form of a Research Board, made by the University to group the three maJor S&T Institutions mentioned above was followed by the setting up of" a Research Committee grouping the three Institutions In the wake of a Nation­ al Seminar on Agriculture Diversification 1980. Although long standing Institution~ with their own Independent research commit­ ments, the MoA, MSIRI and UM have had fair success In coordinating their research activities. However, there are thoughts In govern­ ment circles to set up a national research organization to coordi­ nate alI research activities. There exists no Ministry of Science and Technology as yet In Mauritius. TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY Apart from overseas Industrialists Implanting known technolo­ gies In Mauritius to take advantage of the export processing zones, tax Incentives/holidays, and the rela~lvely cheap local labour, a number of local entrepreneurs have managed to Identity commodities and products. that can act as substitutes tor ·the Imported ones. A number of administrative obstacles need to be overcome, the necessary capital raised, an Import permit obtained and, with any luck, a development certificate obtained which carries with It tax holidays for five· years. This "'Ctlvlty 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the state of science and technology in Mauritius, focusing on the research institutions, transfer of technology, and the development of new products. It also touches on the government's efforts to coordinate research activities and set up a national research organization. The text does not explicitly mention other categories such as economic development, natural resources, or international trade, but rather assumes a basic understanding of these concepts.

**Category**
Agriculture, forestry and fishing, Industry, Science and technology