Mauritius business confidence bounces back in Q4 2016

PORT LOUIS (Reuters) - Business confidence on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius rose in the last quarter of 2016, a survey of leading private companies showed on Tuesday. The Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry's quarterly confidence index climbed 4.9 percent to 97.5 points. But the index remained well below the long-term average of 100 points. The Mauritius economy grew by an estimated 3.6 percent in 2016, higher than the 3 percent growth in 2015. Statistics Mauritius forecast growth to be at 3.8 percent this year with an expected rebound in the construction sector. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the index rose on the back of a positive evaluation by business leaders of the economic situation between October and December 2016. It said those surveyed anticipate better future prospects for business. (Reporting by Jean Paul Arouff; Editing by Edmund Blair and Sherry Jacob-Phillips)