Starting a business in Mauritania

Legal Forms of Companies

General Partnership: Number of partners: No limitation on the number of partners.
Capital (max/min): No minimum capital required.
Shareholders and liability: Joint and indeterminate liability for the company's debt
Limited Partnership: Number of partners: Minimum two partner.
Two types of partners: general partners and limited partners
Capital (max/min): No minimum capital required.
Shareholders and liability: Liability of general partners is joint and indeterminate. Liability of limited partners is limited to the amount of their contribution.
Joint Venture Company: Number of partners: No limitation on the number of partners.
Capital (max/min): No minimum capital required.
Shareholders and liability: Personal responsibility if partner contracts in his personal name, joint if acting as a partner.
Limited Company: Number of partners: Minimum one partner.
Maximum 50 partners.
Capital (max/min): Minimum MRO 1,000,000.
Shareholders and liability: Liability limited to the amount of contribution
Public Company: Number of partners: Minimum five partners
Capital (max/min): Minimum 20 000 000 MRO required for the initial public offering.
Minimum of 5 000 000 in other cases.
Shareholders and liability: Liability limited to the amount of contribution

The Competent Organisation: 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.