Maryvonne Pool sponsors yearly events for Seychelles Tourism Board events with large banners for year 2013/14.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Minister for Foreign Affairs holds discussion with Cuban counterpart
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Minister for Foreign Affairs holds discussion with Cuban counterpart 28.11.2013Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jean-Paul Adam met with, His Excellency Bruno Parrilla, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba at Maison Queau de Quincy yesterday. H.E. M.r Parilla was in Seychelles on a an official visit as part of his tour of African countries. The Cuban Foreign Minister’s visit to Seychelles is testament to an enduring partnership and friendly relations exemplified by 35 years of Seychellois-Cuban bilateral relations. Minister Adam stated that we share a “unique opportunity to explore potential avenues to further enhance our bilateral ties and that these ties continue to be strengthened by the many instances of positive collaboration in the areas of health, education, sports, culture and environment.” In addition, Minister Adam noted that Cuba and Seychelles had forged exemplary leadership on the subjects of climate change and sustainable development. He further noted that the Blue Economy offered an opportunity for all island states to reinforce their development potential in the context of the Post 2015 development agenda. The two ministers also exchanged views on United Nations reform so as to promote joint efforts in the establishment of a new international order promoting long-term-peace and common prosperity for all. H.E. Mr. Parrilla, indicated that Cuba is sympathetic towards a Seychelles bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council and wished Seychelles well in its discussions to reach consensus within the African Union. Also present at the discussions was Minister for Health, Mitcy Larue, who stressed the importance of Cuba’s investment in our local health industry, which has enabled the Seychelles to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The Cuban medical professionals in Seychelles have traditionally been instrumental in ensuring the well-being of the Seychellois people. |
Monday, November 25, 2013
Secretary of State holds talks with Japanese Foreign Ministry
Secretary of State holds talks with Japanese Foreign Ministry
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23.11.2013
Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Hirotaka Ishihara met with Ambassador Barry Faure, Secretary of State, of the Republic of Seychelles, who is on a working visit to Japan at the invitation of the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
Vice-Minister Ishihara expressed appreciation for the participation of the President of the Republic of Seychelles, James Alix MICHEL, to the 5th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V) which was held in June 2013. The Vice-Minister also expressed his desire in enhancing bilateral cooperation in various fields such as tourism, aviation and energy. he also expressed his desire to deepen cooperation on issues facing the international community, including anti piracy measures.
Secretary of State, Ambassador Faure expressed his appreciation for the assistance extended by the Government of Japan to Africa, including Seychelles through the TICAD process and for the implementation of the TICAD V assistance package. Furthermore, Ambassador Faure mentioned that the Republic of Seychelles intends to strengthen its existing relationship with Japan in fields such as; renewable energy?fisheries and sports exchanges.
Seychelles and Indonesia share a vision to develop Blue economy concept and to create opportunities for SMEs across borders
Seychelles and Indonesia share a vision to develop Blue economy concept and to create opportunities for SMEs across borders
24.11.2013
24.11.2013
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jean-Paul Adam, has had wide-ranging discussions with his counterpart, H.E Mr. Marty Negatalawa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia over the week-end, where the ministers have highlighted the potential partnership to be developed between the two countries as leaders in the ‘Blue Economy’, and also to create innovative public private partnerships by empowering Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the two countries.
Minister Adam followed his participation in the 6th Global Forum on Transparency and Tax Information Exchange in Jakarta, Indonesia, with an official visit to the host country.
“As two archipelagic nations, we know that our future development depends as much on our ability to develop the ocean as the land. Indonesia has been a key leader of the ‘Blue Economy’ principle not only since the Rio +20 conference, but also as a leading partner in the development of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)” Minister Adam stated after the meeting.
The Ministers agreed that real progress towards sustainable development required enhanced awareness in the international community on the role of oceans as a catalyst for development, and also changes in the framework by which developing nations may access support for oceanic development.
Minister Negatalawa welcomed the initiative of Seychelles to jointly organize with the UAE government a special high level meeting on the Blue Economy to be held in Abu Dhabi in January 2014 and expressed the support of Indonesia to further the progress towards sustainable development through empowerment of coastal communities and oceanic nations.
The Ministers agreed to share experiences in terms of conservation, and also in relation to potential opportunities in the tourism sector.
The two ministers also expanded discussions recently tabled at the Perth Indian Ocean Rim ministerial meeting where it was proposed to enhance the abilities of SMEs to access potential markets across borders. They agreed that Seychelles and Indonesia are ideally placed to develop a bilateral partnership that can further enhance a regional project. It was noted that the high value tourism sector in Seychelles required many inputs, many of which were available from Indonesian SMEs, and which could also be sourced through partnerships with Seychellois SMEs. It was agreed to share training opportunities, to develop the capacity of SMEs in both countries, and link them up with the tourism sectors.
“There is no reason why SMEs in our respective countries cannot widen their horizons- and our two governments are aiming to facilitate this. SMEs have been the key drivers of both Indonesia’s unprecedented recent growth, and Seychelles’ successful economic reforms- we have a great platform to build on”, Minister Adam noted.
During the meeting, the ministers also shared the experiences of their respective countries in the fight against piracy. As South East Asia had been blighted by this problem in the past, there is significant experience in the Indonesian Coastguard and maritime security services in tackling this scourge, while the establishment of the Regional Anti-Piracy Prosecution and Intelligence Centre (RAPPIC) in Seychelles to better target the financiers of piracy and enhance intelligence sharing has been recognized as an innovation to further enhance international coordination on this matter. The two countries have agreed to further share experiences both bilaterally and through regional mechanisms.
Finally, Minister Adam also thanked his counterpart for Indonesia’s faithful participation in the Seychelles international Carnival every year, facilitated through Seychelles’ Consul General in Jakarta, Mr. Nico Barrito.
“The exchanges between our two countries linked to the Carnival are an example of bringing tow cultural meting pots together, and create more awareness of the importance of tourism as both a means of preserving and promoting unique and distinct cultures” Minister Adam remarked.
The Minister was accompanied in the discussions by Mr. Rupert Simeon, the CEO of the Seychelles Investment Board, and Mr. Nico Barrito, Seychelles Honorary Consul General in Jakarta.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Seychelles defends its record at OECD Jakarta World Forum
Seychelles defends its record at OECD Jakarta World Forum
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21.11.2013
The Seychelles has emphasised its commitment to good practices and transparency in relation to tax information exchange while also championing the concerns of smaller jurisdictions in the review process and expressing its regret at some of the findings of the review undertaken on Seychelles' jurisdiction.
The statements were made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jean-Paul Adam, who led the delegation attending the Organisation for Economic Development (OECD)’s Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes this week in Jakarta, Indonesia. The delegation also included representatives from the Ministry of Finance Trade and Investment (MFTI), Seychelles Investment Board (SIB), Seychelles International Business Authority (SIBA) and the Seychelles Revenue Commission (SRC).
Minister Adam noted that Seychelles had benchmarked itself against similar jurisdictions, and stood by its record on cooperation with the OECD as well as in ensuring best practices in terms of exchanges of information for tax purposes.
"Seychelles will never hide from its obligations,” said Mr Adam. “We believe in placing our commitments in the sunlight for all to draw their own conclusions. In the same way that we do not believe that financial transactions should be carried out in the shadows, neither should our reviews be subject of secrecy or shame.”
Seychelles’ Phase 2 report, which covered the three-year period under review between 1 July 2009 and 30 June 2012, was on the agenda for adoption along with those of 49 other countries. Although the conclusion of the report is that Seychelles met the standard for 8 essential elements out of 10, there are two elements where Seychelles has been rated non-compliant. The elements assessed were availability of information, access to information and exchange of information for tax purposes.
The two areas of concern relate to the issue of bearer shares and availability of record keeping of IBCs and their agents, and in response to these issues, Seychelles has illustrated that it has cooperated fully with the OECD and has also taken action to address these concerns.
However, these actions can only be formally recognised through a supplementary review and thus the Global Forum will maintain the overall rating of non-compliant relating to Seychelles until re-assessment can take place.
Whilst Seychelles acknowledges and supports the work of the OECD, particularly OECD’s work in promoting transparency and accountability, Minister Adam, acting on behalf of the Ministry of Finance, Trade and Investment, formally objected to the rating of non-compliant based on Seychelles' track record. He highlighted that Seychelles has consistently worked in cooperation with the OECD to implement best practices with the resources at its disposal.
The Minister emphasised that in a number of areas in relation to financial governance, Seychelles has actually led the way in enhancing regional cooperation relating to tackling financial crimes and money laundering. Seychelles have been one of the frontline states in pursing the financial flows linked to piracy and has successfully intercepted a significant amount of illicit financial flows into its jurisdiction, and has also worked with partners to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Minister Adam also pointed out to the Global Forum that the report and the ratings do not reflect the current situation on the ground, as Seychelles has already made considerable improvements since the end of the reporting period, which was mid-2012. Nonetheless, Seychelles is already well-positioned to address all the recommendations in the report.
The Minister also briefed the forum on measures that Seychelles is adopting as part of the way forward. The amendments to the International Business Companies (IBCs) Act to eliminate bearer shares and to strengthen the framework for the keeping of records and strengthening the sanctions for non-compliance, have been gazetted on 15th November and will be presented to the National Assembly on 26th November.
Seychelles has also requested for a supplementary review to be considered by the PRG within a limited period and have already engaged with the OECD secretariat to review the overall rating.
A number of delegations similarly raised concerns, particularly of smaller states, with regards to the manner in which the process of review is undertaken, where the framework for interaction is based on experience in sharing information which is not equal among states. So for example, while Seychelles has cooperated in every instance with requests for information, the total number of requests processed is still seen as small in relation to the exponential growth of its financial services sector.
Seychelles has called for more support to smaller states, and also stressed the importance of capacity building based in the realities of individual states:
"We should not champion a process that requires the minimum. We must rather aim to adopt governance frameworks based on good practices and incremental improvements reflecting the capacity of individual states."
The OECD secretariat has welcomed the initiatives taken by Seychelles and has also agreed to provide technical assistance to Seychelles to address any remaining gaps, as well as conducting a review of Seychelles’ rating within the next year.
Editor's notes:
1) The Global Forum brings together 121 countries cooperating for tax purposes, supported by the secretariat of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
2) At the 6th meeting of the Global Forum, 50 countries were being peer reviewed on 10 sectors, and were rated as being compliant, largely compliant, partially compliant or non-compliant. It should be noted that this review process is separate from the OECD process of rating jurisdictions as being on the 'black list' or 'the white list'.
3) At the 6th forum 4 states have been rated overall as non compliant and these are: British Virgin Islands, Luxembourg, Cyprus and Seychelles. In relation to this rating, Seychelles contested its review findings and has already requested a supplementary report to address the updates in its governance framework that have been made.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
SEYCHELLES ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES AND COMMITMENT GET ROYAL APPROVAL
SEYCHELLES ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES AND COMMITMENT GET ROYAL APPROVAL
(Posted 16th November 2013)
The extraordinary environmental protection work of the Seychelles, and the fact that this tiny Indian Ocean island nation has devoted over 50 percent of its territory to territorial and marine protected areas has found favour at the highest level of the Commonwealth, of which the Seychelles are a member. None other than HRH The Prince of Wales has recognized this massive commitment to a greener world when he publicly commended the Seychelles for their groundbreaking policies, laws and regulations to protect the environment. Prince Charles is of course known as an ardent advocate for a greener world and his endorsement will go a long way for the Seychelles to gain greater recognition and perhaps a greater influence in the world as climate change and rising sea levels continue to be one of the greatest threats to mankind ever known.
President James Alix Michel responded to the commendation by saying: ‘We must strengthen our efforts to establish protected areas which contribute towards carbon reduction, and Seychelles is proud to have designated 50% of its land territory as protected- the largest proportion in the world. We have committed to declare 30% of our Exclusive Economic Zone as protected ocean areas, which form part of our Convention on Biological Diversity targets. We discussed [with HRH The Prince of Wales] how we can work together to stop the further deterioration of our ecosystem and slow down climate change as we are both passionate about these global concerns’.
The President spoke to Prince Charles about the blue economy concept which Seychelles is advocating and the way it can be developed through policies and programmes, as well as the HRH’s own charitable organizations. President Michel then added: ‘We discussed how we can work together to stop the further deterioration of our ecosystem and slow down climate change as we are both passionate about these global concerns’.
The President also discussed the ‘Debt for Adaptation’ swaps that has been endorsed by this Commonwealth meeting. It is a practical tool that Seychelles has proposed towards addressing both the debt burden of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) as well as their need to urgently mobilize support for climate change adaptation. In this regard President James Alix Michel added: ‘We discussed the ways to enhance sustainable fisheries by creating marine-protected areas and leveraging financing to mitigate the loss of income from reduced fishing over a period of time, but raising the value of fishing in the long term, so that fisheries becomes more viable’. Piracy in the western Indian Ocean was also a topic of discussion, where the role that Seychelles has played in fighting the maritime threat was elaborated, in particular the success of Seychelles’ anti-piracy operations. In closing President Michel said: ‘Your Royal Highness, it has been a great pleasure to meet with you today, and we would like to welcome you to the shores of our beautiful Seychelles. I look forward to many more years of friendship and cooperation with the UK’. 
Prince Charles firstborn son and second in the line to the throne, HRH The Duke of Cambridge, spent his honeymoon in the Seychelles on North Island and was able to experience firsthand what results the protection of the environment has yielded for the Seychelles islands and will no doubt also be a valuable ally in the Seychelles ongoing struggle to have the developed and threshold nations of this world reverse their alarming trends of increasing carbon outputs which are today seen as the major contributor to the warming of the earth and the melting of arctic and other icefields. A rise, as was projected by recent UN reports on climate change, of between 26 and over 80 centimetres of ocean levels by the end of the century will be a threat for the very survival of small island countries, foremost to be named the Maldives and some Pacific Ocean nations but also the Seychelles where UNESCO’s World Heritage Site at Aldabra could end up under water. Watch this space for future news from the
Seychelles Islands, on all matters regarding tourism and conservation.
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Minor landing mishap for WB 301 this morning – no injuries or damage
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| by Aviation, Tourism and Conservation news - DAILY from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands |
RWANDAIR FLIGHT WB 301 FROM DUBAI DEVIATES FROM RUNWAY ON LANDING
(Posted 16th November 2013)
Rwanda’s national airline RwandAir this morning suffered a slight landing problem with flight WB 301 when coming in from Dubai. Sudden gusts of cross winds after touching down combined with heavy rain pushed the plane, a Boeing B737-800NG slightly off the runway into the grass on the side of the tarmac.
Passengers and crew were normally disembarked via staircase as was the baggage offloaded normally too. The plane was then towed into the hangar to be inspected for any material damage to the gear where it is understood it has been given a clean bill of health and is being prepared for the next scheduled flight. With rumours flying around and speculation rife, the airline has issued the following authoritative statement, showing that there is nothing more to it than a slight deviation from the runway, without any damage to the plane or injury to any passengers or crew. RCAA is reportedly looking into this minor incident.
Start quote:
For Immediate Release
RwandAir the national carrier would like to officially inform the public that aircraft WB 301 from Dubai run off the run way at 10:26 am local time. Weather at the time was severe with heavy winds and rain.
All passengers and crew were normally disembarked and the aircraft has since been pulled to the hangar for checkup and is being prepared for the next flight. Airport operations have since resumed normally.
We experienced slight disruption in our morning operations but as of now situation is back to normal.
End quote
More powercuts for Tanzanians
TANESCO USHERS IN 10 DAYS OF ROLLING DARKNESS FOR TANZANIANS
(Posted 17th November 2013)
‘We light up your life’, the slogan by Tanzania’s national power company TANESCO, sounds like some outright mockery towards their clients, as they just announced yet another 10 day period of regular power disruptions across the entire country. All the main power producers in the region, starting from UMEME to Kenya Power, and with the exception of possibly the Rwandan utility company, have a dark track record when it comes to providing regular, reliable, stable and affordable power to industry, businesses and domestic users, and the social media landscapes are full of invectives aimed towards them for their constant failures, outages and poor response times to problems reported. Uganda’s UMEME is notorious to often provide FB pictures of well cooked meals on their Facebook page, wishing people ‘enjoy yourlunch’, mocking those who are without power at home to cook or do regularly peacock around over their ‘accomplishments’ like profits when most Ugandans perceive them rather as bloodsucking pests over outrageous tariffs. Similar complaints are regularly raised from Kenyans over the services of Kenya Power, clearly an indicator that monopolies of this sort do not work in the least for the benefit of consumers but only for the companies themselves, vis a vis profits extracted almost perforce and not answerable to the public at large.
TANESCO has now announced that at least until the 26th of November there will again be extensive power rationing and rolling blackouts as one of the main plants will have to go off line in order to allow for major maintenance. From information received by a source in Dar es Salaam it also appears that TANESCO was informed about the planned shutdown already two months ago but opted to keep this information to themselves until the last minute, again a hallmark of how monopoly companies carry out their public relations functions. The source, a senior stakeholder in the tourism industry, also expressed concern that the ensuing dark periods at night may result in increased cases of break ins and crime in general, sounding a warning in particular to visitors not to venture out from their hotels after dark, especially when the lights are off. Watch this space, if you have power that is.
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Emirates places record breaking aircraft order worth 99 billion US Dollars
by Aviation, Tourism and Conservation news - DAILY from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands |
EMIRATES PLACES LARGEST AIRCRAFT ORDER IN AVIATION HISTORY
(Posted 18th November 2013)
Emirates, the award winning national airline of Dubai, has on opening day of the Dubai Air Show placed the largest order ever made by a single airline, on a single occasion throughout aviation history. At list prices, it is assumed though that they will get a sizeable rebate from both Boeing and Airbus, the deals are worth some 99 billion US Dollars and for that money they will get 150 of the upgraded Boeing B777X, with 50 options thrown into the bargain, and an additional 50 Airbus A380 aircraft, which will make them the undisputed longhaul kings in the skies across the world.
The agreements were signed at the Dubai Air Show by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, with Jim McNerney, Boeing Chairman, President and CEO, and Fabrice Brégier, Airbus’ President and CEO. The signing was witnessed by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the UAE Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
Emirates’ Boeing 777X order is the single largest aircraft order by value in the history of U.S. commercial aviation, and the additional A380 order cements Emirates, already the largest operator of this aircraft type, as the principal customer for the A380 worldwide.
These latest orders bring Emirates’ total firm order book to 385 aircraft (excluding options or purchase rights), comprising 214 Boeing 777s, 101 Airbus A380s, and 70 A350s, at a total estimated value of US$ 166 billion.
‘Air transport is a key enabler of world trade, and we see that demand for aviation services will continue to grow globally. What we’re announcing today is a continuation of our commitment and vision to connect the world through our efficient hub in the Middle East. Emirates’ aircraft orders today, with deliveries of the 777X scheduled to start in 2020, will take us to 2025 and beyond – replacing aircraft due for retirement and providing the foundation for future growth’ said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum.
Boeing’s Chairman, President and CEO Jim McNerney in his response said: ‘We are honoured by Emirates’ commitment to the newly launched 777X and the significant long term boost this provides to U.S. exports and jobs. Emirates has been an integral part of the 777 success story for many years and today operates the largest fleet of 777s anywhere in the world. We look forward to further strengthening our partnership with Emirates and continuing to support Dubai’s expansion into a global aviation hub’.
Not outdone though was Airbus which sold another 50 of the world’s largest passenger aircraft and the Airbus CEO Farbrice Bregier was quoted on the occasion of the signing of the order: ‘By strategically placing the A380 at the centre of its business, Emirates is maximizing its leading position with each day of operations. Emirates has understood from the start the A380’s advantages in terms of efficiency, economics and passenger comfort. It has been a true crowd-puller and contributor to the rapid development of Emirates and its Dubai hub. We value our partnership with Emirates airline and are pleased to see this getting stronger each day with their A380s flying’.
Emirates flies double daily to Nairobi, double daily to Dar es Salaam and daily to Entebbe, offering East Africans traveling on the airline easy connections in Dubai to the rest of the world, often accompanied by stopover packages for shopping or to simply enjoy the vast number of tallest, largest and most spectacular of just about anything which has ever been built.
Only recently was the new Dubai World Central airport commencing passenger operations and when complete it will have 6 runways and will be able to process at least 150 million passengers a year with further scope for expansion, making Dubai the undisputed hub of aviation in this day and age. Visit www.emirates.com for more information on schedules, promotional fares and even employment opportunities, as with these orders now in the pipeline the airline will undoubtedly have to redouble their efforts to recruit ground personnel, technical and engineering staff, cabin and cockpit crews. Watch this space for breaking and regular news from the wide world of aviation.
Uganda Community Tourism news updates for November
Uganda Community Tourism news updates for Novemberby Aviation, Tourism and Conservation news - DAILY from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands |
For those of my readers interested in more than my 'usual stuff' here is an update from the Uganda Community Tourism Association, in short UCOTA, with their regular newsletter for the month of November. Find out more about what is going on at the grass root levels of Uganda's community based tourism and enjoy the read.
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On 3rd November, the long awaited rare solar eclipse swept across the globe - captivating millions of people and plunging parts of Africa, Europe and America into darkness. In East Africa, it happened between 
BWG camp is a haven that offers a great refreshing sensation after a long voyage and especially when one comes from the hassle and buzz of city life. It is just one of the best locations to get rejuvenated after a long drive from Kampala before entering the Murchison Falls National Park or before heading back to the city if you are looking for a weekend gate away.FastJet’s October performance given at 70 percent loadfactor
FASTJET PUBLISHES OCTOBER STATS
(Posted 19th November 2013)
FastJet yesterday published their latest passenger statistics from Tanzania but also for the group overall, including the Fly540 operations in Kenya, Angola and Ghana. The company also confirmed the departure of Lonrho from the list of shareholders after a sale of the Lonrho shares in FastJet.
The full text of the statement received is shown herebelow:
Start quote:
FastJet Passenger Statistics for October 2013
18 November 2013 - fastjet Plc is pleased to announce its passenger statistics for the month of October 2013. fastjet operations in Tanzania carried a record total of 33,778 passengers achieving an average load factor of 70 per cent, despite a 14 per cent increase in capacity.
Ancillary revenue (from baggage, ticket changes and in-flight retail) accounted for over 10 per cent of total revenues (up from 7 per cent in June) and continues to grow rapidly. Following the recent introduction of fastjet's first international route linking Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg, cargo revenues are also expected to grow significantly.
Punctuality remained excellent with 94 per cent of flights operating on time Note 5.
Ed Winter, interim Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of fastjet, said: "We are very pleased to have achieved an average load factor of 70 per cent across the network in October, a traditionally weak month, and the month we launched flights to Johannesburg from Dar es Salaam.
"The growth in ancillary revenues is also encouraging. Ancillary Services represent an important part of the low-cost model and it is great to see this revenue stream now representing 10 per cent of total passenger revenue. Our in-flight retail contract is performing very well and work is currently underway to offer a wider selection of services such as accommodation, car hire and insurance which will support this revenue growth. Cargo capacity is now also being sold on the popular Dar es Salaam to Johannesburg route, complementing our existing domestic cargo capacity."
"We recently announced an increase in domestic flying in Tanzania to meet demand from our customers and we expect to announce our next international route shortly."
"As we approach the first anniversary of our inaugural flight, I am delighted with the progress we have made in the past 12 months and the direction the Company is moving in. We announced last week that Lonrho had sold its remaining stake in fastjet. This is a logical and mutually beneficial parting of ways. Lonrho has not been involved in the business since it was bought and delisted in July 2013 at which time it decided to concentrate resources on its core operations. As previously announced, fastjet is working towards restructuring the legacy businesses it inherited from Lonrho.
"We have grown the business substantially in the face of many challenges since last November. Our existing cash resources and equity draw down facility provides us with sufficient working capital for our near term requirements as we continue to seek to address our longer term funding requirements for further expansion next year. Our aim to become Africa's first low-cost carrier is well on its way to becoming a reality."
Notes:
1. "All Operations" includes statistics for fastjet Tanzania, Fly540 Kenya, Fly 540 Ghana and Fly540 Angola.
2. "Passengers"for 540 operations are flown passengers and for fastjet operations are sold seats flown, in both cases excluding infants. Fastjet bookings are generally non refundable whereas 540 bookings are in some circumstances refundable.
3. "Load Factor"is the number of 'passengers" as a percentage of the number of available seats flown.
4. "fastjet Operations"includes only statistics for Fastjet Tanzania operations which commenced on 29th November 2012
5. "on time" -arrival earlier than or within 15 minutes of schedule.
End of quote
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THE GLOVES ARE SET TO COME OFF AS KENYA’S TOURISM GURUS TAKE ON GOVERNMENT
THE GLOVES ARE SET TO COME OFF AS KENYA’S TOURISM GURUS TAKE ON GOVERNMENT
(Posted 19th November 2013)
Unease and frustration are growing among the Kenyan tourism fraternity over the intransigence shown by government to their plight, especially in the light of yet another drop in occupancies at the Kenya coast. The initial warm welcome given to the Kenyatta government, considering that President Uhuru Kenyatta once was chairman of the Kenya Tourism Board, is progressively giving way to increased frustration if not outright disillusionment by the stakeholder community over a range of what the sector thinks are actions by government inconsiderate if not outright hostile to the industry.
Singled out as key issues are the introduction of VAT on a range of tourism services, which has rocked relations of Kenyan safari operators with overseas tour companies which are unable to pass on such price increases to their clients, who are protected under European consumer protection laws when it comes to advertised rates and tariffs. Also mentioned are plans to merge the Kenya Tourism Board with other, non tourism related departments, a recipe for disaster as some stakeholders have put it to this correspondent, and a definite own goal which will benefit other countries, in the region and the continent – Tanzania and South Africa were cited as examples – where the tourism boards are better facilitated and/ or left as standalone units with the sole task to promote their respective tourism attractions.
‘This government is losing the plot as far as tourism is concerned. The impact of VAT on the sectoral performance is already visible but they behave like an ostrich, head in the sand. Frankly, I cannot hear another speech by our Cabinet Secretary telling us all is well while it is not. It reminds me of Mwazo’s statements last year, and your tongue in cheek comments about it, that 2012 will be another record year when the writing was on the wall of a sharp downturn of fortunes for our tourism sector. It seems whatever the sector is telling government is ignored, dismissed or belittled. Occupancies at the South Coast are down by nearly half compared to last year. Christmas and New Year are not a measure how well we are doing, that measure is found in the months of September, October, November, first half of December and second half of January until Easter and the signs for those months are bad. For the South Coast a big problem remains access because of the Likoni Ferry wasting a lot of time, the cost and for being unreliable but the long overdue bypass from the Nairobi highway and the airport, where is it.
The latest news that the government wants to merge KTB with investment is just another case. Why don’t they merge all those useless tourism parastatals the last government created to streamline tourism’s public administration under one authority? All these 5 or 6 bodies have a lot of duplication in terms of administrative functions, were meant to be job creators for the past government’s coalition partners and have broadly failed to accomplish anything. There are no boards in place and as the law is apparently under review, this is the time to stop this lunacy and form a strong single tourism authority. We the private sector should have a majority on that board to make sure that private sector principles are injected in how that place operates.
Add to that the lack of seats into Mombasa, on charters and on scheduled flights from abroad, because right now only Turkish and Ethiopian are flying scheduled services from abroad, that is another issue. Airlines should be given incentives to fly to Mombasa, and alongside their passengers should get incentives too by shelving Visa fees until our sector shows signs of recovery.
KTB needs more money and with the little they have they are doing a good job, but they are limited in their activities for lack of more funding. And another issue is the sharing of functions in the ministry which oversees tourism. That was a very bad mistake as it turns out now. Tourism, Wildlife and such areas like natural resources and environment, those are compatible and make sense but whoever come up with East African Affairs and Commerce to be bedfellows with tourism, I don’t know what they thought. At least I know you will write all of that because you share my views but here in Kenya, very few are publicly standing up right now. There is an urgent need for our associations to take the fight for tourism’s survival to the government. The party is well and good over and unless there is immediate action, incorporating the input of the private sector, we are staring at a very bad year. And for me there is no consolation to say in a year ‘I told you so’ when the damage has been done. There are serious job losses coming the way of our sector at the coast and with that the goal of achieving double digit growth will go out of the window for this government. And if they fail on the economic front, besides the problems we have with security and the exploding cost of public administration, they can kiss a second term goodbye’ said and wrote a regular contributor from the Kenya coast.
Established fact though is that the sentiments are right, in light of TUI Nordic’s announcement that they will no longer operate to Kenya from next year, leaving the Scandinavian market without affordable charter seats. TUI Netherlands’ forecasts, according to details seen, are down by nearly 40 percent for Kenya and Edelweiss, the Swiss charter company and successor of BALAIR, is ending their charter series already by 24th of February 2014, way ahead of the initially given deadline, also due to lack of sufficient bookings. From the Italian market details were provided that from previously as many as 700 seats into Mombasa they are now down to only 400, a figure still under downward review should sales drop further and another source complained that there are no charters or even LCC flights from South Africa to Mombasa, while Mango now flies twice a week to Zanzibar, going up to three flights over the peak holiday season.
‘If the President’s directive to implement the Task Force on Parastatal’s recommendation to merge KTB with others goes through, he will have an open rebellion by the tourism industry at his hands. The sector feels that if KTB is reduced in its functionality to a mere department of another faceless parastatal body we know that all we were given were empty words and promises. Tourism once was the driver of the Kenyan economy but with such pruning and cutting, it will sink back and with it will go jobs, investment, foreign exchange earnings and most important, political goodwill for this government. Will they really gamble all of that away. Let them remember, once they have the business community turn against them, the bed of roses will just be a bed of thorns’ added another senior coast tourism stakeholder whose business is down by 30 percent compared to 2012.
While it is heartening for me to see how valued as an avenue to express their grievances and give the sector an outlet for their opinions this publication is, it is equally disheartening to see how the fortunes of Kenya’s coast tourism sector continue to erode. It is known that some of the previous articles written here did make it to the desks of the powers that be in Kenya and it is only hoped that – considering the general goodwill extended to promote Kenya as East Africa’s leading tourism destination – this message is heard, accepted and acted upon and not the messenger, proverbially speaking, shot to bits. Watch this space.
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Monday, November 18, 2013
Precision Air CEO Ms. Sauda Rajab sets the record straight
PRECISION AIR’S CEO PUTS THE RECORD STRAIGHT
(Posted 18th November 2013)
Following a great many misconceptions and misperceptions, besides outright mischievious comments made in the local Tanzanian and regional media, ATC News took the time to get in touch with Precision Air to give the airline through CEO Miss Sauda Rajab the opportunity to set the record straight and have her say as to what is true and what is sheer ‘Jet A1 fumes, aka rumours’.
Find Miss Rajab’s explanation to the various issues in the public domain below.
Firstly, I would like to put the record straight. The recent reports in the media that the Tanzania government has refused Precision Air’s bailout request are grossly inaccurate – the matter is still very much under discussion. The reports also falsely stated that we asked for a loan, which is not the case at all. We went to the government with a proposal that would see them buy a stake in the airline. The government has since come back to us requesting further details, which we are currently preparing. We have not received any communication from the government to tell us that they are not interested.
I have been asked why we went to the government rather than other investors. We did consult other people, but, by offering shares to the government, we can keep the airline in the hands of the Tanzanian people – a fundamental part of our mission statement. Some 59% of the airline is in the hands of the wananchi – and we want to keep it that way.
MOVING FORWARD
Whatever happens with our proposal to the government, I want to assure you that Precision Air is very much here to stay. Since I took over Precision Air some six months ago, we have implemented a five-year plan to eradicate our inefficiencies and to cut costs. This has seen us return the expensive-to-run Boeing 737s and lose some of our loss-making routes, as well as reduce the frequencies on others where appropriate. Internally we have done a lot of work around efficiencies and controls, and these are already bearing fruit. While there is always room for improvement, we are taking steps in the right direction.
I am very proud of my team. They have embraced the changes, made a lot of sacrifices and put in a huge effort, and this is showing in the results that our passengers are experiencing. Precision Air has always been the airline of choice in Tanzania, and we are making every effort to ensure this remains the case for many years to come.
I wish to assure the public that you will have every reason to once more trust and feel proud of your airline. In fact, in the last month, I am already seeing signs that we are getting back on track. Rest assured we have not been sleeping. We are doing whatever it takes to ensure the airline survives, and it will survive.
With regard to the recent problems with delays, I would like to sincerely apologise to our passengers for any inconvenience caused. A lot of these issues were due to faults with our aircraft, and I am pleased to say that these have now been rectified. In the last month or so, we have achieved a 90% on-time performance rating. Some days have seen us clock 100%, and some flights are even leaving ahead of their scheduled departure time. On occasions where there is a delayed departure, my team at the destination make every effort to recover that time lost for our passengers.
THANK YOU
On behalf of the Board, management and staff of Precision Air, I wish to convey our sincere gratitude to our passengers, for your continued support and unstinted loyalty, without which we would not be around today. Secondly, I urge Tanzanians to continue supporting your airline. If Precision Air ceases to exist, you stand to lose a valuable contributor to the social wellbeing and economic development in Tanzania.
In its 20-plus years of existence the airline has made an extensive contribution to our country and the wananchi. Today we are known as an airline superbrand in Tanzania, and in October we were crowned the Best Domestic Scheduled Airline at the TASOTA 2013 Awards.
We realise this is a journey, and we will continue to work diligently to ensure the role we play serves you well. I encourage you all to sample the ‘new’ Precision Air, and experience the change. I look forward to welcoming you on board soon. You are why we fly.
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