Vice President Faure attends COMESA Heads of State Summit

Vice President Faure attends COMESA Heads of State Summit

Mon, 30 March 2015

The Vice President, Mr. Danny Faure is representing the Seychelles Head of State, President James Alix Michel at the 18^th Summit of the COMESA Heads of State and Government being held on 30^th and 31^stMarch 2015 at the African Union Commission Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

The theme for this year’s summit is “Inclusive and Sustainable Industrialisation” and its main aim is to address industrialisation in a holistic way.  Discussions will focus on all factors that influence and impact on industrialisation such as infrastructure development.

The Vice President is accompanied by Mr. Hans Aglaé, his Special Advisor; Ambassador Barry Faure, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Joseph Nourrice, Ambassador of the Republic of Seychelles to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia as well as Permanent Representative to the African Union and Mr. Claude Morel, High Commissioner of the Republic of Seychelles to the Republic of South Africa and Permanent Representative to COMESA.

Editor's note:

• The COMESA Authority comprises the Heads of State and Government of the different COMESA member countries.  It is the supreme policy-making organ and is responsible for the general policy direction and control of the performance of the executive functions of COMESA.  It is headed by an elected Chairperson for an agreed period.  The current Chairperson is His Excellency Joseph Kabila Kabange, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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President Michel meets with WTO and IMF delegations

President Michel meets with WTO and IMF delegations Tue, 24 March 2015 President James Michel met with two delegations this morning, from the World Trade Organisation and also from the International Monetary Fund. WTO During his meeting with the Chairperson of the Working Party of the Accession of Seychelles to the WTO, Ms. Hilda Al Hinai,President Michel thanked the WTO for the invaluable support in technical assistance for the Seychelles’ accession process. Mr. Michel added that Seychelles will continue to count on the WTO for support in capacity-building as Small Island Developing State looking towards developing the Blue Economy, as well as the technical assistance in the post-accession period. Ms Al Hinai thanked President Michel for his leadership, guidance and wisdom during the reform process for the Seychelles’ accession and expressed confidence in the WTO’s continued assistance to the country. Later in the afternoon, the Seychelles National Assembly ratified the agreement for the Seychelles’ accession to the World Trade Organisation. Ms Al Hinai is also the Deputy Permanent Representative to the Permanent Mission of the Sultanate of Oman to the United Nations Office in Geneva. Present at the meeting were the Minister for Finance, Trade and The Blue Economy, Mr. Jean-Paul Adam, the Seychelles chief negotiator for the WTO accession, Mr. Charles Morin, and the President’s Diplomatic Adviser, Ambassador Callixte d’Offay, the WTO Director of the Accessions Division, Mr. Cheidu Osakwe and the Legal Affairs Officer of the Accessions Division, Ms. Petra Beslać. IMF During his meeting with the IMF Chief of Mission for Seychelles, Mr. Marshall Mills, President Michel thanked the IMF for its continued support to Seychelles in sustaining a stable macroeconomic programme. Mr. Michel said that it is important to maintain fiscal discipline and at the same time ensure the growth of the economy. They discussed the current macroeconomic situation, the growth of credit in the private sector, the Seychelles government’s investments in the private sector, power generation, good governance, among other issues. Mr. Mills underlined the improved resilience of the Seychelles economy and stated that the IMF was encouraged that the policy decisions taken by the Seychelles Government in 2014 and early 2015 had helped to stabilise pressures on the exchange rate coupled with a favourable reduction in international fuel and commodity prices. The Government and the IMF have also discussed ways to reinforce the management of State Owned enterprises. Mr. Mills is also the Deputy Division Chief of the African Department of the IMF. Present at the meeting were the Minister for Finance, Trade and The Blue Economy, Mr. Jean-Paul Adam, the Seychelles Central Bank Governor, Ms. Caroline Abel, the President’s Diplomatic Adviser, Ambassador Callixte d’Offay, and IMF Senior Economist in the African Department, Mr. Tobias Roy. For media enquiries please contact Srdjana Janosevic on sjanosevic@statehouse.gov.sc For higher resolution photo click here This message is sent to you, because you are registered for news from www.statehouse.gov.sc To unsubscribe, click here.

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Seychelles president sympathizes and pledges $100 thousand to help cyclone-hit sister island nation of Vanuatu

Victoria, Seychelles | March 16, 2015, Monday @ 18:33 in National » DIPLOMACY | By: Sharon Uranie | Views: 542

The Seychelles President James Michel. (Seychelles News Agency)

(Seychelles News Agency) - The Seychelles President James Michel has called for the organisation of an emergency meeting of the Alliance of Small Island Developing States (AOSIS) in the wake of the devastating cyclone that hit Vanuatu last Friday.

According to a press statement issued this afternoon by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Transport, the meeting will seek to determine how to provide and coordinate assistance and seek support for the stricken country.

Michel has tasked the Seychelles Ambassador for Climate Change and Small Island Developing Issues, Ronny Jumeau, to call for the emergency meeting in a show of solidarity with the Pacific island nation.

The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), which functions as an ad hoc lobby and negotiating voice for Small Island developing States (SIDS) within the United Nations system has 39 member states, all of which are small islands and low-lying coastal states from every region of the world.

The Seychellois head of state has also pledged, on behalf of the island nation’s government, the sum of $100,000 to Vanuatu to assist in ongoing emergency relief efforts.

“As a like-minded Small Island Developing State, Seychelles strongly identifies with the difficult developmental challenges that the SIDS typically face, and we will continue to stand in close solidarity with Vanuatu,” said Michel in the statement.

Pleading to the world for much-needed support

Vanuatu's president Baldwin Lonsdale launched a worldwide plea on Monday for help to rebuild what he described as the "completely destroyed" infrastructure in his country.

"The humanitarian need is immediate, we need it right now… after all the development, we have done for the last couple of years and this big cyclone came and just destroyed... all the infrastructure the government has... built. Completely destroyed," he was quoted as saying by the AFP ahead of flying home from a disaster conference in Japan.

With the financial pledge, the President of Seychelles has joined other world leaders who have pledged support to the Pacific nation.

According to AFP Australia, New Zealand and France have already sent military planes loaded with food, shelter, medicine and generators, along with disaster relief teams to the cyclone-hit region.

Tropical cyclone ‘Pam’ which tore through Vanuatu Friday night with winds blowing up to 320 kilometres has left behind massive destruction not only in the capital but also on the country’s remote islands in the archipelago, which spans more than 12,000 square kilometres.

Death toll expected to rise, fear of diseases due to lack of proper sanitation

AFP has reported an official death toll of six and 30 injured in the capital of Port Vila, but this is believed to be only a fraction of the real fatalities caused by the storm.

According to aid workers, up to 90 percent of homes in the capital have been destroyed and it is estimated that more than 100,000 people are likely to be left homeless.

Schools, evacuation centres, health facilities are among some of the types of infrastructure destroyed.

“While the aid missions continued landing, workers on the ground said there was no way to distribute desperately needed supplies across the archipelago's 80 islands, warning it would take days to reach remote villages flattened by the monster storm,” reported AFP.

Apart from the difficulty to bring help to those in dire need the rise of diseases due to lack of clean water and proper sanitation is also worrying aid workers and the authorities.

This aerial photo taken on March 16, 2015 shows the cyclone-ravaged Vanuatu after Super Tropical CyclonePam tore through on March 13, packing wind gusts of up to 320 kilometres (200 miles) an hour. Aid agencies on March 16 described conditions in cyclone-ravaged Vanuatu as among the most challenging they have ever faced, as the Pacific nation's president blamed climate change for worsening the devastation. (AFP PHOTO / FRED PAYET) Photo License: All Rights Reserved

Seychelles sympathizes with Vanuatu highlighting the need for climate change to be taken seriously

The Seychelles’ President has also sent a message of condolences and solidarity to President Lonsdale, the government and people of Vanuatu following the disaster.

“The thoughts and prayers of the Seychellois people are with Vanuatu in these darkest of moments,” said Michel in his message.

Vanuatu, which consists of low-lying islands, is prone to the effects of climate change including rising sea level, which is also a threat to the Seychelles archipelago of 115 islands.

Michel has highlighted that the latest disaster underlines the vulnerability of small island states.

“…this is why one of the fundamental foreign policy objectives of Seychelles has been to mobilise the international community to adopt a special Vulnerability Index to address the inherent vulnerabilities of SIDS,” he said.

“The cyclone, which has just struck Vanuatu – a sister small island state – with such catastrophic effects and the tragic loss of lives is a clear manifestation of climate change, which some persist to deny. Today it is the South Pacific, tomorrow it could be us. When will the international community wake up to reality and put our efforts and resources to get a binding agreement to reduce global warming and sustain the survival of our planet?"

Stressing that the tragic situation in Vanuatu serves as a "stark reminder to the international community" of the real and devastating consequences of climate change the Seychelles President has reaffirmed to continue working with Vanuatu and other small island developing states to incite meaningful action on climate change.

Vanuatu is considered to be a lower middle-income country with a GDP of $828.2 million (World Bank Figures of 2013).

About two-thirds of the country’s population of around 250,000 rely on agriculture for a living with fishing, tourism and offshore financial services being the other main sectors of the economy.

- See more at: http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/2570/Seychelles+president+sympathizes+and+pledges++thousand+to+help+cyclone-hit+sister+island+nation+of+Vanuatu#sthash.9c9EmjzJ.dpuf

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Good progress' in relations between Seychelles and Bangladesh, says outgoing high commissioner

Victoria, Seychelles | March 18, 2015, Wednesday @ 10:32 in National » DIPLOMACY | By: Sharon Uranie | Views: 130

The outgoing High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Seychelles, Shabbir Chowdhury bidding farewell to President James Michel on Tuesday. (Mervyn Marie, Seychelles News Agency)

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(Seychelles News Agency) - The outgoing High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Seychelles, Shabbir Chowdhury, has ended his mandate feeling confident that relations between the two countries, which he described as being previously “dormant and inactive”, had improved.

Speaking to the local press in an interview in the Seychelles capital of Victoria on Tuesday, Chowdhury indicated that the blue economy, tourism and trade are some of the areas in which the two sides have been actively engaged in strengthening ties over the past year.

“Both countries at various levels in the business sector and civil service have got chance to know each other and in fact they also attended a number of meetings, whereby a Seychellois delegation went to Bangladesh to attend an important meeting on the Blue Economy… likewise, a Bangladeshi delegation had two or three visits in Seychelles, again on Blue Economy, tourism etc. Bangladeshi investors are also looking forward to initiating trade, we already had some trade but we look forward to enhancing it. I already had discussions with some Bangladeshi businessmen and they are willing to increase their exports in Seychelles,” he told journalists.

Chowdhury was speaking to the media from the 115-island Indian Ocean archipelago after he had paid a farewell call on the Seychelles President James Michel at State House as he prepares to take up his next post as the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to South Africa.

According to a press statement issued by State House, during their discussions which centred on various issues of mutual interest such as the issues faced by Small Island Developing States such as climate change, Michel commended High Commissioner Chowdhury for his efforts in bringing Seychelles and Bangladesh closer together.

“It was noted that the two countries need to work together in order to achieve more progress at the bilateral level…” read the statement.

Chowdhury was appointed the first Bangladeshi high commissioner to Seychelles in February last year as the Asian country sought to expand its cooperation with the small island nation in view of a large number of Bangladeshi nationals working here.

Human resources, especially in the construction field is, in fact, one of the areas in which the Bangladeshi diplomat feels his country can further assist Seychelles.

He also signalled that Bangladesh is keen to work with Seychelles in the field of the blue economy particularly "to learn from Seychelles experience" with regards to the sustainable exploitation of marine resources.

For the future, Chowdhury says discussions are ongoing for the possible signing of a memorandum of understanding in at least five areas including tourism as well as a double taxation avoidance agreement between the two sides. are some of the collaborations planned for the future.

The next Bangladeshi High Commissioner to Seychelles is expected to be appointed in April.

- See more at: http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/2583/%27Good+progress%27+in+relations+between+Seychelles+and+Bangladesh%2C+says+outgoing+high+commissioner#sthash.As43odwH.dpuf

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UniSey launches new degree course in social work

UniSey launches new degree course in social work

18-March-2015

The University of Seychelles (UniSey) has launched a new Bachelor of Social Science (B Soc Sc) degree course in Youth & Community Work and in Social Work.

The course was officially launched by Designated Minister Vincent Meriton in a ceremony yesterday at the UniSey auditorium at Anse Royale to commemorate the World Social Work Day, usually celebrated on the third Tuesday of March.

Noting that this is indeed another big step for UniSey towards responding to the needs of the country, Minister Meriton said the new courses will not only make a difference in the quality of social and community services that we provide, but it will also ensure a steady flow of newly trained professionals to meet the ongoing demand for more expertise, knowledge and skills in tackling the many problems affecting our society. 

“I commend and salute the University of Seychelles for responding to the call for a Social Renaissance launched by President James Michel in 2011,” said the minister.

He also reminded the audience that “we need the right and timely information to make the correct decisions. We need the proper research, the hard and objective data, the solid evidence that show us the situation as it is, however unpleasant this is and whether we like it or not, so that we can take the hard and courageous decisions that we must. This has been lacking in the social field in Seychelles. I am sure that the University will cultivate this academic culture and contribute to a more professional approach to service delivery. Because we have no other choice”.

The minister talked further about the social problems affecting our society and the importance of our social workers. “These global social problems confronting humanity, like drug trafficking and abuse, crime and prostitution are bringing misery to millions of families around the world including Seychelles. The Social Renaissance programme is our response to these challenges. But we cannot overnight adjust the mindset or behaviour of a person like we can do with the rate of a currency. When it comes to human behaviour, to our values and belief systems, it is more complicated. It will take time to effect the positive changes we want to see. But time is itself a factor. It is a piece of the information that we must understand. Social Renaissance is what is happening today at the UniSey. It is when we join together to respond to a need, when we are proactive, when we innovate to find solutions for a better Seychelles. It is what each of us can do to make our lives, our families and communities better. We do it because we love Seychelles.”

Speaking about the important role of social workers in society, Minister Meriton said they uphold human rights and strive for social justice and social development. 

He said this degree course will allow them to continue their professional development and enjoy the benefits of career advancement and progression. 

“Strive to be the best for you can now fulfill your career aspiration,” the minister urged them, adding that without the dedication and hard work of George Nicette, Linda William Melanie and Marina Confait, this would not have been materialised.

Dr Justin Valentin, dean of the Faculty of Business and Law, explained that the development of the Bachelor programme started off as a direct response to the government’s requirement to promote the Social Renaissance campaign. 

He went on to explain all the steps taken until the programme was finally materialised.

Acting British high commissioner Dave Jones congratulated the students who were “about to rise to the challenge of the new University of Seychelles’ degree in social work”. 

“It is indeed a challenge, though one which comes with a unique reward,” he said. 
He said the British high commission commends the University of Seychelles’ initiative in introducing this new degree course, an initiative which will bolster not just the skills of Seychelles’ future social workers, but also the status which the profession will subsequently enjoy. 

“And we were similarly delighted to be given the opportunity to support the production of issue number 9 of the ‘Social Work in Action’ magazine, and to express our hope that it is the first of what will be many more hard copies of this most necessary publication,” he said.

During the launch, Professor Gregory Andrusz explained the content of the degrees and why it is the right time to introduce it in Seychelles.

“Social work is a career where a person can make a difference to the lives of individuals, families and communities in various ways. All societies have problems and usually when everything fails, we turn to people with a professional knowledge and understanding of these problems, their causes and consequences. With this social work degree, UniSey meets the aspirations for further professional development and career enhancement of those social workers who already hold diplomas,” he said.

Marie Agnes Ally, currently a senior social worker, gave her testimony: “With globalisation and modernism the social ills are getting more complex and diverse hence, as social workers upgrading our knowledge so that we can become more efficient in our service delivery is crucial. Despite it will be difficult to work and study at the same time, we are ready to take up the challenge,” she concluded.
Currently there are 27 students registered for this new course.

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Outgoing HCs pay farewell visit to President Michel

Outgoing HCs pay farewell visit to President Michel

18-March-2015

The outgoing Sri Lankan (above photo) and Bangladeshi high commissioners paying their farewell calls on President Michel

The outgoing high commissioner of Sri Lanka to Seychelles Rajatha Piyatissa and his Bangladeshi counterpart Shabbir Ahmad Chowdhury both paid a farewell visit to President James Michel at State House yesterday morning.

Mr Piyatissa was the first to be received by President Michel after his ten-month stay in Seychelles. 

Speaking to the press after the meeting, he said he feels that the relations between the two countries have improved a lot during his short stay as his country’s representative, resulting in many benefits for both of them. 

“The ten months, though very short, have been very fruitful,” he commented.
Among the areas where he feels relations have developed between the two countries, he mentioned health, tourism and trade. On the latter, he noted that many Sri Lankan businessmen are now keen to invest and do business in Seychelles. 

On his part, Mr Chowdhury who has now been posted as his country’s new high commissioner to South Africa, also noted the good progress in the relations between his country and Seychelles during the one year that he has been in office. 

He commented that if the relations were dormant before his posting, developments have recently occurred in the fields of business, tourism and the blue economy.

“Talking about the blue economy and the exploitation of marine resources, Seychelles has more experience in this field. So we look forward to gain from this experience,” he said.

As concrete examples of the partnership, he stated that the two countries are currently working on a double taxation avoidance agreement; more Bangladeshis are willing to visit Seychelles and the provision of more labour force for local industries.

He added that with a new Mauritius-based high commissioner who is expected to present his credentials to President Michel next month, Bangladesh is looking forward to enhance the good cooperation with Seychelles.

“Our friendly cooperation with Seychelles will continue,” he said, citing air connectivity as one of the next priority areas. 
During their visit to State House, both outgoing high commissioners also paid a last visit to Vice-president Danny Faure.

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World Consumer Rights Day 2015

World Consumer Rights Day 2015

18-March-2015

Exhibition stresses consumers’ rights to healthy food

Guests and visitors viewing some of the stands at the exhibition

Members of the public including schoolchildren who are also consumers have received a large amount of information on healthy eating habits, healthy food to prevent obesity, and other health problems.

They did so through an exhibition at Orion Mall on Monday where they also had the chance to buy healthy food stuff on display.

The exhibition was put together by the National Consumers’ Forum (Natcof) and its partners to commemorate World Consumer Rights Day on March 15 which this year fell on a Sunday. 

The exhibition promoting this year’s theme ‘Consumers’ rights to healthy food’ brought together different partners, namely the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture, concerned by the increase of health problems caused by unhealthy eating and the amount of unhealthy imported products.

The annual celebration of consumers’ rights aims at raising consumers’ awareness to all the daily unhealthy practices they indulge in which later can result in dire health consequences.

Present to give support to the cause of consumers were ministers Mitcy Larue and Wallace Cosgrow, reigning Miss Seychelles ... Another World Camila Estico, who is deeply concerned by the obesity problem among school children, among other guests.

In remarks to officially launch the exhibition, Natcof’s executive chairperson Raymonde Course focused on healthy eating.

“In the world today consumers are facing many problems with their health, and many are being caused by nutrition, consuming food that is not good for our health. Food is one of the first priorities for us humans, for our development,” Mrs Course pointed out.

She noted that 72% of the products that we consume are imported but stressed that we should consume more products that come from our fishermen and farmers.
“These are food that should be on our table,” Mrs Course pointed out. 

For her part Minister Larue reiterated her call that we pay more attention to what we eat. 

“We need to focus on the way we eat. Healthy eating should start at a young age and it starts at home,” Minister Larue stressed.

“We need to work together and promote good examples on healthy eating habits. We should stop eating fast food, because it is not good for our health. Unhealthy diets are linked to overweight and obesity, high blood pressure and high level of cholesterol,” Minister Larue pointed out.   
 
Minister Larue said that we need to teach our society how to choose the right products for their continued good health.
“Sometimes when consumers go shopping to buy groceries, they buy products that are not good for their health but these are less expensive. All people are consumers. Contrary to popular belief, healthy foods are not just for people who want to lose weight but also suitable and a better choice of food for everyone,” Minister Larue stressed.

At the exhibition many organisations had been invited to promote ‘consumers’ right to healthy food’ and among them was the Seychelles Trading Company (STC) with its healthy organic food that people can purchase at the STC supermarket in Victoria. 

Many of the foods are sugar-free as well as gluten-free. People with allergies and who cannot tolerate certain food may also take comfort in the fact that safe food is also available. 

The Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) and the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) were also present at the exhibition. 

Local farmers also had available on sale in their stalls local fruit and vegetables including cassava biscuits (galet), coconut juice, orange juice, bananas and mangoes. 

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Non-stop to France! Air Seychelles to resume uninterrupted Paris flights in July

Victoria, Seychelles | March 16, 2015, Monday @ 12:41 in Business » TOURISM | By: Sharon Uranie | Views: 985

File Photo: Air Seychelles receiving a water cannon salute on arrival at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport in July last year. (Air Seychelles) 

(Seychelles News Agency) - The Seychelles national carrier, Air Seychelles, is expected to start non-stop flights to France as of July 2015, offering a thrice-weekly service between the archipelago’s main island of Mahé and the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.

Announcing the new development in a press statement issued this morning, the Seychelles Minister for Foreign Affairs and Transport, Joel Morgan, said Air Seychelles will be flying non-stop to Paris with the “close collaboration of Air France.”

“This is an important step for Seychelles and is made possible by the strengthened co-operation with France, following the important meeting between President James Michel and President Francois Hollande in Paris last year, as well as his meeting with senior officials from Air France and the ongoing commitment and support of the shareholders,” said Morgan.

“Making the opportunity to have sustainable non-stop flights to Paris CDG even greater is the fact Seychelles is registering double-digit growth in tourism arrivals from France, our number one market, since the beginning of this year.”

Following a drop last year where it was replaced by Germany as the Seychelles main tourism market, France is back in the leading seat in tourism arrivals at the beginning of 2015.

According to latest figures available from the National Bureau of Statistics website, 7,521 French visitors have travelled to Seychelles up to March 8, which is a nine percent increase when compared to the same period last year.

Air Seychelles re-launched flights to Paris via Abu Dhabi at the beginning of July last year after a two and a half year absence operating twice weekly flights between Seychelles and Paris.

The lack of non-stop flights was one of the main complaints of people travelling between the two destinations. Some of the top French tour operators marketing Seychelles as a tourist destination also highlighted this concern as one of their main challenges during a meeting with the Seychelles tourism authorities in France last year.

The decision was then taken for passengers travelling between Seychelles and Paris on the Seychelles national carrier, to remain onboard the aircraft while on transit in Abu Dhabi following approval for Air Seychelles to make "technical stops only in Abu Dhabi" on the way to the Indian Ocean archipelago.

Following today’s announcement that non-direct flights will now be possible as of July, Morgan has called for the support of all stakeholders, locally and overseas to ensure the success and viability of the operation.

"While Air Seychelles will provide the air connection, at the end of the day it is the trade, tourism marketing and promoters who need to make things happen in support of this initiative. This is the exciting challenge we all need to rise up to meet, let us work hard together as a team to make it a resounding success for Seychelles,” said Morgan.

The announcement that Air Seychelles will be resuming uninterrupted flights to Paris comes a few days after the national carrier reported a net profit of $3.2 million in 2014.

Air Seychelles, which was established in 1977 and adopted its present name in September 1978, was until 2012 wholly owned by the Seychelles government. UAE's Etihad Airways invested $45 million in Air Seychelles when it bought a 40 percent share in the airline in 2012 with the aim of turning the company around after several years of losses.

The year 2014 is the airline’s third consecutive year of profitability following a $1.1 net profit in 2012 and $3 million in 2013.

- See more at: http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/2567/Non-stop+to+France+Air+Seychelles+to+resume+direct+Paris+flights+in+July#sthash.EHXvWpS7.dpuf

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President Michel pledges support and expresses profound sadness following devastating cyclone in Vanuatu

President Michel pledges support and expresses profound sadness following devastating cyclone in Vanuatu

Mon, 16 March 2015

Following a devastating cyclone which ravaged the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, President James Michel has addressed a message of condolences and solidarity to Ni-Vanuatu President Baldwin Lonsdale and the Government and people of Vanuatu, on behalf of the government and people of Seychelles.

In his message President Michel expressed his grief and sadness at the catastrophic devastation and the human suffering caused by cyclone Pam to Vanuatu. He expressed his heartfelt condolences to the Government and the people of Vanuatu on the loss of life and the widespread destruction of property. “The thoughts and prayers of the Seychellois people are with Vanuatu in these darkest of moments,” said President Michel.

Seychelles, it is to be noted, has long been a champion of Small Island Developing States and has emerged as a leading advocate on issues pertaining to climate change. “This tragic event underlines the vulnerability of SIDS, and this is why one of the fundamental foreign policy objectives of Seychelles has been to mobilise the international community to adopt a special Vulnerability Index to address the inherent vulnerabilities of SIDS,” said the Seychelles Head of State.

“The cyclone, which has just struck Vanuatu – a sister Small Island State – with such catastrophic effects and the tragic loss of lives is a clear manifestation of climate change, which some persist to deny. Today it is the South Pacific, tomorrow it could be us,” added President Michel. "When will the international community wake up to reality and put our efforts and resources to get a binding agreement to reduce global warming and sustain the survival of our planet?" he asked.

President Michel noted that the tragic situation witnessed in Vanuatu serves as a stark reminder to the international community of the real and devastating consequences of climate change.

In the wake of cyclone Pam, President Michel reaffirmed his commitment to working with Vanuatu and the SIDS community towards galvanising meaningful action on climate change.

In a show of solidarity with Vanuatu, President James Michel has tasked Seychelles Ambassador for Climate Change and Small Island Developing Issues, Ronny Jumeau, with calling an emergency meeting of the Alliance of Small Island Developing States (AOSIS) in order to determine how to provide and coordinate assistance to Vanuatu and seek support for the Island nation.

On behalf of the Government of Seychelles, President James Michel has additionally pledged the sum of 100.000 United States Dollars to Vanuatu to assist in on-going emergency relief efforts.

“As a like-minded Small Island Developing State, Seychelles strongly identifies with the difficult developmental challenges that the SIDS typically face, and we will continue to stand in close solidarity with Vanuatu”, reflected President Michel in his message.

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"The focus of 2015 is building on our successes towards achieving the mandate of promoting tourism and trade" - Interview with Air Seychelles CEO

Victoria, Seychelles | March 13, 2015, Friday @ 12:15 in Editorial » THE INTERVIEW | By: Sharon Uranie | Views: 703

Air Seychelles CEO, Manoj Papa. (Seychelles Nation)

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(Seychelles News Agency) - The Seychelles national carrier on Thursday reported a net profit of $3.2 million in 2014 attributing the figure to an increase in revenue, number of passengers and cargo tonnage in spite of considerable investment in terms of adding to its fleet and introducing new destinations.

This is the airline's third consecutive year of profitability since 2012.

Air Seychelles which was established in 1977 and adopted its present name in September 1978 was until 2012 wholly owned by the Seychelles government. UAE's Etihad Airways invested $45 million in Air Seychelles when it bought the 40% share in the airline in 2012 with the aim of turning the company around after several years of losses.

SNA caught up with Air Seychelles' Chief Executive, Manoj Papa where he talks about the airline's performance in 2014 and challenges encountered, what's in store for 2015 as well as his experience since he joined the airline.

The Ex- South African Airways general manager for commercial, Manoj Papa, joined Air Seychelles as CEO at the beginning of 2014. The South African national who started his career at SAA where he also held the post of regional general manager for Asia and Australasia, has also worked for Etihad Airways as vice president for corporate strategy.

SNA: Air Seychelles has published its financial results for 2014 announcing a third year of profit, slightly a little bit more than last year. What are the factor that have contributed to this performance?

MP: The mandate from our shareholder is very clear. Profitability, sustainability and be the economic enabler in the form of travel and tourism to Seychelles. This clear focus on our mandate resulted in us having to achieve the profit of 3.2 million. This was done and achieved through an increase in revenue, 20 percent, increase in passenger numbers by 20 per cent. Our seat factors from last year, 33 percent last year and seating at a 60 percent seat factor. The cargo tonnage up by 32 percent year on year. So all of these at the end of the day together with a highly skilled workforce, where we have invested extensively in our people has been able to allow us to achieve the results. This also is achieved through a very close support and could not have been done without the support of our shareholders and their commitment to seeing us grow.

SNA: What prevented the 2014 performance from being much better than the previous year.

MP: The airline industry is under a significant amount of pressure right now, and it's always been. It's prone to any changes around the world. You've got increased competition, we’ve got the introduction of  A 380’s in the marketplace where 4 or 5 years ago they were not known of, we’ve got currency exchange and the currency issue, you’ve got Ebola virus, regulatory constraints, different market. So, all of that taken into account I must say the result of 3.2 million is a great achievement for Air Seychelles.,

SNA: How is this going to be passed on to staff as well as to the clients, for example, there is a lot of complaints that the airfare for the domestic flights is quite expensive?         

Let me go into the question of pricing and concern of pricing for the local market. Our flights into Praslin (the Seychelles second most populated island) has got a specific Seychellois rate, only for Seychellois which is highly discounted. The Seychellois is able to obtain a seat during the course of the day, I have 30 – 40 percent seat factor of my 19 seats on an aircraft. There are seats for the Seychellois. The high demand flights which generally is in the morning and in the evenings is driven by means of demand and at the end of the day based on high demand there is also higher fees or higher pricing. That addressed the issue of pricing for the home market.

Our overall investment in our guest is based on investment in our product, is based on the investment in our onboard product, on the quality of our service, on the training of our people. So the idea at the end of the day is to focus on re-investing but in our products, being able to offer the guest a lot more value proposition ....a lot more comfort on board. So that is how it will be passed on to the guests in the form of the value proposition that we have to offer.

SNA: And the Staff?

MP: To our staff, our staff is the most important resource to the organisation. To our staff a further investment in training..... in development, a lot more exposure to best in class practises, a lot more ways of tapping into new systems....training and development..........that’s the way we are investing in our people. Developing them, growing them, training and coaching is ploughing stuff back into our people where they are able to take it going forward.

3 percent of our workforce is expats. What is quite interesting about the expatriates is that they are coming from different parts of the world and they are coming with wide airline experience and expertise. And for Air Seychelles to be the employer of choice it is very important because you can have this knowledge transfer. Air Seychelles is a global player and it is very important that our people are coached and trained, and developed and exposed to global standards. And a lot of investment is within our Seychellois.....We had three batches of cabin crew of ten or twelve each last year that graduated in Abu Dhabi, resulting in Air Seychelles receiving an award for the Indian Ocean leading cabin crew and leading business class. We are a four-Star airline, we‘ve gained a very strong positioning in the airlines in the Indian Ocean......but also globally as well.

SNA: Last year there were quite a few new destination. Air Seychelles went back to Paris. There is also the new regional routes to Tanzania, Madagascar and India. What is the trend so far would you say they are viable?

MP: We have noticed an increase in passenger numbers on all our destinations since implementation and since we started operations. The Paris operation is sitting around 60 percent, in excess of 60 percent seat factor. Our business is very seasonal and cyclical. So in the higher periods there is definitely a higher seat factor and for the lower season, yes, we see lower seat factor based on demand. With regards to Mumbai, since

With regards to Mumbai, since operation, in the last two months our seat factor is seating at 60 – 65 percent. Actually we had 2 days in December where our seat factor was sitting at 85 percent ........only going to show that there is demand for that destination.

Madagascar and Dar es Salaam are also growing at a steady pace. And what we are doing as an organisation is constantly monitoring those markets. No different to what we have done with our operations via Abu Dhabi into Charles de Gaulle, we are flexible enough to adjust our business model based on the changes in customers and their behaviour and what the market is doing. So for now, yes, our investment in the regional destinations with our A320.....flying into Abu Dhabi we increased our frequencies..... together with Etihad, we now do thirteen flights, almost a double daily......And the launching of Charles de Gaulle is definitely adding to the overall business results that we have shown for 2014.

SNA: What about direct flight into Charles de Gaulle which is a request coming from passengers as well as tour operators in France, it is still being considered?

MP: The operations into any direct flight is based on the economics and it's based on the demand. And what we do on our side from a network point of view we are  constantly monitoring the market, monitoring our positioning, what are the economics at the end of the day. And we have a team working on that, so should the market should the demand actually grow in those destinations, it is something we'd look into.  At the end of the day, we have got to ensure that with the support of our shareholder, the support of our people and with the support of all of Seychelles be it tourism, be it trade, that we achieve our mandate of profitability.

SNA: For 2015, What's on the cards for Air Seychelles….....Are there any big plans in terms of expanding the network........adding new destinations maybe?

The focus of 2015 is profitability. The focus of 2015 is building on our successes towards achieving the mandate from our shareholder in the form of promoting tourism and trade, being the key enabler to the Seychelles and Seychelles' economy. We will focus on doing that, we will focus on building on that, we will focus on identifying new market, not necessarily operate but identifying new market. We will work with the different stakeholders in building and developing, creating demand for such markets. We will focus on coaching, mentoring and investing in our people. At the end of the day, ........it allows us to show growth as an airline as we have done in the last three years.

SNA: When you are talking about identifying new markets...Is China one of them, as we saw the airline had two chartered flights from Beijing coinciding with the Spring holidays and considering China is also an emerging market for the Seychelles tourism industry?     

MP: Asia is the emerging market. And yes the success of our two charters........bringing in some 500 Chinese to spend spring festival in Seychelles, really helped tourism....it made a great impact on the contribution to Seychelles. We will be working with our partners, we have identified some partners and we will be working on growing the demand and positioning Seychelles in those markets. And yes, charter operations, we have received request for charter operations out of Beijing.......and we will build on that.

SNA: You came in last year as CEO of Air Seychelles when the airline was two years into its strategic partnership with UAE's Etihad Airways. Apart from turning the national airline around to profitability, training Seychellois professionals to take on leadership role was also an objective. What is being done to ensure that this is achieved?

MP: The strategic partnership with Etihad has brought in a fair amount of value and it is a win for Seychelles, it's a win for employees of Air Seychelles and actually it is a win for the Seychelles economy.

To be the employer of choice and in the last 12 months and even prior to that, the management has been working very closely with Seychellois, with regards to training, developing. One of things about why the strategic partnership with Etihad works, we’ve had graduate managers that are based in Abu Dhabi, that spend eighteen months in Abu Dhabi. Their training allows them to go through all different divisions of the airline and get to understand the airline business. We then bring them back to Seychelles and they spend a month, two months getting to understand........and then go back to Abu Dhabi and get to apply what they have learned in the overall model.  We now have seven individuals that have returned to Seychelles and incorporated in our business as part of managers.

Most recently, we took six Seychellois to join the worldwide team at Etihad and participate in the worldwide conference, again giving them exposure not only in the form of a bigger airline like Etihad but in networking and best practice.

We have our cabin crew that are trained. So a focus with regards to creating successes is where we are going. Again, if I talk about our performance, we introduced last year, a program called 'I achieve' which is a reward and recognition programme for our people based on performance......with that being said it allows us to identify our top performers and as a leadership team it allows us to come up with a career map on how best we can take their careers to the next level.

SNA: And for yourself, having been here for one year, how would you describe your experience working for Air Seychelles considering you have work for much bigger airlines. Do you feel you are achieving your mandate, the goal which you set when you came in last year?

M.P The airline industry, if it’s a small airline or big airlines have the same challenges. The last twelve months has been a great experience and a great learning opportunity for me.

I remember the last press conference as you mentioned I said my mandate was to ensure sustainability and profitability, our numbers have displayed that. I spoke a fair amount on training, developing and investing in our people, we have achieved that.

And yes, it is not a start end situation it is a continuous improvement...... what stands out about Seychelles is the culture......the willingness for success. And if you look at where Air Seychelles was three years ago, it was a really challenged airline........ And how it has transformed in the last three years, with the support of our shareholders, with the support of Etihad as our equity partner, with the support of our people, we’ve been able to deliver and take the airline to the next level.  

- See more at: http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/2549/%22The+focus+of++is+building+on+our+successes+towards+achieving+the+mandate+of+promoting+tourism+and+trade%22++Interview+Air+Seychelles+CEO#sthash.0433MiKA.dpuf

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