Seychelles President sends message of condolence following tragic earthquake in Nepal

Seychelles President sends message of condolence following tragic earthquake in Nepal

Sun, 26 April 2015

President James Michel has extended his most sincere condolences to the people and Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal following the devastating earthquake, which has claimed over 1900 lives and destroyed significant parts of the nation’s capital city of Katmandu.

In a message addressed to the Nepalese Head of State, President Ram Baran Yadav, President Michel said the people of Seychelles grieve with Nepal in these darkest of moments and that Nepal can count on the solidarity and prayers of the people and Government of Seychelles.

“It is with profound sorrow that we have learnt of this catastrophe which has resulted in the loss of countless lives and widespread destruction of property,” said President Michel. The President added that the legendary resilience and courage of the Nepalese people would help them surmount this catastrophe of epic proportions. He further noted that Seychelles is also doubly affected by this tragedy, considering the Nepalese community currently residing in Seychelles.

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Secretary-General appoints new acting Special Representative for UN Ebola Mission

NEW YORK, NY - The United Nations Secretary-General today announced the appointment of Peter Jan Graaff of the Netherlands as the Secretary-General's Acting Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER).

In his role as Acting Special Representative, Mr. Graaff will work closely with the Special Envoy on Ebola, Dr. David Nabarro, and with the Governments in the region and other partners, according to a statement released today by the Secretary-General's Spokesperson.

Mr. Graaff succeeds Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed of Mauritania, who was today appointed as Mr. Ban's special envoy for Yemen, and the Secretary-General expressed his sincere gratitude to Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed for his exceptional work and leadership of UNMEER, and for his commitment to ensuring the affected countries are on the road to recovery from the unprecedented Ebola outbreak.

Mr. Graaff is currently Ebola Crisis Manager for Liberia, a role in which he has served since October last year, and he brings a wealth of experience in international health issues and international affairs to his new position.

He served extensively with the World Health Organization (WHO) in a number of countries in Africa, and in Afghanistan and Haiti, and led the Civil Affairs and Development team for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

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Vice President consolidates special relationship between Seychelles and China on visit to China

Vice-President Danny Faure, currently on mission to China at the invitation of the Government of the People’s Republic of China, met with his Chinese counterpart, H.E Mr. Li Yuanchao, Vice-President of the People’s Republic of China and Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China-Central Committee, on Friday 24^th April 2015, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Vice-President Faure conveyed the warm wishes of President James Michel to President Xi Jinping and expressed the appreciation of the Government and people of Seychelles for the contribution that China has made to the socio-economic development of the country. The Vice-President made mention of several infrastructural projects such as the ‘Palais de la Justice’, the National Assembly building and Primary & Secondary schools, all of which had been accomplished with Chinese help.

Other topics on the agenda were- the increase in the number of Chinese tourists to Seychelles, the need for direct air links to consolidate and also complement this positive trend to sustain the economic development of Seychelles. The Seychelles Vice-President stated “China has always treated us as an equal partner regardless of our geographic size and we have mutual respect for each other.”

The Chinese Vice-President advocated that the relationship between Seychelles and China is a model of relations between large and small Countries. However, he also noted that Seychelles is a large country in terms of its Exclusive Economic Zone and commended Seychelles for promoting the principles of the Blue Economy, where he proposed that the Maritime Silk Route project could be synergized with the Blue Economy concept.

“China appreciates the support from Seychelles in the international arena and China will never forget this.” Vice-President Li Yuanchao expressed. Moreover, China sees Seychelles as a trusted friend, which has resulted in a win-win partnership.

Both sides agreed to push for reforms to the United Nations Security Council to enable a greater representation of African countries. The meeting concluded with the Seychelles Vice-President conveying his wish to welcome his counterpart in Seychelles next year, on the occasion of the 40^thanniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Seychelles and China.

The accompanying members of the Seychelles delegation comprised of Mr. Philippe Le Gall, Seychelles Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Mrs. Aude Labaleine, Director General in the Office of the Vice-President, Mr. Olsen Vidot, CEO of Parti Lepep and Mr. Christian Faure from the Seychelles Embassy in Beijing. The Vice-President also met with Mrs. Xu Lyuping, the Vice-President of the International Department of the Communist Party of China, on the same day.

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Declared open: Carnaval International de Victoria

One of the smallest island republics welcomes the big and small countries of the world this weekend. From Brazil to Duesseldorf to China - it's party time in paradise.

When the Seychelles’ Minister for Tourism and Culture, Alain St. Ange, last year responded to my questions after a successful Seychelles Carnival 2014 parade, what would be next, he with that broad trademark smile on his face answered ‘When you come back next year you will see, it will be bigger and better than ever before’ and going by the opening ceremony at the Stade Popilar he had made no empty promises.

Royalty and political heavyweights from other Vanilla islands were assembled on the main VIP balcony of the stadium, from the King of the Ashanti in Ghana to Her Royal Highness, the Chief Maiden of the Kingdom of Swaziland to the Deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius and the President of the Regional Council of the French Region of Reunion where they were joined by President James Alix Michel for the opening gala.

Carnival heavyweights Brazil, Notting Hill and Germany are joined by many acclaimed troupes from around the world, who have all come to the paradise islands of the Seychelles to strut their stuff, bring the crowd to their feet and thrill the spectators when later today the parade waltzes through the city centre of Victoria.

A total of 31 carnival troupes and country representatives, among them a group of Masai from Kenya, performers from Zambia and drummers and dancers from KwaZulu Natal are ready to rumble and if the opening night ceremony is anything to go by it will be fun galore when the foreign performers are joined on the streets of Victoria by some 30 local floats showcasing what they schemed up and prepared over the past few weeks.

The show on stage kicked off with the official carnival songs of past events before guests were treated to an explosion of colours, movements and sounds from those lined up to give the crowd which filled the stadium a sneak preview of what they can expect during the parade.

From the more serious performance of the Swedes to the thrilling display of the dancers from Mauritius and Brazil and of course those from Africa was the night filled with constant camera flashes which lit up the stage even more.

The Seychelles of course is more than just their most visible festival of the year and visitors to the islands can choose from many resorts, some of them among the most fancied in the whole world. Magnificent beaches await those who, after watching the carnival parade and mingling among locals during the after parties, come back to their hotels at the crack of dawn and take a walk along the beaches. This weekend of course will all be about the Carnaval de Carnivals, the Carnival International de Victoria 2015 which in the short space of just 5 years has already gained global recognition and is now ranked as among the top five carnival shows. It is for the carnival that the Prinzengarde from Duesseldorf has taken their costumes out of the mothballs and flown to Mahe and it is for the carnival that Zambians, Swazis and Kenyans have travelled to Victoria, to be part of what has become a rainbow of nations helping to celebrate alongside a nation which like no other is a reflection of the rainbow and brings all cultures, religions and ethnicities together in harmony.

The Ashanti King in his opening message appealed to the world to take the Seychelles as an example of how to learn to live together in peace and a YouTube upload of his entire speech, perhaps a little shaky, will be made available in due course. It was a moving recollection of how his ancestors a hundred and fourteen years ago were exiled by the British usurpers and how they ended up in the Seychelles where the local people accorded them respect and a home in exile before decades later they were allowed to return home to Ghana. Here, more than in any other address, it became apparent that Seychelles is an integral part of Africa and heritage and connections like the Ghanaian one have left an imprint on life across the archipelago.

That all said, the staff of the Seychelles Tourism Board were once again magnificent, from meeting delegations and VIP’s off the plane, fast tracking them through the airport and whisking them off to their respective hotels as they had to deal with over a hundred media representatives on top of it all.

All eyes are now of course on this afternoon’s parade and be sure to watch this space to read about it and enjoy the pictures due here overnight.

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President meets with Opposition Leader

President meets with Opposition Leader

Thu, 23 April 2015

President James Michel met with the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Mr. David Pierre, this morning at State House, in order to discuss issues of national importance.

The President and Mr. Pierre discussed a variety of topics, including the economy, national unity and social development.

The President said he was satisfied with the meeting as an exchange of ideas for working towards solutions for certain national challenges.

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Appointment of CEO of the Agency for National Human Resource Development

Appointment of CEO of the Agency for National Human Resource Development

Wed, 22 April 2015

The Office of the President has announced the appointment of Miss Roseline Jennifer Houareau as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Agency for National Human Resource Development (ANHRD).

Ms. Roseline Houareau holds a Masters Degree in Public Policy from Murdoch University (Australia) and a Bachelor's Degree in Business & Management from the Oxford Brookes University (UK).  She has over 12 years' working experience in the public sector, and has been serving as Senior Business Analyst in the Public Enterprise Monitoring Commission since August 2009.

Ms Houareau's appointment takes effect on Monday 27th April, 2015.  She replaces Mrs. Margaret Pillay who has joined the private sector upon completion of her contract with the ANHRD.

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President James Michel visits Providence Industrial Estate

President James Michel visits Providence Industrial Estate

15-April-2015

Resolve ice shortage issue, say fishermen

The issue of not having enough ice to match demand is leaving Seychellois fishermen frustrated as their boats are anchored at ports and they make big losses each day they are not out at sea fishing.

When President James Michel visited the Fisheries Industrial Estate at Providence on Saturday many fishermen, among them Jimmy Cadeau, expressed their concerns about the lack of ice available.

“Let’s resolve the ice shortage issue once and for all,” Mr Cadeau told President Michel.

“The government has invested a lot in infrastructure development, but it is inexplicable that the SFA (Seychelles Fishing Authority) does not have an engineer to maintain the ice plants. We have more boats and more fishermen, but we cannot leave port if we don’t have ice,” added Mr Cadeau.

President Michel reiterated Mr Cadeau’s views in an interview given after his visit by saying: “A lot of people have invested in buying boats to do different types of fishing but what we have seen is that there are not enough facilities on land to support that sector. This is where SFA and the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture should put a lot of emphasis in building more ice plants as this is a major issue that has been brought to my attention today (Saturday). The fishermen want to go fishing but there is no ice. This is an issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.”

SFA acting chief executive Vincent Lucas told Seychelles NATION that the SFA was only recently donated an 8-tonne ice plant with Chinese technology and that a Belgian company working with ISPC will soon install it adjacent to the existing ice-plant.

He added that the proposed extension of the Providence port will bring more facilities among those a 10-tonne ice plant for local fishermen, making it easier for them to contribute in the development of the Blue Economy concept.

The Providence port is expected to be extended by 300 metres but this will depend on the fund made available by the Japanese government.
With the proposed extension of the Providence port, a number of businesses supposed to start in the area demarcated for the port extension have been stalled and President Michel has instructed officials of the Ministry for Fisheries and Agriculture and the SFA to meet the businessmen and discuss with them about whether they would like to move to another location.

As for Gaetan Payet, who exports sea cucumbers to Hong Kong, he told the President he has been waiting for more than one year for approval to exchange a plot of land at Bel Ombre for another plot at Providence to extend his business by the name of Providence Sea Cucumber company.

Mr Payet explained that he employs four workers and has 10 casual workers depending on the workload and that the working space has become too small and even dangerous.

Like President Michel has often said local entrepreneurs should be given all the necessary information and there must be complete change of mindset on the part of officials to make things move faster as businesses bring wealth to the country.

Asked what his ministry is doing to remedy the ice shortage issue, Fisheries and Agriculture Minister Wallace Cosgrow said they are waiting for approval from the Planning Authority to install the 8-tonne ice plant.

He added that the SFA, which operates all ice plants on Mahé and Praslin, has identified a contractor who has done an inventory on all ice plants and work will soon start on repairing them. 

“New ice plants will also be installed in some designated locations. And in the future, we have to make sure that this problem does not arise, this is why we are also looking into the possibility of getting the private sector to join in ice production and distribution,” said Minister Cosgrow.

On the fish processing plant which was officially opened by President Michel in August 2014 but is still not operational, Minister Cosgrow explained that the nine businessmen have been told to delay starting their operation because the facilities have some drainage problems, thus not meeting international standard.

“A consultant has made a report on the facilities and we will decide whether to bring a contractor on site to do the work. We will later decide if we will be taking legal action against the original contractor for not delivering up-to-standard work. We are also working with the businesses on the interior plans of the units to be submitted to the Planning Authority for approval so that they can start their fish processing businesses. By the end of the year everyone should have set up their business which should be up and running,” noted Mr 

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Seminar on reporting judicial and police investigations in the media

Seminar on reporting judicial and police investigations in the media

14-April-2015

Is journalism being sacrificed for sensationalism?

Sensationalism affects both those who receive it and those who report it. How?
As newspapers, radio and television stations compete viciously for readers and audience of their respected newspapers and broadcasting stations, there is to some extent what is termed sensationalism in their reporting.

Journalists taking part in a two-day seminar were yesterday told by Nichole Tirant-Gerardhi, the former editor of TODAY in Seychelles newspaper, that “you may package your story sexily but whatever is said should not be defamatory”.

By “sexily” Mrs Tirant-Ghérardi meant being catchy and she noted that there are many ways to tell a story.

Mrs Tirant- Ghérardi is one of four presenters who took local journalists into a journey on the importance of reporting judicial and police investigations in the media during a seminar organised by the Seychelles Media Commission in conjunction with the United Nations Development Programmes.

Also an attorney at law, Mrs Tirant-Ghérardi’s presentation was entitled ‘Press Freedom v/s Right to a fair public hearing; Drawing the line between journalism and sensationalism’.

Justice Mathilda Twomey spoke about ‘Reporting on cases involving minors; Protection of victims and their families’, lawyer Bernard Georges talked about ‘Public’s right to know v/s Right to privacy’, and Association of Media Practitioners Seychelles chairman Gervais Henrie, who is also the editor of Le Seychellois Hebdo, explained to the gathering why it is important to report on court proceedings.

Mr Henrie noted that journalists should cover court proceedings as they act on behalf of other people who cannot attend court cases.

Jacky Sutton, who has spent almost two decades working with the United Nations in war zones around the world, is chairing the seminar which ends today.
Speaking at the opening ceremony yesterday morning at the Care House, Freedom Square, acting Chief Justice Durai Karunakaran said the role of the media is important and complex and he noted that silence is culpable when there is a duty to speak.

Justice Karunakaran noted that despite having the right to provoke public debate, mobilise public opinion and political pluralism, the media has to “treat all people involved in cases with dignity” and to “be extra cautious when coming out with breaking news”.

Roland Alcindor, programme manager of UNDP Seychelles, explained that the media being the fourth pillar of any society, has the right to inform which is critical in nation-building.

Going back to sensationalism one can say that it still remains a strong force in the local media, may it be in the form of pictures or articles.

Although sensationalism sells, journalists know themselves that they are breaking the ethical values that their profession was founded on. Responsible journalists are more accurate, less partisan and less attached as they value the difference between opinion and the truth. 

When journalists resort to sensationalism they are only sacrificing their ethical standards and succumbing to the temptations of sensationalism for the sake of profit.

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Sven Olof Lindblad made Seychelles’ cultural ambassador

Sven Olof Lindblad made Seychelles’ cultural ambassador

14-April-2015

• As he hosts Seychelles’ Founding President Mancham as ‘global perspective guest speaker’ on National Geographic Orion Indian Ocean cruise


 


Sven Olof Lindblad, son of the late Lars Eric Lindblad who pioneered eco-tourism globally and who brought his cruise ship Linblad Explorer to Seychelles in the mid 60s before the opening of the Seychelles International Airport, was on Saturday night conferred with the title of an International Ambassador of Seychelles culture by the Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St Ange at a special reception which the founding President of Seychelles Sir James R. Mancham hosted at his residence in honour of Mr Lindblad.

Mr Lindblad’s company, Special Expeditions Ltd, headquartered in New York, is in a joint venture agreement with the National Geographic and together operates four cruise ships offering expedition type luxurious travelling to different parts of the world.

Yesterday, Sir James and Mr Lindblad departed Mahé on the way to Assumption Island where they will join the National Geographic Orion on a ten-day cruise that will include cruising to and around the Aldabra archipelago – a Seychelles World Heritage Site – and other islands of the Seychelles group before a scheduled return to Mahé on April 23.

According to the website of Special Expeditions Ltd, Sir James will be on board as “a global perspective guest speaker”. The write-up about him states that he is a “colourful and jovial personality who is listed in the ‘International Who’s Who in Poetry’ and who is seen as being clever, determined and tough, and popular in his own country and outside it”.

A dominant topic of discusssion during the dinner reception on Saturday, which was also attended by Ambassador Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, chief executive of the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF), focused on Aldabra, now and in the future.

The late Lars Eric Lindblad, the late Tony Beamish and Sir James are the three personalities who spearheaded the campaign to stop the Anglo-American decision to turn Aldabra into a militarty base and which eventually saw the build-up of the Anglo-US military complex shifted eastwards to the Chagos archipelago.

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Education Medium Term Strategic Plan launched

Education Medium Term Strategic Plan launched

14-April-2015

After the years 2013 and 2014 had been dedicated to its formulation, the Education Medium Term Strategic Plan for 2013-2017 and beyond was officially launched at the International Conference Centre (ICCS) yesterday afternoon.

The Education Medium Term Strategic Plan has been defined with the help of the European Union (EU), Unesco, the World Bank and Dr John Nolan, consultant from the National University of Ireland.

The ceremony was attended by Vice-President Danny Faure, Speaker of the National Assembly Honourable Patrick Herminie, acting Chief Justice Durai Karunakaran, government ministers, other members of the National Assembly (MNAs), education officials and partners, teachers, parents and students.

The strategic plan which is a direct result of the 2009-2010 Education Reform Plan is aimed at defining the aims and priorities of the education sector in four core areas. These are early childhood, primary, secondary and tertiary education. It also caters for technical and vocational education as well as lifelong learning. 

The plan has been defined as different from other education strategies because it clearly spells out the role of the Ministry of Education and is aligned with budget protocols. 

It also encourages public private partnership (PPP) as well as community involvement. 
It is believed that this will secure more stakeholders’ involvement and will build more capacity within the ministry. 

In the end, it is expected that the strategy will ensure the modernisation of Seychelles’ education sector through an efficient partnership process. 

While launching the strategy, the Minister for Education Macsuzy Mondon commented that this modernisation has already started with the appointment of a second principal secretary in her ministry, appointment which she said will help bring about reforms. 

Minister Mondon described the strategy as a major education initiative and a roadmap of the education journey we plan to travel on to 2017 which will impact on and transform the education system and shape our future development.

Reminding that Seychelles has already achieved a lot in transforming the education system while maintaining the delivery of a high level of education, she stressed that it was necessary to continue to engage in the transformation beyond 2020. 

She emphasised that the successful implementation of the reform will require the collaboration of all involved in the education system: education officials, school council chairpersons, directors, teachers, parents and students.

The education minister warned that “the most challenging task is the enhancement of teaching at all levels” and that “the success of the strategy depends on the availability of quality teachers”.

“Nothing matters more than good teachers”, she said.
In this view, she concluded that the Seychelles Institute of Teacher Education (Site) will have a major role to play in providing quality teachers in the coming years.

During yesterday’s ceremony, parents, students and teachers pledged their commitment to the strategy. 

Respectively represented by Annarita Hoareau, Emilie Desir and Alain Reddy, they received a copy of the plan from the hands of Minister Mondon. 

The education minister also presented a copy to Vice-President Faure, Speaker Herminie, colleague ministers, EU and Unesco representatives as well as to other partners.

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Cottage industry plays key role in country’s economy

Cottage industry plays key role in country’s economy

02-April-2015

Cottage industry has its place in Seychelles as it plays an important role in the economy of our country and provides employment to people.

But how many people do take up the employment opportunities presented to them? Some critics might say all people want to work to earn their living, but are all of them serious?

A visit to some small family businesses in Baie Lazare and Takamaka districts on Tuesday morning gave President James Michel the chance to see for himself the extent of the problem related to a scarcity of reliable local manpower.

Most of the entrepreneurs complained that they hesitate to employ Seychellois as they are either on drugs and consume a lot of alcohol thus missing work or just steal equipment.

Another issue that came up was access to affordable loans. Some of the entrepreneurs are not even aware of the facilities government has put in place for them.

Despite all these issues, the entrepreneurs have said they are determined to continue doing their business and want to grow and at the same time raise their level of production.

We profile some of the entrepreneurs we met on Tuesday.

Chips maker François Mondon has being running his own business for 20 years and he said he gets help from his dad.

He produces chips from banana, sweet potatoes, cassava and bread fruit, and even prepares moulouk.

The 44-year-old added that he grows some of the raw materials but still has to outsource to meet the demand.

Owner of a mechanical workshop at Anse Forbans, Keven Desaubin worked for Sacos for 14 years before opening his own workshop in 2007.

“Business is doing very well. Our only issue is a lack of serious workers. Seychellois workers are good technically but they consume too much alcohol and drugs. As we don’t have enough workers, we get too much work to do and we can’t deliver all on time. Because we do not have qualified automotive engineer locally, my objective is to look for one from overseas to work on new cars with new technology. He can also train his Seychellois colleagues. My other wish is to benefit from an affordable loan to put the finishing touches to my workshop and also buy new equipment,” said Mr Desaubin.

Farmer Marie-Noella Sanguignon does not possess a plot of land, but she grows cassava, sweet potatoes, beans, chilli and cucumbers among others on a plot at Quatre Bornes belonging to the Pigg family and it is rent-free.

“I’ve been farming this land for 15 years and I work alone. This is very fertile land and I am able to produce enough to sell to small hotels and individuals. I like what I do,” she said.

Carpenter Randy Bonne’s workshop is situated at Takamaka and he works alone, covering all areas of carpentry specialising in wardrobes, cupboards and beds.

“I’ve been running my business for 10 years and I buy wood planks at Anse Forbans. I am registered with Senpa (Small Enterprise Promotion Agency) and I took a first loan from the Seychelles Business Finance Agency (SBFA) to buy a piece of woodworking machinery equipment. After repaying my loan, I applied for another to buy an additional two pieces of equipment. Now I want to build a proper workshop and a house on my father’s land,” said Mr Bonne.

Ray Balette also of Takamaka is a product of the ITC (Industrial Training Centre) the predecessor of SIT (Seychelles Institute of Technology). A finish carpenter he specialises in crafts and creates ornate, detailed, and fine wood products for a variety of uses.

The 30-year-old’s workplace is not in a good state and he says he needs help to get a loan.

“I have two woodworking machinery equipments and it is very difficult for me to work when it rains. I have to move one inside and cover the other. I do not want to exhibit my work in Victoria, I would rather stay in Takamaka,” said Mr Balette who has been running his small business for one and a half years and produces upon demand.

As for Ian Belle, he is happy his small bakery – Ian’s Bakery – at Val Mer is doing very well.

“I bake 5,000 loaves of bread daily and I distribute to hotels and shops in Baie Lazare and Takamaka. I also bake cakes, pudding among others. This is a family business as my wife and 22-year-old son are part of it. I used to employ Seychellois but no more as they consume too much alcohol and are on drugs.

Now, I employ two Malagasies as I have to meet the demand and keep a certain standard and quality of baked products,” said Mr Belle, who added that he has already reimbursed the loan he borrowed from the Development Bank of Seychelles to start his business.

Vegetable and fruit seller Bernadette Antat of Quatre Bornes Baie Lazare said most of her clients are foreigners.

“I sell tomatoes, banana, cassava, sweet potatoes which I grow myself. I get a lot of clients between 12 noon and 6pm and they like the fresh produce. I want to have a plot of land where I can concentrate on cultivating more such produce for sale. My daughter is also studying horticulture and I want her to join me in this business,” said Mrs Antat.

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President Michel visits small businesses in southern districts of Mahe.

President Michel visits small businesses in southern districts of Mahe.

Tue, 31 March 2015

President James Michel visited small businesses in the districts of Takamaka and Baie Lazare this morning, as part of a new series of visits to various communities and businesses this year.

The President undertakes such visits in order to listen to people about their ideas and concerns in the social and economic development of their districts.

He met with two families at Bougainville who are producing various kinds of chips, including banana and breadfruit types, as well as a mechanic at Anse Forbans, who is expanding his workshop. The President then visited a farmer at Quatre Bornes as well as a farmer at Anse Gaulette, as well as two different carpentry workshops at Takamaka, a bakery at Val Mer, a fruit and vegetable seller at Quatres Bornes and a craft maker at Anse à la Mouche.

Following his visit, the President said that during his discussions with the small business owners it was clear that they did not have information on the services available to them to develop their businesses.

“People do not know enough about the facilities that the Government has put in place that can help them in their business. We need to help them and give them more information on the media, and the ministry must be more proactive in going around the country and talking to the small business people and giving them information on how to develop their business and to grow their businesses. I think there should be more consultation, more interaction so that they can receive the necessary advice,” said Mr. Michel.

The President said that he was encouraged by the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of the people in the southern districts of Mahe.

“I think there is a lot of interest and some people are taking it on themselves to start a business and I think we have to promote these businesses more and also make people aware of all the opportunities that exist, the potential that exists…there’s a lot of potential. Today I have visited most of the businesses that are on land but as we turn towards the Blue Economy which is the new frontier for development, there are also opportunities that are waiting for us to tap in the ocean…I will continue to do what I can to empower the Seychellois to take ownership of the economy in every possible way,” he said.

He also noted that the small business owner complained to him about the difficulties they had in hiring people to work for them that are reliable and trustworthy, due to effects of social ills such as drugs and alcohol abuse.Mr Michel said that the country would persevere to battle the social ills which he said is an ongoing battle which the government and society at large would continue to do the best that they can to tackle.

President James Michel was accompanied by the Principal Secretary for Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation Mrs. Maryse Berlouis, District Administrator for Takamaka Mr. Paul Ernesta, District Administrator for Baie Lazare, Ms. Joyce Lepathy, the Member of the National Assembly for Takamaka, the Hon. Alderic Bristol and senior officials of the Office of the President.

Editor's note

• Photo caption: Carpenter Ray Balette shows photos of his furniture products to President Michel, at Takamaka.

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President Michel congratulates President Buhari following election win in Nigeria

President Michel congratulates President Buhari following election win in Nigeria

01.04.2015

On behalf of the Government and people of Seychelles, President James Michel congratulated newly elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, General Muhammadu Buhari.

President Michel described President Buhari’s victory as strong reflection of the trust that the Nigerian people had placed in him to propel Nigeria to even greater heights. 

President Michel noted that the two countries share a long history of excellent cooperation since the establishment of diplomatic relations in January of 1977.

“We have throughout the years undertaken commendable strides especially within the context south-south cooperation, as can be exemplified in the endeavours of the technical aids corps on Seychelles,” noted President Michel.

In his congratulatory note President Michel hoped that Nigeria and Seychelles continue to boost their collaboration on both the bilateral and multilateral spheres.

President Michel said, “I would like to extend my unwavering commitment to work closer with you on issues of mutal concern towards the development of our countries, regions and continent.” 

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