FPAC gives updates on auditor general’s 2013 report

27-May-2015

‘More needs to be done to instil order in public accounts’

Although there have been some major improvements on the part of organisations in managing public funds, there is still work to be done by many entities to instill order in public accounts.

This was said by the chairperson of the National Assembly’s Finance and Public Account Committee (FPAC), David Pierre, while giving an update on the auditor general’s report for the year 2013. 
Mr Pierre, who is also the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, made the remark after holding a hearing on the matter with officials of the department of finance. 

The FPAC is one of the most important committees of the National Assembly which has the mandate of reporting on the effectiveness and efficiency of the management of public funds by ensuring transparency and accountability.

“Once the report is out, we at the FPAC go through it and identify areas where we feel we have to question and find out what has gone wrong. After analysing the report, we prepare a series of questions we need to ask on different ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs) and other entities that are allocated funds from the national budget. After sending the questions we set an answer date for them,” said Mr Pierre. This, he said, is what we call the series of hearings that the committee holds like this one.

Already 12 departments have been called and over 90 questions have been asked on their financial transactions. They are namely the National Human Resource Development Council (NHRDC) now called the Agency for Human Resource Development Council (ANHRC); ministries of health and finance and public health agency; Seychelles Revenue Commission especially on more efficient collection of government taxes through better softwares and technologies; and also some statutory bodies like the Seychelles National Parks Authority (SNPA), Seychelles Heritage Foundation, National Council for the Disabled, Seychelles Agricultural Agency (SAA) , to name some.

“We have asked questions, we have looked for evidence and there have been instances where we have not received any related documents needed so we have lodged a request for them,” he added. 

Mr Pierre said it is after receiving these documents that they can really analyse the answers to the questions asked. This will lead to a report that will be presented to the National Assembly.
“Once the report is approved by the National Assembly it becomes public document,” said Mr Pierre, adding that it will also be available on its website.

Elaborating on recurrent instances of mismanagement of public funds by certain ministries, departments and agencies, Mr Pierre said there are some that have been really making a great effort and have really improved their accounting and funds management procedures.

But there are also repeated offenders whom he said he has brought to the attention of the department of finance for necessary action.
Referring to that, Mr Pierre named some glaring cases like where the department of police has seen an increase in its outstanding debts to almost R2 million which is related to services rendered by the police but have not been paid for. 

Other such cases refer to the NHRDC where R4.89 million is still to be collected, the Seychelles Heritage Foundation that has not submitted its statement of account since 2007, and the department of finance which has made advances of R176.3 million to parastatals and R45 million to the Seychelles Trading Company (STC) that have not been recovered yet. 

He also mentioned the dragging issue of the liquidation of the former Seychelles Marketing Board (SMB) which is still ongoing and which he would like to see an end to it.

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Second Norwegian ambassador to Seychelles accredited

27-May-2015

Victor Conrad Rønneberg is the second ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Seychelles and he presented his credentials to President James Michel in a ceremony held at State House yesterday morning.

President Michel congratulated the new ambassador and said that the government of Seychelles is looking forward to working very closely with him to foster closer ties between the two countries as well as giving new momentum to the already excellent relations.

During their meeting, President Michel and ambassador Rønneberg discussed issues of common interest such as the importance of harnessing resources of the oceans in relation to the Blue Economy concept, the concerns of the small island development states, the forthcoming third International Conference on Financing for Development to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the United Nations convention on climate change to be held in Paris, France this year. 

President Michel and ambassador Rønneberg also talked about areas of possible cooperation in environment and issues related to climate change. 
They also agreed that the two countries should propose a strong framework of cooperation.

Speaking to the local media at the end of the accreditation ceremony, Ambassador Rønneberg said it is a great honour for him to be accredited to Seychelles.
He also said he has commended the President for the excellent work Seychelles is doing in the fight against piracy in the region.

“We are already working with Seychelles mostly through the small islands developments organisations and we certainly would like to strengthen that. We are working with you more directly in the anti-piracy cooperation and we would like to see the possibilities in other areas where we can work more closely together, like for instance, marine security, fight against crimes etc. These are all challenges that we also face and we would like to work with Seychelles in those areas among others,” said the Norwegian ambassador.

The ceremony was attended by Ambassador Derrick Ally, who was representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Transport, Joël Morgan; President’s Diplomatic Advisor, Ambassador Callixte D’Offay; Minister Consular/ Deputy Head of Mission in Nairobi, Vebjørn Heines; and honorary consul for Norway, Chrystold Chetty.
Ambassador Rønneberg is based in Nairobi.

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WHO equipment to upgrade Seychelles’ health care services

WHO equipment to upgrade Seychelles’ health care services

27-May-2015

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has handed over various types of equipment to the Ministry of Health to support and upgrade health care services in Seychelles.

The equipment range from laptops, vaccine fridges, two walk-through temperature scanners, binocular microscope computers, retinal camera, to autoscope and thermoscope.
They were from a request made by the Seychelles Public Health Authority and the Health Care Agency. 

The equipment, worth US $73,253.90, were ordered and eased under the WHO Programme of Action (WHO-POA) for the biennium 2014-2015 which WHO provides every two years to the total amount of US $1.6 million.

Present at the handover where the Minister for Health Mitcy Larue; the WHO liaison officer for Seychelles, Dr Cornelia Atsyor; chief executive of the Health Care Agency Suresh Menon and his deputy Danny Louange; the Commissioner of the Public Health Authority Dr Jude Gedeon; other high officials and staff of both the agency and the Ministry of Health.

Describing the purpose of those pieces of equipment, Dr Atsyor said the body temperature scanners aim to strengthen entry surveillance of infectious diseases. It will ease detection and isolation of passengers entering the country with fevers. 

The binocular microscope computer will help detect tropical disease surveillance especially for accessing data analysis and documentation of the status of the level infestation in school children.

She also said the Health Care Agency will receive a retinal camera for the early detection of retinal complications especially as a result of diabetes. That equipment was configured by Vision Care free of charge, which she described as a very good public/private partnership. Vision Care will also be providing training to staff in that regard.

She said the mannequins, autoscope and ophthalmoscope equipment with accessories are to support the expanded health programme. The mannequins will be used to demonstrate self breast examinations and testicular self-examination in schools while the autoscope and opthalmoscope will be used for ear and eye examinations.

The vaccine machine will facilitate the programme of immunisation while the laptops are for data management.
Dr Louange thanked Dr Atsyor for the donation on behalf of the Ministry of Health, the Health Care Agency and Public Health. 
He said the equipment will help them in delivering better health for the public.

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Minister Morgan statement welcoming Alliance Vanille imminent signing

27.05.2015

The official announcement made today by the Indian Ocean Commission is most welcome and follows technical meetings between our respective national air carriers and at a political level, discussions between member states.  It is the way forward for us and it is an approach that the Seychelles Government  has been  promoting at every opportunity.   

The l’Alliance Vanille  as we know and anticipate, will be the mechanism that paves the way for greater air connectivity between the COI member states, moving  us yet  closer to a common vision of regional integration and boundless cooperation between sister Indian Ocean islands.

This agreement not only reinforces our ‘people to people’ linkages but also strengthens our collective tourism sectors and promotes a positive climate conducive to growth for business and trade within our respective Indian Ocean communities.

As small island developing states, we need to demonstrate clearly that from within our own regional community, that we are doing the maximum, and an alliance between our regional air carriers is an important step in regional air access and connectivity.

We appreciate that our national carrier Air Seychelles earlier this year added its support to the concept of connectivity and access within the region by flying into Madagascar.  Their Mauritius flights as well adds to the access options for customers who may be wanting to travel for business or leisure to these islands.  Code shares and flights by other airlines, such as the Air Austral into the Seychelles, is providing choice. 

This announcement confirms the intent and the willingness by all to do more.  We therefore look forward to the official signing on the 18th of June 2015 in Antananarivo by representatives of our respective carriers.  A date which will serve as a marker in time when our regional states came together to further  bridge the divides to improve connectivity and by that creating more development opportunity for all.

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Second Norwegian Ambassador to Seychelles Accredited

Second Norwegian Ambassador to Seychelles Accredited

27.05.2015

The second ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to the Republic of Seychelles, H.E. Victor Conrad Rønneberg, presented his credentials to President James Michel in ceremony held at State House today.

President Michel congratulated the new Ambassador and said that the Goverment of Seychelles is looking forward to working very closely with him to foster closer ties between the two countries as well as giving new momentum to the already excellent relations.

During their meeting they discussed issues of common interest such as the importance of harnessing resources of the oceans in relation to the Blue Economy concept, the concerns of the Small Islands Development States, the upcoming third International Conference on Financing for Development to be held in Addis Ababa and the United Nations Convention on Climate Change to be held in Paris this year. President Michel and Ambassador Rønneberg also talked about areas of possible cooperation in environment and issues related to climate change. They also agreed that the two countries should propose a strong framework of cooperation.

After the accreditation ceremony Ambassador Rønneberg told the national media that it is a great honour for him to be accredited to the Seychelles and said that he had commended the President for the excellent work Seychelles is doing in the fight against piracy in the region.

“We are already working with the Seychelles mostly through the Small Islands Developments organisations and we certainly would like to strengthen that. We are working with you more directly in the anti-piracy cooperation and we would like to see the possibilities in other areas where we can work more closely together, like for instance, marine security, fight against crimes etc. These are all challenges that we also meet and we would like to work with Seychelles in those areas among others,” said the Norwegian Ambassador.

The ceremony this morning was attended by Ambassador Derrick Ally, which was representing the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Transport, Mr. Joël Morgan and also present was the President’s Diplomatic Advisor, Ambassador Callixte D’Offay, Minister Consular/  Deputy Head of Mission in Nairobi, Mr. Vebjørn Heines, and Honorary Consul for Norway, Mr Chrystold Chetty.

Ambassador Rønneberg is based in Nairobi.

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‘Sacos has prospered and has the potential to continue growing,’ says outgoing CEO

The outgoing chief executive of the Sacos Group Ltd Antonio Lucas has said the insurance company has grown over the last decade and has the potential to continue growing.

Although it has maintained its popularity among the public, there is however a need for the firm to extend business outside Seychelles as well, as more competitors come in, Mr Lucas noted.

The announcement that Mr Lucas would step down came earlier this month. He has been working in insurance in Seychelles for the past 26 years. He was the executive chairman of the State Assurance Corporation of Seychelles before it was privatised in 2006 to become the Sacos Group Ltd.

Speaking a week after the announcement Mr Lucas, who will soon be 64, has witnessed the development and growth of Sacos over the years but how has the insurance company’s journey been?

“It has been smooth. The company went through some reorganisation after it was privatised to form the Sacos Group Ltd, the holding company which now comprises three subsidiaries: the Sacos Insurance Company which deals with short-term insurance -- motor, marine, properties, buildings…;  Sacos Life Assurance Company Ltd which deals with long-term insurance – endowment , mortgage protection…; and Sun Investments which manages Sacos Group Ltd  properties,” Mr Lucas explained.

He said business has increased considerably over the years and this thanks to teamwork -- with the cooperation of the board, the directors and members of staff who have all stayed with the company. 
He noted that the company ensures continuous training for its employees both in- house on the job, abroad and via corespondence, adding that at present there are two employees doing their masters in insurance in the UK.

Mr Lucas said that today insurance penetration in Seychelles is the highest in Africa and among the highest in the world.
“This is in terms of the number of clients and the premiums they pay,” Mr Lucas added.

He explained that premiums have risen considerably from for instance R54 million   when the company was privatised in 2006 to R99 million in 2010 and R144 million last year in terms of short-term insurance where the bulk of the business lies.

But Mr Lucas pointed out that the market itself here is small and it is difficult for the company to actually grow as it would like to. 

“This is why we need to extend our business overseas as well but for that the company is still waiting for approval from the Financial Services Authority,” he  said.
But Mr Lucas added that as part of its future plans, Sacos intends to continue to expand in property investments.

He noted that with other insurance companies coming in, Sacos too needs to go out and get business abroad as it is secure and has its reinsurance cover and all.

Among Sacos’ competitors, Harry Savy Insurance (HSI) is the most important as  the others (MUA and Falcon) are small and have no big impact on Sacos’ growth, Mr Lucas remarked.

But what has made the company’s success? Mr Lucas said there has been growth in the market due to increasing demands for insurance covers and some intensive marketing and education making people realise they need to take an insurance. 

He said the company has come a long way, has grown and will no doubt continue to grow with or without him at the helm.
But what now for the man who has been in insurance for so many years?

“My future plans are not clear yet as I’ve got a few options on which I am working. But Iwould be around and I may decide to join other investors and form a company but everything is still on the table at this stage,” Mr Lucas said.

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Air Seychelles congratulates SCAA on 10th anniversary

Air Seychelles has congratulated the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) on the 10th anniversary of its operations.
The SCAA was established in 2005 to replace the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DCA) and has played an important role in ensuring the safety and security of air travel to and from Seychelles, the development of air transport, and the management of airport and air navigation infrastructure.

Manoj Papa, chief executive of Air Seychelles, congratulated senior representatives of SCAA, including chief executive Gilbert Faure, during a short ceremony on Friday morning.
Mr Papa said: “Over the past 10 years, the SCAA has made an enormous contribution to the development of the aviation industry in Seychelles, and we would like to commend the staff on their achievements.

“In addition to modernising over 60 bilateral air access agreements, which are the foundations on which we operate air services, the SCAA has also presided over the ongoing redevelopment of the Seychelles International Airport, an important first and last point of contact for our guests. Our goals of supporting the growth of tourism are strategically aligned and we are proud of our strong partnership.”

To recognise their achievements, Air Seychelles will provide SCAA staff with a once-only offer of reduced price tickets to any destination on the Air Seychelles network, an initiative that has been endorsed by the chairman of Air Seychelles, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Transport, Joël Morgan.


Mr Papa also presented Mr Faure with a Mersi certificate of appreciation, an Air Seychelles award that recognises outstanding contribution.
Mr Faure said: “During the past decade, we have worked in close collaboration with our national airline, Air Seychelles, an airline that shares our commitment to safety and our vision to connect Seychelles to the world.

“We look forward to working closer together in the years to come to achieve our common objectives, for the Seychelles that we love. I take this opportunity on behalf of SCAA management and staff to wholeheartedly thank Air Seychelles for this kind gesture, which is highly appreciated.”

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Regional conference discusses food insecurity under a changing climate

The Southern African Confederation of Agriculural Unions (Sacau), the organisation that groups farmers in the Southern African region, held its annual conference this week at the Savoy Hotel at Beau Vallon. 

The aim of the two-day conference was to discuss, share ideas and explore innovative and sustainable options to increase productivity in agriculture and key natural resources on which it depends to sustain production of food for the growing world population. 

Topics discussed included the management of soil, water, fisheries, range-lands, forests, other natural resources to feed the world and their effect on productivity, innovative practices and also the adoption of climate smart farming.

Seventeen organisations from twelve Sacau member countries from Southern Africa namely Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe along with consultants, financial institutions, policy makers, regional organisations such as the African Union (AU), Comesa, among others, took part in the conference which was officially opened by the Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture Wallace Cosgrow.

In his opening remarks, Minister Cosgrow welcomed all the foreign delegates to Seychelles and reminded them that feeding the world has always been a challenge.

However, with the current trends and the many efforts across the globe, significant inroads have been attained in this noble task as sadly, Sub-Saharan Africa, our region according to reports, has the highest prevalence of undernourishment, with only modest progress made in recent years with around 25% of the population still remain undernourished.

“The importance of the political will to place food and nutrition security at the top of the political agenda and to create the environment which will allow for adequate and appropriate investment and stakeholder participation in this effort towards ridding the world of hunger cannot be overemphasised,” he said. 

Minister Cosgrow also talked about the Seychelles National Agriculture Investment Plan to be endorsed by the cabinet later.

Sacau president, Dr Theo de Jager, thanked the Seychelles farmers for hosting the conference along with other partners and aids institutions and also welcomed the women farmers for their contributions in the conference. The women farmers had previously taken part in the 2015 regional women farmers empowering conference held during the week ending May 23. 

“It is us the farmers that bear and sustain most of the effect of climate change especially in our region and this is why we have to form part in discussions on climate change. In our region we hold the world’s poorest farmers and the world’s most successful farmers. This is what we proud ourselves in Sacau. Our big dream is by the end of this year, the Kyoto protocol must be replaced by a new document in which agriculture has its rightful place but we must have a firm agreement among each other in our deliberations on how we are going to implement climate smart agriculture in our region,” he said.

The chairman of the Seychelles Farmers’ Association (SeyFa) Serge Benstrong expressed his deep appreciation and gratitude to Sacau for its commitments to the ongoing Africas’ efforts to increase food production in the face of climate change so as to reduce poverty and hunger in the region. 

“The challenge will need to be met in a world with a shrinking arable land base, less and more expensive petroleum and increasingly limited supplies of water and nitrogen, and within a scenario of a rapidly changing climate, social tensions and economic uncertainty,” he said.

Last year the Sacau conference was held in Lesotho and next year Swaziland will be the host country.

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Regional conference discusses food insecurity under a changing climate

The Southern African Confederation of Agriculural Unions (Sacau), the organisation that groups farmers in the Southern African region, held its annual conference this week at the Savoy Hotel at Beau Vallon. 

The aim of the two-day conference was to discuss, share ideas and explore innovative and sustainable options to increase productivity in agriculture and key natural resources on which it depends to sustain production of food for the growing world population. 

Topics discussed included the management of soil, water, fisheries, range-lands, forests, other natural resources to feed the world and their effect on productivity, innovative practices and also the adoption of climate smart farming.

Seventeen organisations from twelve Sacau member countries from Southern Africa namely Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe along with consultants, financial institutions, policy makers, regional organisations such as the African Union (AU), Comesa, among others, took part in the conference which was officially opened by the Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture Wallace Cosgrow.

In his opening remarks, Minister Cosgrow welcomed all the foreign delegates to Seychelles and reminded them that feeding the world has always been a challenge.

However, with the current trends and the many efforts across the globe, significant inroads have been attained in this noble task as sadly, Sub-Saharan Africa, our region according to reports, has the highest prevalence of undernourishment, with only modest progress made in recent years with around 25% of the population still remain undernourished.

“The importance of the political will to place food and nutrition security at the top of the political agenda and to create the environment which will allow for adequate and appropriate investment and stakeholder participation in this effort towards ridding the world of hunger cannot be overemphasised,” he said. 

Minister Cosgrow also talked about the Seychelles National Agriculture Investment Plan to be endorsed by the cabinet later.

Sacau president, Dr Theo de Jager, thanked the Seychelles farmers for hosting the conference along with other partners and aids institutions and also welcomed the women farmers for their contributions in the conference. The women farmers had previously taken part in the 2015 regional women farmers empowering conference held during the week ending May 23. 

“It is us the farmers that bear and sustain most of the effect of climate change especially in our region and this is why we have to form part in discussions on climate change. In our region we hold the world’s poorest farmers and the world’s most successful farmers. This is what we proud ourselves in Sacau. Our big dream is by the end of this year, the Kyoto protocol must be replaced by a new document in which agriculture has its rightful place but we must have a firm agreement among each other in our deliberations on how we are going to implement climate smart agriculture in our region,” he said.

The chairman of the Seychelles Farmers’ Association (SeyFa) Serge Benstrong expressed his deep appreciation and gratitude to Sacau for its commitments to the ongoing Africas’ efforts to increase food production in the face of climate change so as to reduce poverty and hunger in the region. 

“The challenge will need to be met in a world with a shrinking arable land base, less and more expensive petroleum and increasingly limited supplies of water and nitrogen, and within a scenario of a rapidly changing climate, social tensions and economic uncertainty,” he said.

Last year the Sacau conference was held in Lesotho and next year Swaziland will be the host country.

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Technical and vocational education get big boost

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Seychelles are expected to be enhanced following the signing last week of an accord between the country’s TVET department and the Hubei Provincial Department of Education of China.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by the principal secretary for tertiary ducation, policy planning and administration Linda Barallon and the director general for Hubei Provincial Department of Education Liu Chuantie.

The signing was witnessed by the Minister for Education Macsuzy Mondon and the Chinese ambassador to Seychelles, Yin Lixian. 
Also present were high education officials of both countries.

The MoU will help in promoting cooperation especially in the technical vocational education and training at the level of tertiary non-university education and training institute.

Such institutions as the Seychelles Institute of Technology (Sit), the Seychelles Agricultural and Horticultural Training Centre (SAHTC) and the Maritime Training College (MTC), which constitute a vital pillar of the local education system in providing quality workforce for the country, are currently transforming into professional centres. The planned centres are in line with the Ministry of Education’s medium-term strategy 2013-2017.

Minister Mondon said she is looking forward to making that cooperation between the two countries a fruitful one.
As for China, the signing not only consolidates the already good friendship between China and Seychelles but also promotes cooperation in education. 
China will in future donate computers to the Seychelles education system and also provide information technology exchange. 

Minister Mondon said the donation comes at an opportune time and will enforce her ministry’s ICT curriculum in its schools.
There were also exchanges of gifts and tokens of appreciation between the director general and the minister. Minister Mondon received a photo collection of Hubei from Mr Chuantie while he in turn received a book on Seychelles from the minister.

Hubei Provincial Department of Education has undertaken 180 projects with foreign countries. There are already eight Seychellois students studying there, five of whom are following master’s degrees. Minister Mondon paid a visit there in 2010.

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PRESIDENT JAMES MICHEL’S MESSAGE ON THE OCCASION OF AFRICA DAY 2015

Sun, 24 May 2015

Today, on the 25th of May 2015, Seychelles joins the rest of the world in celebrating Africa Day.

Today, we look not at our insularity and the ocean that physically separates us from the mother continent, but rather, at the rich cultural heritage and values that make us part of Africa.

Africa Day is an occasion for us to celebrate our African identity and heritage and for us to take pride in who we are as a people.  It is also an opportunity for us to take stock of how far we have come, and to contemplate where we want to go.

In January of this year, two years after celebrating the 50th anniversary of OAU/AU, African Leaders endorsed  Africa Agenda 2063, which is not just a document noting our aspirations, but a framework which will guide the development of Africa for the next 50 years.

Africa Agenda 2063 emphasizes a development that is sustainable and inclusive, and it is only fitting that the theme that the African Union has adopted for this year's celebration highlights the empowerment of women.  As the age-old adage goes: "teach a girl, educate a nation".  For far too long, African women and girls have been the victims of discrimination.  I am proud today to say that Africa is committed to move forward and give African women and girls the place and the status that they deserve.

Africa has its challenges.  As a continent, we will not manage to meet all of the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by September 2015 and we continue to have difficulties with the provision of basic needs such as food, water and sanitation.

Africa should , however, not lose sight of the fact that big strides have been taken and development have been achieved, especially noting that as a continent, we started off very far from the end goals.

The adoption of the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals later this year will provide Africa with the opportunity to continue along its path of development and bridge the gaps where they still exist.

Today, let us celebrate Africa's many strengths, ranging from the serene beauty of its islands to its snow-capped mountain peaks, from the wildness of its savannas to its calm beaches, and from its vast deserts to its rich forests.  Let us celebrate the African culture, music and cuisine which is exported to and appreciated by the rest of the world.  Let us celebrate the values of unity that Africa upholds as a continent.

Let us celebrate Africa.

Happy Africa Day.

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President Michel visits businesses in the Anse Boileau and Anse Royale districts

Thu, 21 May 2015

President James Michel visited several businesses in the districts of Anse Boileau and Anse Royale today, which forms part of a series of visits to various communities and businesses with the aim of sharing views on their entrepreneurial activities.

President Michel met with a lady at Anse Boileau who has her own hairdressing salon and who wishes to expand her business as she is getting more clients. He also visited as a craft workshop. The President then visited a farm at Montagne Posee which the owner also produces traditional cassava galette. He then visited a farmer at Anse Boileau, Hermitage and a poultry and egg farm at Anse Louis Upper.

President Michel then proceeded to the Anse Royale district, where he visited a young entrepreneur at Bougainville who is producing various kinds of chips, including banana and breadfruit types. At Sweet Escott, he met with the owner of a coffee and spice packaging workshop.

At Les Cannelles, Mr. Michel met a gentleman who has a crafting workshop as well as two entrepreneurs who have flower arrangement businesses at their residence. One of them also briefed him on her plans to renovate two rooms with the aim at renting as self-catering rooms. The President then ended his district visit at a farm at Anse Royale where he was briefed on an innovative way to plant different kinds of organic vegetables.

Following his visit, the President said that he was impressed with the entrepreneurial spirit of the Seychellois people in both districts and their desire to grow their businesses. He also noted the constraints that some of these businesses are facing and that a lot of emphasis should be put on facilitating permissions to do business, lease agreements, access to water, swift access to cargos at Customs among other issues.

“This visit has enabled me to see progress made in entrepreneurial activities and it was an opportune time for some of these business owners to share their concerns and difficulties that have to be addressed. I am pleased to see the spirit of innovation,  and their determination to expand. Nevertheless, I encourage more young people to start a small business, be innovative, and to find ways to improve the traditional ways of producing local products ,” said the President.

President James Michel was accompanied by the Minister for Investment, Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation, Mr. Michael Benstrong, Principal Secretary for Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation, Mrs. Maryse Berlouis, the Member of the National Assembly for Anse Boileau, the Hon. Bernard Arnephy, District Administrator for Anse Boileau, Ms. Valcy Naiken,  the Member of the National Assembly for Anse Royale, the Hon. Dereck Samson, District Administrator for Anse Royale, Mr. Jim-Roy Jeannevol.

Editor's note:

• Photo caption: Mrs. Leoni showing President Michel how she makes traditional cassava galettes.

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Maryvonne Pool, a true Seychellois and ardent supporter of the Seychelles’ Carnival

MARYVONNE POOL ONCE AGAIN SPONSORS GIANT SEYCHELLES CARNIVAL BANNER

The Seychelles’ Consul to Tanzania, who is also the Seychelles Tourism Ambassador in Tanzania, Ms. Maryvonne Pool, has once again sponsored the giant posters which will be put on display across Victoria ahead of the upcoming fifth edition of the Seychelles’ Carnival.

Maryvonne, who was instrumental in bringing Air Seychelles’ flights to Dar es Salaam last December, when the airline launched their twice a week services between Mahe and Dar, has over the past years regularly donated the giant displays, made in Dar es Salaam by one of her companies, and shipped them to Mahe to show her solidarity and support to the tourism board and ministry on her home island.

The 20 metre by 3 metre giant banner, which was flown to Mahe by Air Seychelles and is now on display in the centre of Victoria outside the Cultural Centre, has this year been supplemented by a second display banner which will used as a backdrop behind the new VIP and media area outside the stadium from where the carnival juggernaut will go underway at 15.00 hrs on Saturday, 25th of April.

Both Minister St. Ange, in charge of tourism and culture and the CEO of STB, Ms. Sherin Naiken, have expressed their appreciation and gratitude to Maryvonne, who has since the inaugural event 5 years ago faithfully supported the carnival festival by sending in the banners saving the organizers tens of thousands of dollars in production cost over the years.

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Tourists now get free Wi-Fi at Mahe International Airport

Seychelles’ leading telecommunications company, Cable & Wireless (C&W), has reportedly just signed an agreement with the Seychelles’ Civil Aviation Authority to provide free Wi-Fi services for passengers at the archipelago’s main airports. Benefitting arriving and departing passengers using the international terminal, this will allow them to almost instantly send Tweets, Instagram pictures, and Facebook messages, as a first brag towards their friends and as a last memento before they board their aircraft to fly home.

The service also extends to the adjoining domestic terminal – which is undergoing major transformation – and the domestic aerodrome on the archipelago’s second largest island Praslin.

Present at the launch, which was performed by the Principal Secretary for Information and Communications Technology, Benjamin Choppy, was the Seychelles’ Minister for Foreign Affairs and Transport Joel Morgan, Cable & Wireless Seychelles CEO Charles Hammond, and SCAA CEO Gilbert Faure.

Once connected, passengers can use the free service for 60 minutes after which one either pays or else goes silent.

The Air Seychelles First and Business Class lounge at the airport offers unrestricted free Wi-Fi for premium passengers, besides a splendid view over the runway and the apron, allowing for great pictures of aircraft landing, taxiing, and parking.

Across the islands, C&W provides hotspots which tourists, at a cost, can sign into.

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President Michel receives Seychellois Athletes who won golds at South African Open Athletic Championships

President Michel receives Seychellois Athletes who won golds at South African Open Athletic Championships

Tue, 19 May 2015

President James Michel received Ms. Lissa Labiche and Mr. Norris Brioche at State House today.  The two high jumpers won gold medals in the South African Open Athletic Championships, which was held in Potchefstroom. They were accompanied by the Minister for Community Development, Social Affairs and Sports, Mr. Vincent Meriton.

The President reiterated his heartfelt congratulations to them following his message to them last week saying how they have brought pride to their country. He commended both athletes for the excellent ranking internationally and expressed the government’ full support to their preparation for the upcoming competitions.

“I urge both of you to continue with determination in your high jump discipline in order to make Seychelles have more recognition at the international level,” said the President.

“I know that there will need to be a lot of sacrifices on your part if you want to succeed, it will not be easy but you need to work hard for achievements. Continue to be good role models for our young people and with perseverance and sacrifices you will achieve your goals,” added the President.

During the meeting they briefed the President on the South African Open Athletic Championships as well as other upcoming competitions and preparations.

Speaking to the national media after the meeting, Mr. Brioche said, “I am very happy to have met the President. After the meeting I feel more motivated and he has inspired me to do better in my discipline, in order to achieve better results for myself and my country. My goal now is to have a better rank, I am aiming for 2.05 metres. I know it will not be easy but with concentration in my training I can make it,” he said.

Now ranked best overall in the Indian Ocean, Ms. Labiche said that the meeting with the President shows his interest in sports and their professional development.

“I thank him for his continued support. We have discussed our next preparation for the Indian Ocean Games and targets as well as my participation at the forthcoming All Africa Games and the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. I would like to encourage all other athletes in various disciplines to train with determination and strive for achievements just like I have done. Keeping in mind that the Indian Ocean Games is near and we need to bring victory to Seychelles. Personally, my vision is to give my best for my country and win a medal either in the World Championship or the All Africa Games,” concluded Ms. Labiche in the interview.

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Skull unearthed on new hotel site, no bullet casings found

18-May-2015

Police officers seen using metal detectors inside a cordoned area on Saturday morning at the site of the soon-to-open hotel at Beau Vallon were not filming a new movie about forensic investigation. They were trying to locate bullet casings after a human skull was found there. 

The grisly mystery was unearthed in the hotel compound last week by a landscape worker and when Seychelles NATION contacted the police on the matter on Friday night, they said they could not confirm it.

On Saturday morning, assistant commissioner for policing, Reginald Elizabeth confirmed to the media that they have found a human skull at the site, but no bullet casings as some people have been saying.

Speaking to the media at the site itself, Mr Elizabeth said they received information about the discovery late Friday afternoon and when asked why they did not come to the scene on the same day, he replied they could not as it is a “dense and dark area”.

“By day break Saturday we were at the scene and we managed to find out the name of the landscape worker who found the skull and eventually locate him. That person had moved the skull from its original position and he showed us where he had buried it,” said Mr Elizabeth.

Asked to confirm if it is true there is a bullet hole in the skull, Mr Elizabeth said he could not at this time.
Concerning bullet casings which some landscape workers have said they have seen, Mr Elizabeth said the police had not seen any at the time of conducting the interview at around 11.15am on Saturday May 16, 2015.

“As you can see we are using metal detectors to try to locate any bullet casings if there is any,” continued Mr Elizabeth who added that some landscape workers said they first saw bullet casings on Monday May 11, 2015.

Still according to Mr Elizabeth, the police’s forensic investigation will continue at their Mont Fleuri-based laboratory to determine if it is the skull of a man or a woman and even the age of the person.

“This will help to narrow down our investigation. If as it is being said there is injury to the skull we will have to first determine if this is true. If yes we have to see if the injury could have caused the person’s death. Then we will have to determine if there has been an act of criminality,” said Mr Elizabeth who added that there was no evidence of any clothes.

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Airtel Money a fast, simple, secure mobile commerce service

Airtel Seychelles has unveiled another world class technology – a fast, simple and secure mobile commerce service that will allow its users to load cash on their mobile devices, top up their airtime, pay utility bills, shop at a variety of merchant outlets and carry out mobile banking.

The new service is called ‘Airtel Money’ and the telecommunication company officially launched it last Friday night at the Savoy Seychelles Resort & Spa in the presence of Vice-President Danny Faure. The event coincided with the first Information and Telecommunications Technology (ICT) week in Seychelles being celebrated under the theme ‘Telecommunications and ICTs: Drivers of Innovation’. Mr Faure is also the minister responsible for ICT.

Also present at the launch were ministers, the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, David Pierre, members of the diplomatic corps, chief executive officers and other distinguished guests and staff of Airtel Seychelles.

“Today’s launch is a major milestone not only for Airtel but for Seychelles as well.  What today’s event means is that Airtel has been at the forefront of telecom revolution and has set the technology trends by aligning with global standards,” said Airtel Seychelles managing director Amadou Dinah.

He said the launch of ‘Airtel Money’ came after the company was the first to launch other mobile services like prepaid products, 3G, 3.75G and 4G.
“This service will see a massive growth in business over mobile services in the country,” added Mr Dinah. 

He also had words of thanks for all stakeholders involved in the project like the government of Seychelles through the Ministry of Finance, Trade and the Blue Economy, the Central Bank which has been the regulator and facilitator of the project and the department of information communications and technology (DICT) which made the launch possible.

On behalf of the Seychelles government, Vice-President Faure congratulated Airtel Seychelles for continuing to invest in the ICT sector in order to meet the needs of its customers.

“Mobile money is indeed an ICT driven innovation that has revolutionised the lives of millions of people worldwide, who have never had access to conventional banking services, by allowing them to make use of their mobile phones to transfer money, make payments and access financial services,” said VP Faure.

The launch of mobile money, he said, is very significant to the government in view of the country’s determination to ensure financial inclusion of as many Seychellois as possible. It is also aligned to the drive by the Central Bank of Seychelles to promote electronic channels of payments and their processing.

He cited some of the main services offered by mobile money saying the government welcomes such innovation and investment, since they allow the country to improve its competitiveness both regionally and internationally.

Since mobile money services involve both the telecommunication and financial services, the Central Bank of Seychelles has worked in close collaboration with DICT to put in place the necessary regulatory framework to establish a level playing field for operators in both the financial services and mobile telecommunications sectors to protect the consumers.

Jenifer Sullivan, second deputy governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles, said “while this development will positively impact on the visibility of the Airtel brand on the market, it is also in tandem with the Central Bank of Seychelles policy to modernise the country’s payment system since it allows for the adoption of innovative technological platforms to expand access to financial services.” 

She noted that the steps being taken by the Central Bank of Seychelles and the private sector to enhance the national payment system and bring forth innovative payment facilities are a welcome development for the country’s economy since customers will find improved ease of transacting and of doing business.

Navneet Singh Mehta, director of Airtel Money and Prepaid Services, then explained how the process works. There was also a demonstration by ‘Mr Money’, the cartoon character advertising the service.

Customers only have to ‘Dial *400# on their mobile to get started after they have registered for the service at Airtel Seychelles.

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En Moman Avek Prezidan - ‘I trust the people’s intelligence to make the right choice for our country’

President James Michel has said he trusts the intelligence of the people to make the right and good choice of leaders and politics for our country if they want peace and stability which are essential for continued economic development, growth and prosperity to prevail.

Speaking on Seychelles Broadcasting Television (SBC) TV in the En Moman Avek Prezidan interview last night, President Michel was referring to the recent political development whereby more new political parties have entered the political scene.

But President Michel said this is a sign that our democracy is in good health and during the 11 years he has been working together with the people, he has transformed the country, built a strong economy and consolidated democracy. A democracy which he says allows for more diverse political views and opinion through unity and stability. 

“We have succeeded in carrying out the transformation and today we have a strong and robust and still developing economy which is benefitting all the people,” President Michel pointed out.
Mr Michel noted that as our democracy continues to develop and evolve and politically the country is stable, therefore the time is right for more people to come and join politics and want to become president.

“This is right, it brings more competition, more diversity and choice but in the end it is the people who will decide if they want the continued progress where peace and stability continue to reign in the country so that we can go on working and generating wealth for our people and families. As for me I trust the intelligence of the Seychellois people to make the right and good choice for our country,” Mr Michel said.

But the President has stressed that no one will make him change his determination and commitment to work for the wellbeing of all the people of Seychelles without exception, and that he will never work in the interest of any group of people.

“I am sure that the forthcoming elections will be interesting and where the people will show their wisdom. I am going to ask the people for another mandate which will be my last under the Constitution. This is because I need to complete all the work that I have been doing during the last 11 years. This I will accomplish during the next five years to ensure we have the Seychelles we all want for the future of our youths,” President Michel said.

Like everyone else President Michel said he listened with interest the interview of the recently registered new political party Lalyans Seselwa but when asked for his views, his only remark was that    people who live in glass houses should not throw stones. He added that he will make further comments during the forthcoming Parti Lepep congress next month.

But the President is of the view that the recent political development has somehow awaken the people and rekindle a strong kind of political fervour that he has not seen before in the history of Parti Lepep. 

“I believe that after this election we will know the true strength of Parti Lepep,” President Michel remarked.
With regard to corruption which the different political parties have promised to tackle, President Michel said these allegations are only perceptions of corruption.

 “All the time people talk about corruption and today if someone wants to create a political party and carry out political propaganda it is enough to say you will fight corruption. But the government has stepped up its effort to eliminate perception of corruption and corruption itself wherever there may be,” President Michel said.

He added that perception of corruption exists but up until now no one has produced any tangible proof of corruption itself to allow for a prosecution. “But the government has put in place the Ethics Commission whereby all heads of government including myself as well as other civil servants must declare their assets. I would like to reiterate that the government is committed to continue to eliminate not only perception of corruption but corruption itself if there is any, when and where it exists provided there is tangible proof,” the President stressed.

Increasing retirement pensions, the different other benefits and addressing disparities in salaries which again are the main focus of the different political parties, President Michel said he explained those issues in his State-of-the-Nation address.

“Before 2009 the country’s economy was on the brink of bankruptcy due to the adverse effects of local as well as international factors impacting on us, but as a result of some brave decisions taken with support from the people we have succeeded in turning our economy around. But as a responsible leader, I have a duty and responsibility towards the people not to take any populist actions which would endanger our economy and make it impossible to sustain these pension and benefits,” President Michel stressed. 

But Mr Michel reiterated that as the economy prospers and when the country can afford, the government will continue as per its commitment and promise to the people to progressively increase pensions, benefits and salaries.

“This is because as a responsible government we want to ensure continued prosperity for the people,” President Michel noted.

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WEF GLOBAL TRAVEL & TOURISM REPORT 2015 PLACES SEYCHELLES IN 2nd. POSITION IN EASTERN & SOUTHERN AFRICA

WEF GLOBAL TRAVEL & TOURISM REPORT 2015 PLACES SEYCHELLES IN 2nd. POSITION IN EASTERN & SOUTHERN AFRICA

In the recently published World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness report for 2015, Seychelles has scored highly across a range of indices to win second position in the Eastern and Southern Africa category behind only the recognised power house of the continent, South Africa.

The benchmarks employed in the report included prioritisation of T&T, international openness, price competitiveness, environmental sustainability, air transport infrastructure, ground and port infrastructures, tourist service infrastructure, natural resources and cultural resources and business travel.

In the same report, high-scoring Seychelles won 2^nd place, finding itself above 3^rd placed Mauritius, 5^th placed Kenya, 7^th placed Tanzania and 9^th placed Zambia out of a total of 18 countries.

“This report clearly shows the underlying strength of Seychelles’ tourism and the fact that, despite our small size and that of our tourism budget, we continue to punch way above our weight, second only to mighty South Africa,” stated the Minister for Tourism & Culture Alain St. Ange.

Despite considerable budget cuts, the Seychelles Tourism Board has continued to successfully diversify its tourism markets outside its traditional European markets, many of which find themselves in economic difficulties. New markets have been successfully opened up in China and South Korea as well as in the UAE, Russia and the CIS block, Africa and India.

Seychelles has also recovered well from the crippling loss of Air Seychelles’ direct services to Europe which now look set to be recommenced to Paris in mid-2015 under the current Air Seychelles/Etihad partnership offering a potential boost to tourist figures.

“What we must never lose sight of is the fact that tourism is not one dimensional. Successful tourism has many components which need to work in harmony to be effective. Tourism is not just about clever marketing because today’s discerning tourist is armed with an arsenal of tools to assist them in making the right choice for their hard-earned vacation: Trip Advisor; Facebook; Twitter; Wayne and a whole suite of other social media platforms that exist to provide them with the latest information and peer-generated reviews about tourism products the world over. What is of paramount importance to the success of our tourism is that the quality of the product matches our marketing of it,” added Alain St. Ange.

Sherin Naiken, the CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board went on to outline certain of the challenges being faced by the industry such as the prohibitive cost of inter-island transportation which undermines the viability of island-hopping, one of Seychelles’ key selling points. Also, the  excessive pricing of add-ons by accommodation establishments and service providers such as charging over SCR100 for locally-bottled water.

“Tourism is a collective effort requiring the engagement, commitment and support of each and every member of our society. When a tourist is burgled or attacked on one of our country’s nature trails, we are all losers. And no amount of clever marketing will make a difference if we lose our reputation for security. Similarly, our pristine environment and its attributes must be properly maintained if we are to continue to attract visitors to what we market as one of the planet’s last sanctuaries for unique nature. Providing adequate human resources for our expanding tourism industry remains a challenge and I would ask all Seychellois working in the hospitality industry to bear in mind that working in tourism should be regarded as a worthy vocation, not as a part-time occupation, because that will not provide us with the quality we need,” Miss Naiken said. “Our high scoring position in this report clearly shows that, despite the challenges we face in this extremely competitive industry, we are on the right track and is a vindication of all the hard work being put in by all tourism stakeholders. We should all be proud of our achievement." Seychelles Tourism has confirmed their determination to continue to work to keep Seychelles in the forefront of the Tourism World and this is why they have now moved the concentration of their action from marketing to the product side of the equation.

The Ministry of Tourism & Culture has also commented on the fact that all the possible negative happenings in Seychelles, the destination that is promoted as the holiday paradise, is today being disseminated to the world for all to know and this immaterial if this news tarnishes the image of the same Seychelles in the world of tourism.

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Seychelles celebrates first ICT week

Seychelles celebrates first ICT week

For the first time Seychelles is celebrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Week with a series of activities under the theme ‘ICT as Driver of Innovation’.

Vice-President Danny Faure, in his capacity as the minister responsible for ICT, launched the week-long activities during a ceremony held at the Seychelles trading company conference room yesterday afternoon and which was attended by several ministers, key government officials, department of ICT staff among other distinguished guests.

Vice-President Faure described the occasion as a milestone for the local ICT sector and said it will be celebrated annually as from now on.

May 17 is the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.

“This day is commemorated to help raise awareness about the possibilities that the use of the internet and other information and communication technologies (ICTs) can bring to our society and our economy. Hence the reason for us to organise our first ICT week during this period,” Vice-President Faure said when he addressed everyone present.

May 17 also marks the establishment of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in 1865.

The ITU is a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN) which deals with matters associated with broadcasting and telecommunications. 

This has evolved to encompass what is now commonly referred to as ICT. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the ITU. 

Every year, the day is celebrated under a particular theme, and the theme for this year is ‘Telecommunication and ICTs: Drivers of Innovation’.

“To be in line with this year’s ITU theme, Seychelles is also commemorating this occasion with an ICT week under the theme ‘ICT as Driver of Innovation’,” Vice-President Faure explained.

He noted that this goes well with what we want the ICT week to become.

“We want it to be a week whereby the actors in the local ICT sector showcase their achievements and also use it as an opportunity to announce new services or initiatives they are undertaking. It is a time when we will give them maximum visibility possible on a national scale,” said Vice-President Faure.

Next week, Vice-President Faure will be visiting many of the stakeholders to appreciate the development they have made and get to know more about the challenges they are facing.

During the launch ceremony yesterday the principal secretary responsible for DICT, Benjamin Choppy, through a powerpoint presentation gave everyone present an overview of ICT development in the country over the years. Later in the evening at the Savoy Seychelles Resort & Spa, telecommunications company Airtel launched its Airtel Money service.

 

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