Three sites for Ephelia workers temporary accommodation

The colossal Ephelia Hotel project at Port Launay is to take up three different sites to house workers of the Sri Lankan Sanken Company. An estimated 1,600 Sri Lankans will be directly involved in the construction phase of the project. For the time being, a few hundred are housed on site at Port Launay. But the construction company has also applied to the Planning Authority to build temporary accommodation in Grand Anse and Port Glaud.

In the case of Port Glaud, it is stated that this will be for 144 workers. At Grand Anse, it is expected that part of the experimental station will decamp to the Farmers Training Centre at Anse La Mouche. We were under the impression that agricultural projects were at the top of the SPPF agenda. It now seems not. The priority, it seems, is on bringing in more people, whom we do not have the infrastructure to support in terms of food, water, accommodation and sanitary facilities. Not surprisingly, most of them are already going in the bush to do their business. One wonders what this presidency has in store for us next – this government is full of surprises, most unpleasant.

Despite an election pledge by President Michel, that work on the large hotel project will be sub-contracted to locals, this is yet to happen. Sanken has brought its own huge Ashok Leyland trucks with drivers included for transport of building materials. In the same way, some Seychellois, including pick-up owners who had contracts for waste collection, have been sent packing at Lemuria on Praslin, to make way for Mauritians, who it is claimed, cost the hotel less money. This argument is in no way acceptable anymore; more and more Seychellois are being overlooked leaving hundreds of locals without a job, which eventually results in them turning to crimes and the drug trade to be able to feed their families. The avarice culture cultivated over the years will eventually be the straw that breaks the Seychelles camels’ back. The country is moving ahead at break neck speed, more than ever before, towards a total breakdown of the fabrics of society, in which unemployment will play a big part. The people behind all these big projects here, except for a minority, do not care if others eat and drink in this country. They are in it to make money, big money for themselves only. They are greedy business mercenaries totally motivated by profits. They want to recoup their investment in a record time. They will do anything to keep their expenditure to a minimum, even if it is to the detriment of the majority in this country. However, they will not hesitate to repatriate one hundred percent of their profit at the slightest opportunity with the help of the SPPF government, led by Mr. “Judge me by my actions” President James Alix Michel. (April 04 2004)

Lemuria, like Ephelia are joint ventures between the local group Corvina Investments and Constance Hotels of Mauritius. It was recently reported that the Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB) is putting up more than half of the funds for Ephelia. The signing of the agreement took place in Port-Louis with Capt Guy Adam, one of Corvina's directors, attending. This publication is working on a report soon to be published detailing the various concessions termed “incentives” by the President’s Office awarded to both Corvina Investment Co Ltd and Sanken Overseas (PVT) Ltd for the Ephelia Resort, during both phase of the development; construction and when operational. This paper will leave it to you to decide on its merits. Le Nouveau Seychelles Weekly has seen evidence, which suggest that widespread abuse of these concessions given under Tourism Incentive Act are taking place on a daily basis.