FEEDING THE NATION?

The Seychelles Marketing Board (SMB) as we have all been informed, time and time again, was set up to feed the nation by maintaining a constant, supply of essential commodities at a stable and reasonable price. Nice sentiments indeed, but how about a reality check?

Last week we saw a long list of “essential products” missing from the shelves such as beef, potatoes, tomatoes, salt, milk, vegetables (with the exception of a few, unfit for human consumption) and fruits (a few green bananas of poor quality) that have been on the shelf for several weeks now but no sane shopper will touch them so they remain just there taking up space only to be binned later on.

Imported chicken is available at last this week coming all the way from Brazil!!! (the other side of the world) at high freight costs. This imported chicken is selling at 29 rupees a kilo, an increase of 6 rupees a kilo over the last lot a month ago. Locally produced chicken (which is not available this week at SMB), sells at SMB, for forty four (SR46) rupees a kilo, negating the fact that it is produced in Seychelles so there should be no freight or other transport charges. The reality is clear. The SMB is taking us all for a ride. We see our “President” (he manages SMB as Chairman) proclaim how well he tackles the cost of living, while we struggle on a daily basis to buy from SMB the simple foods we need to live on,.

A short trip to the Victoria Market is a nightmare. A simple pumpkin sells at SR40, a single small tomato at SR8 each, a pawpaw at SR45 each and banana St Jacques at SR10.00 each. How any sane individual can actually face a people on TV and insist that the prices have been reduced is beyond understanding.

Mr. Michel should do one of his “famous” walkabouts” and visit Victoria Market and SMB on Saturday morning, without notice, before his cronies can get in and set up the picture he should find, as they do in every other scheduled visit.

A special visit should be organized to SMB Builders near the old Barclays Bank. It is indeed a shame that certain individuals should get onto TV to demean themselves and us by such blatant distortions of reality.

Our hope is to “CELEBRATE CHANGE” soon.