WILL RAMADOSS SUCCEED WHERE OTHERS HAVE FAILED?
Doctor V. Ramadoss, the naturalized Seychellois who arrived in Seychelles a decade ago and was promptly appointed army doctor, has continued to expand his business empire relentlessly even though many entrepreneurs have complained that the lack of foreign exchange is making life practically impossible for private businesses. Ramadoss recently acquired Printec Press Holdings; the largest Printer in Seychelles with government contracts worth millions of rupees, after Louis Gopal, the former owner, finally caved in and gave up the business. The terms of the sale between Gopal and Ramadoss have not been made public but it has been revealed that Ramadoss is leasing the land on which the business stands from government, although he owns the business enterprise outright. Gopal who was handed over the business on a plate by Government, has struggled to make a success out of this enterprise which was one of the few successful parastatals when it was in the hands of government. Gopal who spent millions of rupees at every parliamentary election in the district of Mont Fleuri managed to keep the seat safe for the SPPF despite all the odds keeping the relentless Ferari at bay. It took Ferari 15 years to wrench Mont Fleuri from the SPPF fist and then only after Gopal left claiming that the Mont Fleuri constituency nearly bankrupted him. However, Gopal has kept one share for himself in the business and everybody is waiting with bated breath to see if Ramadoss is able to weave his magic yet again. Ramani, an accountant of Indian origin, is set to take over the helm of the business from Christopher Gopal and has been given the arduous task of turning the company from a loss -making enterprise into a profit-making business in record time. Ramadoss is also set to open the People Supermarket at Mont Fleuri soon and his super deluxe hospital is currently being built at Providence on government’s land. It is not clear whether Doctor Ramadoss has purchased the freehold to that land or whether he is also leasing from government.
Although Ramadoss is relatively successful as a businessman, with the full backing of the government, many have argued that he is not the real owner of the businesses in his name and that he is only fronting these businesses for the SPPF. The core of his business though is his Casino Empire which is extremely profitable. He recently opened yet another Casino in the centre of Victoria (above Pirates Arms) luring gamblers to let go of their hard earned cash. In his defence Ramadoss has argued that his companies feed 2000 Seychellois families whose members are directly or indirectly employed by him. He also claims to pay millions of rupees in taxes and GST every month and is arguably one of the largest contributors to the tax coffers. Ramadoss, who has relinquished his Indian passport and now holds only a Seychellois passport, has promoted himself as a patriot and benevolent. His generosity is said to be legendary and he is clearly annoyed and uncomfortable with negative press. His hotel, Coco D’or, however, is proving more than a challenge for the redoubtable Ramadoss and he is now ready to offload it to any prospective buyer. Ramadoss who was recently elected Chairman of the Medical and Dental Council (34 Votes) by his peers over Doctor Mickey Noel (14 Votes), has vouched to make a success of this Council as well, as the latter has got no money and has failed to organize itself into a credible professional body for over 20 years. Ramadoss plans to introduce a lottery before Christmas selling tickets at R.100 and giving away R2, 500, 000 as the star prize. The profit from this lottery will then go towards the Council to assist in paying for its calendar of activities over the coming months which will include bringing over reputable and renowned medical specialists to Seychelles to give lectures at least twice a year. The question many are now asking is will Ramadoss succeed where others have failed?
