1. Executive Summary (p. 9) - Double the GDP from 8,000 to 16,000 (US$) – How do we achieve this? SPPF is going to put the gloss and shine on our tourism and fisheries sector + some other mumbo jumbo that they have tried and failed at before!
We say – ‘Do not count the chickens before they are hatched’. We have mortgaged our tuna fishing industry to the Lehman Brothers, rescheduled all our debts for our children to pay, and sold off our patrimony to unknown foreigners wishing to become one of us! They have devalued our rupee (a promise they could not keep) by more than 50%, the slide is still on as you read this article… How will enough forex be earned when whatever is being sold off goes into a deep massive hole… with the ‘cling ons’ taking their share (%) along the way…
2. Tourism (p. 11) – National Support for the Nation’s Industry – After squandering billions in this sector over the past years of one party state and scaring away some key air carriers, they have now realized that the emphasis has to be put on the ‘support’ side. Failed projects such as parastatal entities;
ii) Improve the Seychelles Tourism product – This does not give SPPF a license to sell all our assets and other expropriated properties! The tourism product is being improved by foreigners who devalue our authenticity by implanting copy cat resorts from other exotic destinations. Islands for the Boys to enjoy, and no more access to the beaches for those ‘pti Seselwa’… zot napa forex!... All this under the shroud of development? The authentic Seselwa hotel (we cannot rely solely on guesthouses), offering genuine local hospitality is fast becoming an endangered species…
iii) Refocus position of Seychelles Tourism product – The refocus is being done a little too late. All the avenues have been tried – since the last 10 years; they have been unable to attract genuine investors. For this to happen, ‘real’ investors have to trust the boys at State House, Ministry of Finance and Central Bank! They cannot be trusted with the forex! No wonder they have resorted to the shadier deals of attracting the right mafias, sheiks, oligarchs, maharajahs etc… a partnership here and there in exchange for some islands… It has all been ‘refocused’ you see…
3. Fisheries (p.16) – Strengthening the role of the private sector – After years of failed projects and experiments by the ‘expert’ Maseratti brothers in the ‘Coetivy Prawn’ farms and ‘Spirit of Koxe’, we need to give some ‘strength’ to this industry. Now that it has finally been considered a ‘pillar’ of our economy, SPPF has found it wise to involve the private sector more! Increasing yield, ‘stake holding’ with enhanced competitiveness is a farce when we have such a vast ocean and we do not even have a share of the activities of our fishing port, apart from unloading, when the ships decide to come in from the storm…
Where will the governmental support to the industry come from? A port redevelopment was hatched for the last elections and has now been shelved. The poor local fishermen that brings us our ‘bouyon’ regularly will soon be following with Sr.100 ‘pake pwason’ that will match the barrel of oil at US$90! Zafer pa bon lo kanal… nothing escapes the grip of the SPPF octopus…
4. Financial Market (p.21) – {Not much focus as this chapter does not have any subheading} – Its strategic overview is to ‘facilitate’ the development of the ‘two pillars’ (tourism & fisheries)’. It will do such a super job at trying the old tricks all over again that it will also become our ‘third pillar’!
5. Offshore Petroleum Activity (p.23) – (Most of the following chapters in the “Stratezi 2017” booklet seem to have been added as afterthoughts, as they are more or less two – three lines) – Lack of ideas?? Or is it still so secretive that we have to be fed the least possible information on JAM’s commitment to giving the Seselwa a chance to partake in this increasingly lucrative sector…
Our second part of the review of this key document (pgs.24-32) will focus on the chapters covering more social aspects, which seems to have less significance judging from its contents & skimp elaboration…Tune in next year!! Christmas is around the corner…2017…are we there yet…?
While we are on extreme Government institutions, can someone tell me why SIB is printing a business telephone directory? For 2 years now, it has come out with a nice expensive glossy book which is totally incomplete and only represents about 25% of businesses in
Hmmm…. Another “Mahesh” in the Nation recently requesting citizenship. He wants to do more for our construction industry. How much more can you do Mr. Mahesh? Taking a note from a recent article: “Workers YES. Citizenship NO”.