At the present time there is much talk of encouraging investors to come and invest in our country. It is obvious to me that these investors can be both Seychellois and non-Seychellois investors, as there are many Seychellois with funds outside Seychelles who could invest in the country. This, too, in my book would amount to foreign direct investment.
You will appreciate, therefore, my shock and utter consternation to hear a well-known lawyer, Mr. Frank Ally, state in open court before the acting Chief Justice R. Perera, recently that those of us who have already invested in the tourism sector can only use our foreign currency to re-invest in the business. This statement does not augur well for future investments which the investor can and invariably does use for himself, in much the same way as any person uses the interest he earns on his savings account for whatever grabs his fancy.
It is indeed sad that even amongst the qualified professionals in this country, this attitude of control and deciding for others appears to have taken root. It is why at this time, the only investments Seychelles seems to be getting are those where the investor has negotiated every angle and has taken care to ensure that Government has agreed to give him everything he wants, whilst the country itself get little or nothing out of it.
I invested my personal funds in this country in the early nineties; every cent earned by my hard labour outside Seychelles. I did not borrow a cent from local banks but instead brought my investment through them. You will understand, therefore, why I cannot stomach today being told that I cannot access nor use any of the money that my investment is making for my personal use.
I am sure that if we were to tell to those who are presently thinking of investing money in Seychelles, they may very quickly change their minds and keep their funds well away from our shores. Where would that leave us then?
Emmanuel Laporte
Please, if you can find space for a few lines in Le Nouveau Seychelles Weekly warn travelers going from Seychelles on Qatar Airways not to purchase any duty free alcohol as when you transit in Doha the authorities will confiscate all alcohol from you.
The strange thing is that Qatar Airways sell duty free on board their planes and give you no warning. Even the Seychelles duty free sell you alcohol when they know you are going through Doha as you have to show your boarding card.
I had a massive argument with the authorities in Doha recently, when they took my bottles away. I could see loads of big bins full of thousands of bottles. I am tempted to say it smells like a scam. Otherwise why would their own airline sell you alcohol only to be taken off you at the airport? Maybe we need the local representatives of the airline to comment on this matter.
Regards and keep up the good work!
Ger
P.S.: Un jour sa la tet koson y a fini ganny peye.
Please allow me space in your paper to comment on and ask a few questions in relation to the propaganda extra (I beg your pardon, I mean “news extra) on SBC and last Sunday 18th May regarding food production in the country. As has been his trademark of promising the Heaven but giving out a bowl of sand instead, President Michel was at it again at Val D'en Dor when he met with the farmers there. He promised, promised and promised, but seemed to forget completely that he made the same promises over and over again before and yet, doing almost nothing about them.
Mr. President also seemed to forget that not so long ago, the farmers in this country were repeatedly shouting at the top of their voices about the lack of adequate and quality feeds for animals in SMB stores. The farmers shouted, but Mr. President and his government remained deaf to their shouts their failing to take urgent action to address their concern until it was too late. Until many farmers had lost their complete live stocks. It was only then that the President and his government, like snow white in fairy tales, seemed to wake up from their collective slumber to start doing something about the farmers plight. The question now Mr. President is: who will compensate the farmers for their losses due to your government's ineptitude? I didn't hear you in your propaganda segment on SBC last Sunday offering any kind of compensation to the poor farmers. Well, that's just you sir, isn't it? Expressing sympathy in front of SBC camera which I think you really don't feel it at all.
The same charade continued when you appeared to generate much emotion talking about immorality. This is funny isn't it? President James Alix Michel talking about immorality! This is a subject that you should never have had touched on Mr. President. Because you personally as well as your government had been and are still immersed in immorality practices as if they are second nature to you all.
Mr. Editor please allow me to pose a few questions to Mr. President about immorality and I look forward to see him on SBC TV answering these questions. Here goes, Mr. President, Sir:
1. Isn't it an immoral act when in June 1977, you along with a bunch of cowards and traitors took firearms to overthrow a democratically elected government in which your political party formed part of as a coalition?
2. Isn't it immoral for your government to systematically use “security clearance” to prevent Seychellois who do not support your party to work in the public service thus effectively violating their Constitution right to work as granted under article 35?
3. Isn't it immoral when you gave ordinary public servants a measly 100-300 rupees raise in salary, whilst you took a whopping 12,000 rupees raise per month over your already fat salary of 26,000 rupees?
4. Isn't it equally immoral to give an ordinary public servant a measly 20,000 rupees gratuity payment after having had worked hard for 15 long years, whilst you sir, served yourself an extra-fat gratuity payment of close to a million rupees, after only 5 years of mediocre performances?
5. Isn't it immoral to ask a person with a small family car to leave it at home and take an SPTC bus instead in an effort to conserve fuel, whilst you sir, drive from State House to Maison Du Peuple every Monday morning to see your boss in a motorcade of many fuel guzzling vehicles.?
6. Isn't it immortal to “sell” large chunks of State land to a rich foreigner and other party cronies for 1 rupee, whilst asking ordinary Seychellois who had been waiting for a long time already to get a little piece of land to build a house to continue waiting indefinitely?
7. In the same context, isn't it also immoral for a greedy politician to “buy” State acquired land for a preferential price of 65,000 rupees for ten (10) acres, whilst asking ordinary Seychellois at that time to fork out 20-25 thousand rupees for less than a quarter acre of rocky terrain in the land bank?
8. Isn't it immoral for middleaged politicians to take young women young enough to be their daughters as secret lovers whilst they were still married?
9. Isn't it immoral to grant criminals almost total immunity from prosecution in exchange for a few dirty millions of dollars thus practicing official discrimination and violating the Constitutional right of Seychellois to equal protection of the Law (article 27)?
10. Isn't it immoral to put to rest without an independent public inquiry the issue of the $4.5 million of tax payers money supposedly lost to a bogus construction company in Dubai, by your Ministry of Land use and Habitat?
Mr. President you have shown us that you are good at lecturing other people on what to do and not do, whilst you Sir, and your close associates, do not practice what you preach. This attitude is called hypocrisy Sir. A hypocrite is always a liar as well as a totally untrustworthy individual. Shame on all hypocrites in this country. If they have a conscience and an ounce of dignity they would all go and bury their heads in the ground close to Zonm Lib caricature!
Mr. Editor, I thank you for your space.
Thomas T.
I am writing to follow up the dialogue with regards to the Opposition. Thank you for keeping the flame of the Opposition alive. You are today the only ones still committed.
I want to ask what is Wavel Ramkalawan doing? He is now the second politician to have benefited from politics. Albert Rene is happy on the ex-government Barbarons property compulsory acquired for the benefit of the people and Wavel voted for his own big salary and pension. Only his end of year bonus is more than the people will earn in their lifetime. This is sad and this says a lot. His new preoccupation is the big project at Anse Royal. Every Seychellois in that area is asking the same question? Money is the root of all evil and the more you get the more you want. Shame on you Wavel because so many trusted you, but greed overtakes the vulnerable after a taste of importance.
I read your candidates Georges and St Ange for an after Ramkalawan era. I do not agree that it is limited to these two politicians. I have nothing against them but what about Anthony Derjacques and Frank Elizabeth. Both are lawyers and both were members of the Assembly. Both have been removed from the Assembly by Ramkalawan because they surpassed him as good opposition debaters ready to raise people's concerns. Albert Rene was known to be content with mediocre subjects close to him as it made him irreplaceable, is that Ramkalawan principle as well.
Derjacques is well respected and he is a good politician. His time in the assembly was short because Ramkalawan said so. That is the only reason. Same thing can be said for Frank Elizabeth. They were both Opposition Leaders with a commitment. They were both not money driven.
Today the telephone allowance of MNAs is more than the increase of Civil Servants. This was also a Ramkalawan agreement when cost of living was going to go up. Each MNA get rupees 500 every month over and above the 13,500 salary per month (not Ramkalawan because he get much more). How can a Leader of the Opposition voted to defend the interest of the people accept such benefits when the people are suffering? Today he and his small group of friends do not feel what the people are feeling because his lifestyle is that of the rich and famous shame on you.
Finally let me react on the news that Ramkalawan is Father Ramkalawan for Bel Ombre for the Church of England. This is another blow to our opposition. Civil Servants should not be Assembly Members because they will not serve the people well. I agree, but can Leader of Opposition Ramkalawan serve every opposition person well as a serving priest. It made many people realised the conflict of interest Ramkalawan has entered into. He want to be priest and benefit from the respect that goes with that vocation, but he want to hang on to the big salary as Leader of the Opposition, is that just another nail in the Opposition's Coffin or is it an agreed path decided in the consultation meeting at State House?
Bernard Hoareau
Emirates Hotel at Cap Ternay has proposed 15 water bungalows in their project (similar to a lot of hotels in Maldives). This has clearly been stated in all their press releases as well as in the Nation and it was also featured in an article in your publication recently.
This is another travesty for Seychelles! How can the Ministry of Environment and Tourism allow this to go on? What it means is that the rooms and obviously pillars will be set inside the reef, to the right of the beach.
We must fight this and make some big noise about it. Because if they set a precedent, we will soon see hotels going up on pillars all around Mahe and other islands. It will totally destroy our pristine ocean and mountain views, and we will become nothing more than another cheap version of Maldives.
This is due to James Michel selling everything to the Arabs at all cost, regardless of the need to protect our environment… and then he has the audacity to talk about global warming and rising sea levels. Maybe we should also ask Dr. Rolph Payet what he thinks of these “Water Bungalows”. We are hoping that he is not one of those lackeys who preaches environment only when the Government needs funding from outside sources, but when it comes to real issues, he runs away and hides at State House. Minister Joel Morgan should also make public his views on this matter, after all is he not the minister for environment. This Government has already destroyed all the reefs from North-East Point to the Airport as well as part of Anse Aux Pins, water bungalows in our bays and lagoons will only serve to continue the destruction of our environment by this SPPF party. A few years ago, a Maldivian group headed by Didi wanted to put water bungalows at the reef at Allamanda, and I believe it was turned down then! What has suddenly changed in the last few years to allow for such a catastrophic situation?
We need SAVE OUR OCEAN and OUR ENVIRONMENT before it is too late!
A concern citizen
Editor's note: We will do our level best on behalf of our patrons to seek the views of both Dr. Rolph Payet and Minister Joel Morgan on the issues raised above.