Lights Bright at State House

The Presidential Election challenge before the Constitutional Court is over. Justice Twomey and her team labored three (3) hours to deliver the written judgment. Case dismissed, each party to near their own cost. The Respondent, keeps his post, and the Petitioner will be recommended to be struck off the Voters List for writing to the Tamil Community, asking that they support him, in exchange he will offer them ministerial posts and make Tamil an official language.

State House Celebrates

State House will celebrate. The fate of James Michel' s election bid has been sealed. He will retire when he wants within the next Four and a half years. An appeal will be risky, risking the Petitioners name from being struck from the Voters List. A harsh conclusion to a political career of Wavel Ramkalawan. Though I have had issues with him and his style, this is a bit like shooting the messenger because the message was not convenient. The decisions leaves Seychelles with much to ponder, and the question begs, is the democratic process really a fair process for the Opposition.

Win Convincingly

The Judgement tells us to beat PL, one must win convincingly, without a burp. If you come close, it's not enough. If you win by 1% or 2% it will not be enough.

Flaking on Agency Law

The Judges relied on Seychelles Agency Law as the basis to not establish any liability on part of the Respondent James Michel, of any liability of agents that solicited others to influence the outcome of the elections, improperly. The Seychelles Law covers proxies and strict expressed agency. It does not cover Implied or Imputed agencies. In such cases, the Justices should have referred to UK law, and not rely on the limited Proxy agency laws from an archaic era. Implied agency laws are clearly lacking. If applied, any acts that were accepted or ratified by the Principal, would be imputed to being acts of the Principal.
This single error, has prevented the Petitioner from pressing his case.

Pass It On SBC

The decision has left Seychelles hanging like a piñata on a ceiling. The judgement was passed on SBC as if to teach the whole country a lesson. Numerous PL agents, or supporters were named and called to report to court to answer charges as to why they should not be charged with crimes.
The Director of Elections Charlie Morin's conduct was cited as being appalling and unprofessional. His resignation is in order for lack of competence, as per the judicial decision. The whole election process was mishandled, as the Judges went on and on, one started to suffer from overloading. Yet , the outcome was a dismissal.

Michel Rules With Slight Mandate
Clearly, Michel now rules with a very slight mandate. If the opposition galvanizes, and takes to protest, it will be a tough slog for Seychelles. If Michel opens the door for dialogue, and the opposition responds in a serious manner, perhaps Seychelles can be saved. The time to act responsibly, is now. The burden and challenge rests on every single Seychellois, particularly the national leadership.

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom loving Seychellios!

Letter of Apology

I am writing to apologize for the article written on the death of James Denis. Sometimes in the heat of the moment we get things wrong.
The suspect IS NOT Kurt Loizeau.
We regret any inconvenience this may have cause Kurt and his family, I know how it can feel to be the name behind a false or mistaken statement.
The article has been amended and all comments deleted.


Cordially,

Christopher Gill

Minister St. Ange Attacked By Colonel Ernesta!

I heard about this incredible allegation of Minister Alain St. Ange stealing RS. 100,000.00 as some sort of corruption and I was immediately taken aback by the allegation. I have known St. Ange for many years, I have openly criticized him on many occasions when I felt he had made a wrong decision, I have supported him, when I have felt he was on the right track, focusing on the right vision. All the years, I have known this friendly man from La Digue, he has not once cause me to believe he is a low life who will steal RS. 100,000.00  (€6,000.00, one night stay on North Island) as a Minister of Tourism.

Weekly Loses It As Usual

The Weekly is edited by Colonel Robert Ernesta. He is a ex- military man holding numerous high posts in Rene's Army during one arty state and after. He made it to the top fast because he took initiative , he was smarter then everyone else around him. At one point he was Chief of Staff and Commissioner of Police. Colonel Ernesta was a very powerful man in Seychelles. When marijuana was getting prolific in Praslin, Colonel Ernesta would round up 100 soldiers, camp out, and sweep the island of marijuana, they would cut a few dread locks, seize and smoke what leaf they could get their hands on. 

Colonel as a professional was notorious for double standards, and being quick to draw the gun, at times, without ever thinking out clearly what he was doing. He could stage set a full panic mode nationally, if you started to believe his hocus Pocus.  At times, State House under James Michel fell for it, until enough was enough, he got his packing orders while on a staged course for officers in Ireland.

E-Turbo Payments

Why would someone steal money by cheque? Cheques have a record, and the expense is tax deductible. Simple there is no theft of funds. The payment by Beachcomber Hotel was a simple payment to St. Ange, who is the E-Turbo Agent for Seychelles since 2007.

Larger hotels can afford to subscribe to E- Turbo promotions on an annual basis. This works out to € 500.00 per month to keep the hotel in the news, and € 250.00 per year on two years. No big deal. This payment would have to be shared with E-Turbo. I imagine as the Seychelles Branch Agent, St. Ange will net about 25% commission for handling the transaction. I am sure he will give better details.

Private Funds Not Corruption

Colonel Ernesta knows just like you do, a private cheque drawn on a company does not give an inference that corruption rest at the bottom of the trial. He is not as dumb ass as the people he replaced in the Seychelles Defense Forces  and the Commissioner of Police from 2002-2005.

I suspect Colonel Ernesta is playing Ramkalawan's fiddle to the pleasure of his ears.

Independent has written about numerous payments Ramkalawan has received in the last election. Colonel Ernesta has remain silent on the matter. Worse, beyond money, everyone knows today, St. Ange is a viable contender to State House. Worse yet, the political mill is ripe with allegations that Ramkalawan will give Colonel Ernesta a proportional seat in the National Assembly for his loyal and timely albeit false allegations.

St. Ange The Man

St. Ange has kept his independence while a Minister. He has kept his cool. He is not a member of PL, he is excluded from their inner circle of chaos. He was hired to run Tourism, he did such a good job, PL now, cannot get rid of him.  They have no viable replacement. He controls 200,000 plus addresses that makes Seychelles tick the numbers each year. They have learnt to live with him, and this has forced PL to also change it culture of " ek nou pa ek nou" to make Tourism work. 

Today, St. Ange can leave PL with his head held up high. He has save Tourism in Seychelles, he has delivered astronomical numbers beyond our imagination. We complain only that they drink too much water, not enough wine at times, but our planes are full, extra flights have been signed up. Interest in Seychelles has peaked and remains peaked. For this St. Ange and his team we owe thanks and gratitude.

Unify Behind St. Ange

St. Ange has proven his metal for Seychelles. He has not sit around, collecting a fat pension doing nothing, but just talking a lot. Nor has he professed politics of division. To the contrary he has made appeal upon appeal for Seychellois to accept one Seychelles, one Seychellois people, and has appeal that we live together in harmony, work together in harmony, give the results to our children. This is what I call leadership.

If and when St. Ange leaves government and forms his own party, we should all rally behind him to save Seychelles from the chaos Ramkalawan will bring to us. Weekly is pushing St. Ange to hit the campaign trail. Be careful Weekly, you might get just what you wanted: " St. Ange hitting the campaign traill". Then Weekly, will become " Yearly".

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!

The Lights Start To Dim At State House

The situation room at a State House is in a downturn for the worse. Panic is setting in amongst the most Loyal supporters of James Michel ( President Elect Under Contest). While fall out becomes the order of the day, and the President loses control over his people, the ministries are non responsive to the day to day problems, and bureaucrats are declaring themselves "King in Absentia".

Election Petition Judgment

The election petition judgment is due to be released this week.
The case against the the Office of the Election commissioner is potent, enough to render the results of the last election Null and Void. The key issue is the : low burden of proof Election petitions have under Commonwealth laws. A petition has to show only a few cases of misconduct, and the court will legally impute a compound of cases as being misconduct, because the nature of fraud, is to deceive in the first place.

Null and Void Means New Elections

The pressure at State House is bearing down because of the anxiety over the election petition decision. This judgment is bending the nerves of Michel's inner circle. Some are applying for exile papers in Australia. The whole situation is unravelling fast. Two (2) ministers it is leaked have submitted resignations already, a third is on the way. The resignations are being held, until the judgment, or next elections. Mr. Michel cannot afford to give the Public any impression that people are leaving his inner circle at this time, even if they may be there in body, but in spirit they have long departed.

Problem Is lack of Effective Management

James Michel has had an incredible political career, when you span his career since 1977. Some will say his career has been infamous. From the coup run in 1977, to his era as minister in a one party state that ushered in Communism into Seychelles, to the multiparty era in 1992 onwards, that had the window dressing of Democracy, but the back rooms hung signs of oligarchy. Twenty five years of cronyism has taken its toll on the PL regime image.

Islands sold for SCR. 1.0. Fast food restaurants built over a river for the family of the Lands minister, selective and preferable leases and tax concessions for the oligarchy families for mega hotels and resorts. Public islands, becoming private islands, the abuse has been incredible and even fantastic. No country in the World could compare the level of pillage that has taken place in Seychelles by comparison to population size.

Michel has suffered on and on, like a wounded lion, trekking through the jungles with his Pharaohic inability to manage the government ministries effectively. Letters are written to State House and they go unanswered. Mr. Michel has handlers that make sure he does not receive all mail, but only some mail. Emails are sent to State House and not acknowledged. This practice is similar in numerous ministries. Phone calls to Principal Secretaries are made and not replied. Email between Minister of Lands to CEO of Planning are claimed not to be received. Yet when the mail is forwarded again, the CEO replies, " I know nothing about this", but the mail stares at him.

Consequently, problems are being resolved on crisis resolution basis only. For this, you have to fall back on the Vice President's office, who slogs it out every day, like a dedicated soldier, thrashing through the chaos on and on, as it arises.

Will he be able to treat the dry rot at this stage, only time will tell.

Master of Ceremony and Stages

In spite of this mountain of chaos in the background, Mr. Michel has remained loyal to the stage and the presidential ceremonies at all cost to retain presidential air and flare.
After the contested Presidential a Elections, he rushed the swearing in ceremony on a Sunday, electing not to do it on Monday. He dragged the Chief Justice out from her Sunday picnic and had her attest to the Oath.
Michel invited UN Secretary General Ban kik Moon to Seychelles, all expense paid, no expenditure spared. He rolled out the Rolls Royce for him, and whisked him about for 24 hours.
He called the National Assembly to session for the photo prop on a Sunday again. This seems to be his version of work for his rank and file. Unfortunately, they do little more then fill seats and offer plates of Kankan for SBC.

The level of debate in the National Assembly has reached an all time historical low. It is sad to watch.

Door To Door
Who can miss the door to door. For a man of Michel's age trekking door to door,even if it is staged, it is incredible, but it is also very sad. Michel is hanging on to dear political life, to the most remote straws he can place his hands on. His time is spent, his best days gone, there is no other stage set to play, they have all been played. He can only beg the people for mercy and beg The Lord for the same........in his political hour of his...........

Plato: " Yee, Yee, you self loving leaders of Greece, be mindful, all power emanates from the People, and all power goes back to the people".

Sesel Pou Seselwa!


May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!

James Denis Murdered on Beau Vallon

James Denis ( known to friends as Jimmy) age 35 was murdered at Beau Vallon Beach in front of Boat House restaurant.
The killing was cold blooded without remorse. He took a knife, stab wound to his body and was left to die.
Tourist visiting Seychelles, abhorred by the incident
After a fews days, Police remanded the suspect. He is being charged with Murder in Seychelles carries a life sentence under new legislation.
We extend our condolences to the Denis and Mancienne family and to Jimmy's new wife.
Tragedy has fallen to our shores, again.

Christopher Gill

Seychelles Hotel Rating Under way Finally!

An expert from the World Tourism Organisation is currently in Seychelles to help put into place the hotel classification system which the tourism department has been working on since last year.

During her stay, Claire Gantly is going around the country visiting tourism establishments and is also conducting training for hotel inspectors, for them to know how to implement the classification criteria.

Yesterday morning, she had a short working session with the tourism technical team which include directors and technicians from different sections of the tourism department.

From the knowledge gained through Mrs Gantly’s expertise, inspectors will be in a better position to classify hotels. The classification system will be from one star to five star levels for luxury island resorts and establishments with more than sixteen rooms, and bronze, silver or gold categories for other small hotels with less than sixteen rooms.

Mrs Gantly who has been in the business for twenty years now, has said that she has been reviewing the criteria which the tourism department has been working on for some time and that she has proposed amendments where necessary.

She has however insisted on the necessity to take into account the specificities of the Seychelles and incorporate the local culture which gives a local flavour to the trade. These, she says, may include attractions such as arts, natural spots, public areas, local food etc.

“Those attractions will bring extra points and keep Seychelles as it is,” she commented.

This is why she said she has been meeting operators of the tourism trade not necessarily to criticise them, but to have their views and to present them with existing choices.

She added that the classification system will help hoteliers define their priorities and reap the benefits of their decisions.

“Knowing where you want to get is a condition for success. The main objective is to make clients know where they are going and what they are expecting,” Mrs Gantly concluded.

According to the principal secretary (PS) for tourism Anne Lafortune, the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) partnership will permit the classification programme to be internationally recognised.

She further described it as a very important project which will help tourism establishments relook at their strategies and operations, improve their standard and rise to the level they would like to.

“We sell Seychelles overseas and our guests pay a lot of money for their holiday here. So we must offer them value for their money,” the PS insisted.

For now hotels are self classified or classified by Destination Management Companies (DMCs). Mrs Lafortune commented that we must not give false expectations to visitors, for as she says, for now we are not sure if the classification is a correct

Source; Nation.sc

Nicole Is Bashing Meters and Crushing Free Market

Nicole Tirant is at it again. Last month she was bashing The Carnival Internationale De Seychelles as a marketing impetus, without regard for the 19% growth in Arrivals year on year, on a SCR. 60 Million budget for Ministry of Culture and Tourism. This week, TODAY May 17, 2016, she took a gross unfettered, borderline illiterate attack on The new taxi meters and the entire Free Market system in theory, which her own article confirmed, she has no understanding of, worse then the government itself.

Decision On Taxi Meters

The decision to move towards Taxi meters was not a PL government initiative. This decision was deliberated at length in the National Cross Sector meetings, held with Vice President Danny Faure, all the ministers, SHTA, and SCCI present. The taxi drivers association was asked to attend these meetings. It's Chairman declined the invitation. The decision on meters had numerous compelling reasons: 1. Complaints from Tourists on over charging, 2. Lack of receipts on payment, 3. Lack of uniformity in service delivery, expected of taxi services in any modern avan garde country, such as Seychelles now aspires to achieve.

Meter Vs. Negotiated Price

I personally took a metered Taxi to town from the airport this week. I ask Jojo the driver, how much. He said: " Anywhere in town, SCR. 300.00. I agreed. I ask him before leaving how much is it on the meter. He said let's try it, and he put it on. when I arrived at my destination at the beginning of town, my bill on meter had arrived to SCR. 290.00. Overall, we can agree, the price charged per kilometer, for Seychelles, is a fair price. He did complain that fuel cost had just recently increased. But nothing that will break the bank. Fuel prices will go down further, before they go up again.

How Much Is Too Much?

Nicole Tirant ask in her article: " How much is too much ( referring to new regulations for taxis).
This argument even goes into issues of whether or not, it is constitutional to set a meter requirement and set a rate. Nicole even pulls the Free Market card on this issue to erroneously suggest that it violates the Free Market to have meters.

Call A Cat A Cat - A Dog A Dog!

Today in Seychelles we need social commentators with serious back bone. As a country we cannot tolerate intellectual charades anymore. Look at the disaster SNP has created when gullible Parti Le Pep fell hook- line and sinker for the notorious 13th month salary that will threaten to destroy the Seychelles economy, breed chaos in the work place, wipe out Air Seychelles in three years, wherein what it pays in 13 month salary will exceed its profits by $680,000.00. We must get serious.

Free Market Is Not FOU Market

First and foremost, Free Market does not mean FOU Market. Hong Kong is a free market. Taxis have meters. New York is the king of the Free Market, taxis there have meters. Japan, Tokyo has taxi meters, she is not a communist country. Taxis have to be regulated and controlled like any business in the Free Market. There is no such a thing as a Constitutional Right to not use taxi meters as a Taxi. Our brains are not asses. The Brain is a powerful tool, not a cushion.

World Bank Says Regulate

The World Bank called on the business community on Praslin last week for a Six (6) hour session. Those over 65 were ushered out as blood pressure started to reach unbearable levels. But the talk was frank, tough, to the point. After discussing the chain analysis in the Tourism Industry, the officials from the World Bank made some deep sophisticated revelations. Yes we have 19 % Arrivals, so Carnival does its job. But the national Yield is -1.4%.

This means, we as a nation, are not capturing revenue as we should be. It means we have instances of leakage that must be plugged. This is the challenge today.

If Yield does not increase, government programs cannot improve,citizens quality of life cannot improve, the middle class cannot grow, the rich will get richer, the poor will get poorer. This is the challenge we face.

Back To Taxi Meters

With this hindsight, taxis must be regulated to increase national revenue and stop the flood of Seychelles bashing that they create when they rip off guests to Seychelles. Many do it, we all know. It is not right to protect them at the expense of the Industry. Regulate them! In turn, Tourist are the customers, they deserve a civilized choice, therefore,if they want a meter, they will get it. Complaints will stop.

Then we can get back to focusing on Yield as a Nation. Hopefully commentary will get more serious on all sides. The dialogue must become meaningful to have value to the Nation.

Next step World Bank says is ANTI TRUST Legislation.

I expect we will hear from Nicole again, crying foul over the anti monopoly laws. Guess what?
In Hong Kong, they have anti monopoly laws. In japan they do. In New York they have them.
In Seychelles, we will have them, or we will have civil war.

Sesel Pou Seselwa!


May God Bless All Freedom loving Seychellois!

Seychelles World Bank Comes To Praslin

This week the World Bank officials in Seychelles on a specific mission to assess the Chain Analysis of the Seychelles Tourism Industry came to the second island once a leader in Tourism, and held open, frank,serious discussions with the Praslin business community.

World Bank Lays Down Reality

The World Bank officials laid down the reality of the Seychelles product in no uncertain terms.The Arrivals in the country are up each year for three years by 19%. This means Minister Alain St. Ange at the Ministry of Tourism is bringing in the numbers. St. Ange and his team are in fact meeting the objects of their portfolio: " bring Arrivals into Seychelles". We have seen their initiative when Chamber of Commerce pushed for the opening of the China Market. SHTA still living in the past, waiting for the Paris market to return to its days of glory, opposed this move. The Paris market will not ever be what it use to be pre- 2007. The World is changing, we must adopt or perish. On this St. Ange and Air Seychelles got it right.

The highest spenders today are the Chinese according to the World Bank. SHTA really got this one wrong. Thank God for Chamber of a Commerce.

Cover The Leaks

World Bank says our Yield is -1.4% in spite of all this growth. This is where the alarm bells ring for government and the private sector. It means we are doing some things dreadfully wrong under our policy of running Seychelles with hotels, live a boards, small houses, Eden Island, black market rooms, all competing in the market, with legitimate establishments.

World Bank says Live A Board yachts have not been forthcoming nor cooperative with them to provide information on their business activity or employment patterns. Ironically they also do not pay much taxes given that they control over 1,200 beds in the market. They seem to be the rich rebels in the economic layout of Seychelles Tourism. For some reason,government has known about this for years, on years, but they have done nothing, allowing the traditional establishment segment to take it in the pants when live a boards, rack up guests, do not pay taxes, pollute the environment and trash our coral reefs.

We proposed to World Bank a cap must be set on Live A Boards. Additionally, the fee for a Live A Board, needs to be re looked to discourage mass tourism on bare boats. They should be taxed yearly, not taxed on turnover because they are horrendous when it comes to cooperating with stakeholders. I propose that a basic Bareboat of 38 foot should be taxed up front each year SCR. 350,000.00 every January, for it to run during the year. As the vessel increases in size, the tax should increase as well. This will increase Yield, compliance, and solve the problem once and for all.

Yield Worse In Region

The World Bank says our Yield is the worse in the region. They announced, made it official, we are being out performed by Maldives and Mauritius, hands down. Ironically we are managed by Two (2) monopolies, one to a greater extent then the other. The DMC are handling less and less direct bookings today, perhaps this figure is down from its prowess of 95% in its heyday! to 30% today. But DMC have quietly reinvented themselves into lucrative sectors within the Tourism industry, such as bulk transfers of guests from airports and piers, crunching numbers of taxi drivers, to excursions where they monopolize this sector making entry for Seychellois into Tourism services virtually nil possibility.
On Praslin they control nearly 500 pax per day on excursions. Yet we have 126 license charters.
Greed left unfettered, will have no boundary. World Bank would add- it affects national Yield, and, it is just bad economics. We could not agree more with the World Bank.
Seychelles Chamber of Commerce (SCCI) has led the call to implement anti trust legislation to share the Tourism cake, Mr. St. Ange speaks about so often. In turn the Seychelles Hospitality Association has led the cry to protect the DMC and allow them to flourish as they please in classic monopoly style and fashion. Such practice empowers a select group of friends to benefit from the Industry. The vast majority, will be sucking it up as Yield remain sub par.

The Race To The Bottom

World Bank has noted with serious cause, the " Race to The Bottom" scheme large hotels with fixed structural expenditure per month, are engaging in. Hotels like Savoy, Ephelia, we have been advise, are selling rooms at € 140.00 per night with breakfast, double basis, to meet costs, at low periods. They are also affording the China market these bottom of the barrel rates to in courage loyalty. In turn, the Yield is crushed. One begs to ask is it not time for: anti room price dumping legislation in Seychelles? These international companies were granted approvals on a condition that they were building, delivering a five star product at a five star price for the country to benefit from their presence. If they cannot keep the prices at a reasonable level, we need legislation that will regulate this issue, the World Bank could not agree with us more.

Praslin Is Moving and Shaking

The business community on Praslin today has evolved into a sharp group of business people who know their business, know the issues facing them. One in all, know the numbers, and they know who is eating their lunch. Government is put on Notice: " Deal with the monopoly issue in Tourism".

Antitrust Experts Coming To Seychelles

No sooner them three days after the World Bank left, I received a mail: " Dear Mr. Gill, thank you for hosting the World Bank Meeting. After discussion with Minister Jean Paul Adam, he has ask the World Bank to send a delegation of experts on Anti-Trust Law to draft legislation to propose to government. We will be working on this over the next three months. XXX.

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Tourist Operators!

St Ange Goes to Guam USA!

KUAM News caught-up the minister of tourism for the smallest independent African state - the Seychelle Islands - who presented at the Pacific Asia Travel Association Summit today.  It's an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, known to have the smallest population of all independent African states.

But although the Seychelle Islands may be small, its tourism industry is robust. Minister of tourism and culture Alain St. Ange, spoke before the PATA Summit on Thursday. "This morning I was asked to speak a bit about where tourism moves, and how do you get the maximum from the discerning traveler of today, how do you entice them to visit you?" he summarized.

He said for island nations, selling sun, sand and sea isn't enough, adding, "They need to meet us, the islanders, they need to meet the people of the island, and the only way to do that is to have cultural events. Cultural events where interaction between visitors and the locals take place, and that gives them the bond with our people."

He said connecting travelers to the people and culture is what has made the Seychelles a famous tourist destination. "So we went into the world of events to put our culture at the forefront, and when we are putting culture, we are putting our people at the forefront of marketing the Seychelles. Our tourism industry works, and works well," he explained.

As part of this move, the Seychelles now hosts the only carnival in the world that brings together seven nations such as Italy, Brazil, and Indonesia, to name a few. Like Guam, tourism is the Seychelles' number one industry. While most of its visitors are from Europe, the nation has been trying to diversify, much like Guam has.

"I realized Guam has a lot of attributes to itself, attributes that like us, we can showcase to the world together if we work a bit more in harmony between Guam and the Republic of Seychelles," said St. Ange.

The PATA annual summit brings together stakeholders like St. Ange to talk about similar goals and challenges faced by members, and ways to work together to move forward. The summit ends this Saturday.

Mo Ibrahim Foundation Re- Looks at James Michel

This week I met a person who is assessing James Michel for the Mo Ibrahim Foundation Award, that recognizes and honors former dictators and tyrants that turn their country towards democratic practice, allow free, fair, credible elections and retire early to allow Democracy to root and flourish in Africa, and her respective countries.

The Peace Prize is A Great Honor
The Mo Ibrahim prize is a great honor to the candidate and the country alike. The cash prize is $ 3 Million paid out in portions annually, to insure the candidate lives well, beyond the pittance of the their Presidential Pensions. If they have fuel costs for private jets, they can meet these costs without a worry in the World.

Why James Michel is the Main African Candidate?

Turns out James Michel is the most likely candidate to win the Mo  Ibrahim Foundation  Award, after years of no dictator being considered for the prize. Mr. Michel has allowed facebook to thrive, in spite of the virulent attacks on him, sometimes very personal. He has allowed radio stations and private newspapers to flourish. In the eyes of the Observer, he has been non violent, and has more or less buried the hatchet of violence against his opponents.

The Seychelles economy has turned around, in a magnificent manner, which the Observer gives credit to James Michel government. The creating of Seychelles University, shows his aspiration to educate his people, though the Observer declined to entertain the thought that one had to be Le Pep to get a Bursar, and one had to be Le Pep to get a teaching job there.

The Observer pointed out that the voluntary reduction in Presidential Term limits from Three terms of Five years, to Two Terms was an overt act in the right direction, towards greater democracy that neither the African Union , SADC or the Mo Ibrahim Foundation could ignore.

What next?

I ask the observer, what is next then? He replied, well Mr. Michel is very close to being picked, he is definitely a running candidate for a award and recognition of great international honor and prestige, second only to the role Nelson Mandela played in Africa. I was lost for words, but held my breathe. He went on: " all Mr. Michel has to do now is resign, and let things take their course". The Foundation is alert, has not forgotten tiny Seychelles, she is today the pride of Africa, and we all wish only the best for Seychelles and her lovely people.

A moment of World Honor and Recognition Awaits

Such an event can unite the Nation, bring divisions to an end, and hold Seychelles regard and perception around the World second to none. Mr. Michel, the keys are in your hands, they do not have to be in Mathilda's hands.

Warning: Time is of the Essence.

Sesel Pou Seselwa!
May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!

Seychelles Tourism In Over Drive!

The Bureau of Statistics has released the First Quarter figures. Arrivals have sky rocketed by 11% in the first quarter up on 2015 which was 19% up on year before and the year before. Receivables by government is 37% up on the past year.

Magic, Magic Magic Show

Minister St. Ange is the primary man responsible for leading this blast to growth. He is supported by a high energy, team which does not have " No" in their vocabulary when it concerns issues that concern Tourism. At STB Miss Sherin Naiken has grown into the position and she has matured well at STB, driving Seychelles image in the direct direction.

St. Ange Listen To The Private Sector

While a good part of the PL strategy towards the private sector is predatory in nature, to effect self survival mode, St. Ange's ministry has taken an entirely different approach to the private sector. He looks at the private sector not as businesses to just tax, but he goes to the leaders in trade, business, hotelier, taps into their ideas, knowledge, vision . He adapts these visions, makes it his own and presses forward with change and progress, with that success builds on success.
With his impetus, Seychelles is becoming the economic envy of the Indian Ocean and Africa, not to mention Europe and the Middle East, in spite of the PL government remain stuck in the intellectual doldrums of one party state mentality, " ek nou, pa ek nou". This thinking is prehistoric and PL today, is weakened terribly by the self implanted cancer, that is now destroying it since most of the population pa ek zot! ( not with them).

The Numbers and Potential For Growth Excite Big Players

Big players like Emirates and Etihad , along with Qatar Airways are taking a second look at Seychelles and reassessing their image of the country. They want to add more flights, build hotels, set up DMC companies to run the 1000 visitors a day they bring to Seychelles. On a average stay of over 10 days, our visitors read more like 900,000 arrivals in Mauritius or Maldives. They spend big money on transportation, and these big international players have caught on to the lucrative market in Seychelles left to only two local DMC, Masons and Creole.
As they fight over their first Porche car, and rights over the same, a perfect storm is brewing to cash in on the monopolists at this very minute, who cast aside the little operators, forgetting one important point: we vote!

Share The Cake Or Let Emirates Run Its DMC

DMC in Seychelles are warned: share the cake with Seychellois, spread business in a socially responsible manner. If not, we will advocate and allow Emirates DMC into Seychelles.......along with the hotels, and excursions......just like,you.

Thank you, have a nice day!

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom loving Seychellois!