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Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Monopoly Practice On Praslin Exposed

Last week the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce - Praslin Sub committee chaired by Christopher Gill, met in an extraordinary meeting with the Minister of Investment, Mr. Michael Benstrong. Accompanying Mr. Benstrong was Dr. Steve Fanny, a doctorate in Finance.

Elephant In The House

The meeting was called to discuss what exactly is causing tax revenues in Praslin to drop at an all time low, deposits in commercial banks are drying up. Businesses phones are being cut by Cable and Wireless. Taxis are being seized by banks. Most hotels on Praslin are up for sale. Worse yet, population growth on Praslin for 15 years is ZERO percent. This means, those born are not sufficient to replace those that die and are buried. Employment posts held by Seychellois   
are being replaced by foreign GOP workers to keep the islands main industry, hotelier, functional.
The elephant in the room of course, was the Monopoly practice in play on Praslin,which has been left unfettered by the government of the day for years on years now. 

The hippo in the room is the " Praslin Land Use Plan" pushed by Christian Lionnet, Minister for Lands, which restricts development at 50 meters, and he has on his own volition, allowed private lands, to become zoned " Reserves " without providing any Notice to land owners, and without paying any compensation at Fair Market Value as guaranteed under the Seychelles Constitution.


These two issues, have strangle the Praslin business community to a point of no return. 

Charters In Crisis

There are 126 license charter operators in Praslin, more then La Digue and Mahe combined. These operators grew to become successful players in Tourism fundamentally, because Rene allowed them to operate free of competition from large operators. Côte D'Or and Grand Anse are base for many of these operators who play their trade with excursions to nearby islands, or fishing trips.

Recently, DMC have landed catamarans that pack in 100 people at a time per trip. Some times when cruise ships are in, DMC will cartel and run multiple trips per day, leaving charter operators, without any business.The situation has reached crisis level. James Michel has stayed silent for 10 years.

Ferry War Is On

The ferry companies are fighting tooth and mail on the Praslin la Digue route for market share. Cat cocos enjoys near 1000 seat capacity on Mahe - Praslin route without competition. This permits the operator to ignore market forces in determining ticket pricing. The only other option is to take a Twin Otter hopper, to Praslin, but Minister Joel Morgan keeps rates high at Air Seychelles. A rate to Praslin can cost as much as a ticket to Tanzania.

Expensive access to Praslin has taken its toll on its business community. Hotels are up for sale. owners are throwing in the towel. It is not feasible to run a business, on an island, that is too expensive to access.

In the old days, Rene would call Air Seychelles, and ask them to drop the price on a ticket. He would have a talk with Joe and tell him: " Joe let the little guy run the bike rentals".

Under Michel, the big boys and girls do BBQ on the beach, Bike Rentals, lunch packs, transfers, hotels, ferries, cement, blocks, shipping, construction. You name it.


This is Seychelles incorporated under Mr. Michel: he has incorporated us into a new form of slavery!

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Michel,WTO,monopoly effect.Michel has literally given away Seychelles economy that should belong to Seychellois to foreigners-------financial leakage causing bank to bankrupt.....overseized hotel bankrupt Seychellois hotelier.

Anonymous said...

The effect and danger of monopolies are clear.Governemnt must regulate.Regulation may take many forms.but all involve putting limites of what a business (or customer) can do.
Certain businesses should be reserve solely to Seychellois.
Foreigners should make business in partnership with locals...(PL communist friend China does so,but also other countries)
Pl should have not entered WTO....for Seychelles as a small economy has little to exports with are forced in WTos deal to allow foreign good,services to infest our land..causing monopolies,fiancial leakage(both by foreign businesses and the dependency of expats)
.Pl can break.etc..etc.
Why does regulations are needed.
this is done to protect the citizens and society at large. Monopoly be it natural or Coercive monopoly the later is like we see with Catcoco,must be stopped immediately.

Governemnt can regulate monopolies by:
-simply banning it.
-By price Capping.
-Governemnt may also decide that a monopoly must break up.
-Yardstick or "rate of return"regulation.
-Investigation of abuse by monopolies
- by antitrust law,that prohibit practices that restrain trade,and applies to all industries and the various levels of business...Antitrust laws address things like price discrimination,price fixing,and other unfair business practices.Antitrust law preserve competition and allow smaller busineses/companies to enter the market.

Cat Coco and Airsey(domestic planes)create duopoly.......not only cat coco must made to stopped its monopoly ,by probably Airsey Domestic flights---Of course as a small country it would be preferable that domestic airline is government owed...but if government is supply providing a service to fill up government coffer than why not allow private operators on the domestic route Praslin/mAhe...In fact BEFORE independence and few years after the coup....there was along side Airsey domestic airline a private one owed by Pomroy,and the competition allowed realistic and competitive prices and service was good.

To conter Cat coco monopoly ,,,government should other Seychellois Like maybe Mr Willaim ROse,or his brother or else to be able to operate on this route ..so that cat coco get the competition which would forced it to reduce or at least charge reasonable price instead of over charging both Seychellois and tourists....looking at the price offers by Cat coco ..this is too exorbitant......it excel so airline prices though the alter type of fuel used is much costly.We cannot allow this Pl..it destroy competition, economy,affect both Seychellois and our tourism industry...it must be change ,it is not susutainable,just as opening our doors to WTO foreign coorporates,and dependency of foreign workers .......that is not susutainble Pl...we cannot continue like this.

Anonymous said...

Higher taxes on those overseize charter boats ..by doing so ,they would not be able to kill price artificially----you see the problem is on one hand you have these big overseize charter boats (all owed by foreigners and revenues banked abroad)kill prices by offering lower prices thus attract clients..but because of the amount of clients and outting they can cover their expenseses...then you have duopoly like Catcoco(airsey)that over charged because you donot have a choice than using their services.In both way it is destructive for an economy,competition and sustainability.

Anonymous said...

Anti trust legislation can focus on price fixing, fleet sale, percentage limits on DMC sales of their own products. For example anti trust legislation can require a DMC to prove monthly that 80 percent of its excursions sales go to Nona fidd charter operators and not to themselves.
Antitrust legislation can require that ferry prices are even fixed by independent board, if the ferry is to remain licensed to take a route.
It can require that all tickets sold are on a class basis like first, second, class. Instead of Tourist paying three different prices, Seychellois one price, DMC pay multiple prices.
Limit these large charters. Levy their anchorage. Give them 30 days to vacate Seychelles waters.
This practice is bad for Seychelles. Overseas image.
It is a shame it has taken so long for the issue to surface.

Anonymous said...

Totally agree with you,100%.You give a perfect solution to dealing with this monopoly problem,in fact,has become a fleoh.

Anonymous said...

I heard workacholic namely Mr St Ange ,calling on hotels professionals to come to the Hotel school to share their experience to students....I good idea. but I am convivnced the other way round would be more effective to students than having professional coming to hotel school...That is ,for instance, after student terminated the first year training ,as the start the two years.......government could introduce a DUAL EDUCATION system...that is student may continue to go let us say a week to school and a week to the host hotel for practical...this would be more effective and beenfitial for students......while having proffessionals coming to hotel schhol....the only thing student s will have only Theory.When students ended their study they would have both the necessary knowledge in theory and trpactical....thus more armed to enter jonb markets rapidly and could integrate the hotel crew,team much faster....not time for hotel or employers to waste time to trained them and gain the practical..they would already had it.

Anonymous said...

WHat the purpose of having a Museum for PM Pl...is that the most important way to use tax payers money.......Fishermen need Ice machine ,you cannot afrford but you have the guts to use tax payers to build a Musuem for a minority-----frankly I have never seen such absurdity...and once Pl ousted this meusuem should be converted for thing much important and that can bring revenues .such as A Musueum for NATURAL HISTORY:ART MSUEUM;etc....
Stop abuse power and wasting tax payers money for your absurdity Pl.......Why not used Maison du people another build belongs to Seychellois for this absurb Musuem?

This shit must be convenrted after pl is gone......we are not going to adore thugs and worship them as god after fialing ,robbing,empoversih our land.....

Use the buildings for something that will bring revenues ...a Museum for natural history ,Arts something tourists can visit etc.....We worship >God Pl,,, not men and thugs.

Anonymous said...

Five Pl stooges and benfitors namels Beranrd George ,Matilda,Belle and stooge Mancham asked HAS THE CONSTITUION FAILED TO DELVERED.....wELL DONKEY THE ANSWER IS TACIT....NAMELY IN ANY DICTATOION THE CONSTITUION IS VOIALTED ,RAPED ...IS THAT A SECRET? IS THAT A QUESTION THAT NEEDS A DEBATE ON?IS THAT SO DIFFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND...?dONKEYS...AND ARE THOASE PL COLABORATORS THE IRGHT PEROSNS TO MAKE SUCH JUDGEMNT?wHO THE HELL ARE YOU ,AND WHO AUTHORITZED YOU DONKEYS?

gbERANRD GOEREGE ,DID YOU THINK SELLING kHALFIA APRT OF OUR PATRIMONY AND HAVING YOU REPRESNETING kHALFIA IN THIS ILLEGAL DEAL ,YOU SHOULD KNOW AS A LAWYER LAREADY THAT IS A RAPE ON OUR CONSTITUION....IS NOT IT DONKEY.....yOUR ACTION WAS IT CONSTITUIONAL AND LAWFUL DONKEY?

Anonymous said...

I MEANT IN EVERY DICTATORSHIP CONSITUTION IS RAPED SO IT CANNOT HAVE DELVERED DONEYS.

Anonymous said...

mATHILGA SAYS IT IS DANGEROUS TO REMAIN CONSTITUIONAL ILLITERATE ..YOU RIGHT mATHILDA THAT IS WHY pL THUGS RAPE OUR HUAMN RIGHTS AND CONSTITUION ,BECUASE OF THE ILLITERACY OF OUR CONSTITUION.......pL AHVE PROVEN WHEN ONE ILLITERATE OF THE CONSTITUION THEY TURNED CRIMINALS AS PL 1977 COUP.....VERY DANGEROUS INDEED..LESSON FOR YOU mATHILDA AND PL THUGS NOT SEYCHELLOIS ,,sEYCHELLIS KNOW THEIR CONSTITUION AND IT DOES NOT MEAN WHEN PL ILLITERATE DID NOT THEIR CONSITITUION ,SEYCHELLOIS DID NOT...

Anonymous said...

A Parlimentarium to worship.mistify,adore those who rape our human rightas and destroy our country...is an in sult to Seychellois ,,,this shit must be converted into something useful..something that can bring money instead usre to idolize thugs----Seychelles has not have a democratic Parliemnt since 1977..those thugs who are hanging their pictures in a Museum paid by tax payers money should never be recognized and thewir photos remove in this Mucuem......we must not worship criminals .for accepting their photos in a Musuem paid by rtax payers money is accepting their atrocities on Seychellois and legetimate it........
Michel ,FAure, RM ,Rene and all of them are thugs.Seychellois must never idolize ,worship thugs.

Anonymous said...

Is Pl fake museum must be convenrted into

a Natural history,science and technology,archeologic,Arts,geology,MUSEUM something we can use to boost tourist axtraction and bring revenue ,as dsipalying Pl thugs and killers.

Anonymous said...

Pl youvan illegal government,seychellois never elected u,coup detat is not being electrf free and fairl, we will nevercworship u,yout parliament museum will be converted into a museum that bring revenues,notvto worship killers.You are constinuing to abuse power pl and unilateral take tax money to build monuments to display pl thugtocracy like in north korea Both ur parliment mueum as wellascmaison duvpeuple will be returned to the owner seychellois soon.like it or not.

Anonymous said...


This museum open by Herminie is a laughing joke.
Herminie needs to go back to being a doctor.
Animal doctor.

Anonymous said...

Joe let the little guy run the bike rentals- this is shameful. Please remove this,

Anonymous said...

Bike rentals? Wow.