Foreign companies bid for Victoria development project |24 October 2013

A series of interviews are being organised in a bid to recruit consultants to undertake the preparation of the Greater Victoria development plan and the Seychelles strategic plan.
The interviews started yesterday and will be held until today at the offices of the Ministry of Land Use and Housing, Independence House.

Planning Authority’s chief executive Gerard Hoareau said the interviews form part of an exercise being carried out by the authority in collaboration with Abu Dhabi-based Urban Planning Council (UPC) which started late last year.

The greater Victoria masterplan and the strategic plan for Seychelles are both components of the exercise, he added.

Mr Hoareau said the Planning Authority and UPC have shortlisted six potential companies from a group of eight.
The UPC will be funding the project which will be undertaken by a company commissioned from the list.

All areas of the society such as the financial, business, culture and transport sectors are being taken into account.
He added that carrying out these interviews is giving the authority representatives and that of UPC the chance to meet the consultants to see their merits and capacities.

He said criteria being used include integrity, competence and to see how reputed the companies are internationally.
As this is an international tender, companies which have shown interests are from countries such as United States of America, Europe and Abu Dhabi.

Following the series of interviews, a decision will be made as to whom the project would be given and thereafter a specific date for the start of the work will be given but it is now scheduled for December.

The UPC team is being led by Michael Hughes and Mary Kopaskie, while the authority’s consultant Terry Biscornet is leading the Seychelles side along with its urban planner Julie Low and board members.

The UPC’s planning manager Yasmeen Al Rashed said it is an honour for the Abu Dhabi team to contribute towards the development of our country.
She added that the Seychelles government encourages the right kind of growth for the country.

Miss Al Rashed said among the criteria being used are to see if the teams are able to understand the specific sensitive nature of the project and must be able to develop plans to respond to the country’s needs.

A team from the UPC is set to assist Seychelles in terms of technical support.