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STC goes to Grand Anse |08 February 2016

The STC Supermarket and wholesale at Grand Anse

While bringing its services and products closer to the community and also pursuing its social and economic mission, the Seychelles Trading Company Ltd (STC) is also creating opportunities for businesses and other stakeholders.

This has again been reiterated by the Minister for Finance, Trade and the Blue Economy, Jean-Paul Adam, who also stressed on the STC’s role and mission which is to allow the Seychellois access to necessary, basic daily products at affordable prices and of the STC bringing its services closer to the community.

Minister Adam, together with the STC’s chief executive officer, Veronique Laporte, were co-hosting the opening of the STC retail and wholesale outlets at Grand Anse, Mahé last weekend.

“The STC also has the role of accelerator in creating business opportunities for other Seychellois firms,” said the minister while mentioning those contractors and suppliers who have benefitted through contracts with the STC and the Grand Anse community from the services and work opportunities created by the establishment of the parastatal outlets in their district.

Ms Laporte also spoke about that core role of the STC and on the services of the new outlets which will benefit the populace of the district and of the surrounding ones in the western part of the island.

 Press: Ms Laporte, such outlets at Grand Anse was long planned. Can you tell us the benefit of such facilities here and what business opportunities it may create for others?

STC CEO Veronique Laporte

Ms Laporte: STC decided to come to Grand Anse as another one of its plans to reach the community. The outlets were supposed to be opened since last year but due to some constraints experienced and events of the past year we have managed to open them in January. I know that the Grand Anse community was impatient about getting such a service as many of them spoke to me personally and my staff members about such services.

Gas is a new service to the STC but due to high demand, we have provided it. As for the wholesale section, we have noted that there are many businesses or private sectors in this area who asked the company to deliver at their premises or they collect their merchandise at the STC in town. Therefore we have brought the service closer to them. But the service is also available to large families for example or anyone who needs to buy in bulk as they will not need to find transportation to go to town for them.

Minister Jean-Paul Adam and Ms Laporte inspecting the products on offer

I believe it is the aim of the STC and the government to give such a service, more reasonable to help people of this community which is a big benefit.

It also benefits businesses. I wish to take this opportunity to call on them to come forward just like they did with the hypermarket in town. I take this opportunity to thank farmers and others in the agriculture business. Even fishermen who are bringing in local produce. I am very happy with the products and produce they are bringing in.

But we shall always need imported goods.

At Grand Anse, we also need to work with the community. As you can see there already are local products in the shop.

There are also other businesses who provide the STC with products they import. Grand Anse supermarket is a bit small so there’s so much we can do. But people from Grand Anse who have produce to bring will be given priority.

Priority for the supermarket, wholesale and gas outlet will be given to the Grand Anse people and surrounding areas to bring in their products and work with the STC and secondly other businesses will benefit.

Press: You also mentioned this is the last supermarket the STC will open for now …

Ms Laporte: Right now in the STC’s strategic plan, as from 2017 we do not have plans to open a new supermarket. But the environment changes; shareholders and sometimes pressure come from the community rather than the government. Lots of people who either come to see me, send their letters even to ministers or the president, express the difficulty they are experiencing and put forward to us. It’s not only transport but also costs of commodities which become an issue.

I believe in that current competitive environment, and the opening of the hypermarket, I am happy to see the number of businesses offering their services to STC. I believe in this competitive environment that we have, and I believe it was also the government’s objective to give that push. Other retailers or private sectors are importing various merchandises. (Customers nowadays) have the choice for quality, average quality, prices. I believe it’s good for the country! This is all about the aim of the STC and the government – that the people of Seychelles benefit. And this is very, very important.

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