Chinese Pagoda project held up |20 August 2016

The re-construction of the Chinese Pagoda in Victoria has come to a halt and this prompted the Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St Ange to meet representatives of the local Chinese community.

In the absence of Charlie Ng, the chairman of the Chinese Association, it was Rose-Mary Lee-Bluemner, the secretary of the association and Elizabeth Lee Kim Koon who met Minister St Ange and Anne Lafortune, the principal secretary for tourism at the ministry's ESPACE offices in Victoria.

Minister St Ange said as culture minister he wanted to be updated on the progress on the construction of the Chinese Pagoda.

“We hear that work on the Pagoda has stopped and wanted to be updated because the reconstruction of that Pagoda is crucial for the unity and harmony within the local Chinese community,” said Minister St Ange.

In discussions that followed, the minister was informed of financial challenges by the association which has resulted in the delay in the re-construction works.

Minister St Ange and a high level delegation from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture will next week visit the construction site together with members of the Chinese Association, their architects and the Pagoda contractors in order to be fully updated on the project.

“We know that this situation cannot stay the way it is. It is a letdown for the Chinese community of Seychelles so we need to sit and discuss how to break the stalemate that exists to help the association get the remaining funds to complete their project in Victoria,” said Minister St Ange.

The Chinese Pagoda of Victoria is a vital project for the local Chinese community. It will be their place of worship as well as their meeting and socialising venue.