Infrastructure development on Ile du Port |30 August 2016

SFA, Vijay sign accord

A contract agreement for infrastructure development to support fishery projects on Ile du Port was signed yesterday between the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) and Vijay Construction.

The infrastructure will assist those entrepreneurs who have already been allocated a piece of land at the port to undertake their development projects linked to fishery development.

The contract, worth R29.5 million, is for the Phase 1 development work comprising roads, sewerage, water, electricity and street lights.

The signing was done between SFA’s acting chief executive Roy Clarisse and Vijay Patel of Vijay Construction in the presence of the Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture Wallace Cosgrow, his principal secretary Michael Nalletamby and high officials of the Ministry of Land Use and Housing and of Vijay Construction.

“The contract signed with Vijay Construction is for the first phase of the development of infrastructure and utilities on Ile du Port to support fishery projects. This includes the construction of main road arteries, utilities like water, sewerage and electricity including installation of electricity polls. The total value for this first phase is R29.5 million. It will assist entrepreneurs who have already been allocated a piece of land there to start their fishery projects,” Mr Clarisse said, adding that construction will start very soon.

The first phase of construction will last one year but the whole project will be carried out over a period of three years as there are three phases. When completed, the whole project will cost the government some R100 million.

Mr Clarisse also remarked there are services already established at the Ile du Port such as a 120m quay inaugurated last year and which fishing boats are already using.

Also another 425m quay co-sponsored by the government and Ile du Port Handling Services (IPHS) is already in operations and other services like net repairing and ship chandling, salt are also available.

“The development of any country is always dependent on infrastructure,” said Mr Patel while explaining what Vijay has just signed with SFA.

He said these infrastructure will open up a lot of potentials for further development of all the industries that are supposed to be in port, therefore creating more economic opportunities.

“For us it’s a pleasure to be part of that process so the country can go forward step by step,” said Mr Patel.