President visits Praslin reserves, L’Union Estate on La Digue |20 February 2017

• Clarifies coco de mer exportation ban and sale of shares in l’Union Estate

President Danny Faure on Saturday visited La Digue and Praslin where he interacted with locals as well as tourists on both islands.

The main points of visits were l’Union Estate on La Digue; Fond Ferdinand and the Vallée de Mai on Praslin.

This forms part of his ongoing visits in the communities to have a hands-on experience of the aspirations of the population, issues being experienced by them and to provide his government’s support where applicable.

As for La Digue and Praslin, the president’s visit was in line with his recent announcement of the government selling 49% shares in l’Union Estate on La Digue and the ban of coco de mer exportation.

President Faure was accompanied on La Digue by Dr Peter Larose, Minister of Finance, Trade and Economic Planning and on Praslin by Didier Dogley, Minister for Environment, Energy and Climate Change.

Also present were district administrators and members of the National Assembly of both islands.

On his walk from the STC supermarket down to the La Passe jetty on La Digue, President Faure had a chat with business owners along the way to see how they are faring, as well as to the general Diguois population and visitors to the island. He even took photos with them.

The highlight of President Faure’s visit on La Digue was a meeting at l’Union Estate Plantation House where he clarified his recent announcement regarding the sale of shares. The president stressed on his wealth distribution agenda where each sector of the population benefits from the wealth the country creates. And that the selling of shares in l’Union Estate is one such example where Diguois on the voters’ list will qualify. The sales, to be undertaken in two rounds, will be carried out in a way that each and every Diguois gets a chance of acquiring a share and not just a few with more money.

“The time has come for Diguois to invest in the company. The board of l’Union Estate will inform the government on activities being carried out by the company so cabinet can be well informed.

“We want all of you Diguois to benefit,” said President Faure. He also announced a scheme with banks that will be established to assist Diguois in such an endeavour and urged all Diguois to spread the words to their colleagues, families, friends so they can all benefit.

Minister Larose said the sale of shares in l’Union Estate is to give ownership and redistribute wealth to the Diguois.

“This is a historic moment. It is transparency in action. After buying the shares, it is you Diguois who will make the estate work,” said Minister Larose.

At Fond Ferdinand on Praslin President Faure, together with Minister Dogley, planted a germinated coco de mer seed at the entrance of the Plantation House. Before that he and his delegation, led by Michel Gardette of the Praslin Development Fund, went on a tour of the reserve where he was briefed and showed endemic plants and animals at Fond Ferdinand, its importance in Praslin’s development, challenges it is facing especially in the safeguarding of the coco de mer.

President Faure described Fond Ferdinand as a gold mine and guaranteed the government’s assistance in making it more performing and sustainable by establishing a mechanism where the about 50,000 tourists that visit the Vallée de Mai also visit Fond Ferdinand as the reserve is currently receiving a mere just over 5,000 tourists annually.

Mr Gardette pointed out the biggest challenges Fond Ferdinand is facing is poaching of the coco de mer which is drastically dwindling its population, and financial constraints for the maintenance of the reserve.

President Faure assured him of the government’s commitment where immediate financial assistance for infrastructure development will be provided under the Environment Trust Fund to kickstart the revamping, while other possible assistance are being considered..

“Mr Gardette, I can see the goodwill from both you and your staff. We are sitting on a goldmine here. I am looking at the statistics. You have got 5,240 visitors. Vallée de Mai gets about 50,000 visitors. If we take the premise that the visitors who go to Vallée de Mai in principle should also come to Fond Ferdinand, we have to look at its environment and marketing so that 50,000 also come here,” President Faure remarked.

Apart from financial assistance under the Environment Trust Fund, President Danny Faure also assured Mr Gardette of other help from Capital Expenditure (Capex). And under the Capex, President Faure said, there will also be building of infrastructure, sign boards, plants identification name cards, etc…

“We are sitting on a gold mine. The decision I took to ban the exportation of the coco de mer seed is to make sure we do not become like African countries, for example, where their tea nowadays is being transformed in the United Kingdom. We get this false impression that Lipton tea is the best when in actual fact the raw materials used to make the tea is from the continent, or from Sri Lanka. We have to make sure that we in Seychelles attract scientists to come here, set up laboratories, undertake researches and find out more details on our raw materials that are for Seychelles. They are for us. We cannot continue sending our coco de mer overseas and allow people to do whatever they want with them. While making sure all the money remains in the Seychelles economy,” urged President Faure.

It was Dr Frauke Fleischer-Dogley, chief executive of the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) and other officials of the foundation who led President Faure on a tour of the Vallée de Mai. Again his trip was related to the coco de mer status there through discussions held.

It is worth noting that President Faure, who is also the patron of SIF, has visited the Vallée de Mai before as guest of honour for various ceremonies.

“It was not just to inform the president of the capacity of SIF to assist in environmental projects but we are also ready to help where necessary regarding the Vallée de Mai,” said Mrs Fleischer-Dogley.

The accompanying photos show highlights of President Faure’s visits on Praslin and La Digue.