SIB to hold next investment forum in Hong Kong |15 April 2013

The number of tourists and other visitors to Seychelles has increased considerably over the past years and access to Asia is now easier with our national airline, Air Seychelles, travelling to Hong Kong three times a week -- reasons why the chief executive of the SIB Rupert Simeon believes the time is right for an investment forum in this part of the world.

The SIB’s forum committee has already settled on the dates for investment forums nationally which are the National Day forum when it takes part in activities for the occasion and also a national forum for Seychellois investors to be held in September.

With regard to a forum outside Seychelles to encourage foreign investment, Mr Simeon said the committee considered Hong Kong which now has air links to Seychelles.
“With Air Seychelles now flying to Hong Kong, it is the right time for us to go and promote Seychelles as an investment hub not only for people to come and invest here but to use our country to invest in the region,” Mr Simeon explained.

He said Africa is now being considered as an emerging market.
Mr Simeon noted that like in previous forums the SIB will go all out with their promotion material to attract as many investors and promote Seychelles both as a tourist destination as well as a destination with investment potentials in different sectors.  

While land for tourism accommodation development would probably not be easily available, there are different other areas in that sector which are waiting to be tapped into and Mr Simeon cited cruise ships and other supporting services like specialised restaurants.

Mr Simeon added that as we continue to promote our blue economy, the SIB would aim to attract investors in the seafood sector such as aquaculture.
The SIB and its partners have successfully been organising since 2010 several international investment forums which have taken place in Brussels, New York, Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa and more recently in Istanbul, Turkey.

An important delegation, led by the Minister for Finance Trade and Investment Pierre Laporte, will take part in the forum in Hong Kong on June 25.
The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB), the Seychelles International Business Authority (Siba), the Island Development Company (IDC) , the Seychelles Petroleum Company (Sepec) as well as other key organisations like Eden island, Seychelles Fishing Authority and Seychelles Ports Authority will give presentations and showcase the potentials of their organisations. 

M-A.L.