President briefed on development plans for Eve Island |19 January 2009

Mr Michel was speaking after a visit on Saturday to the reclaimed Eve Island off Baie Ste Anne Praslin where he was briefed on the developments going on there and those that are on the cards.

Before visiting Eve Island, Mr Michel was guest of honour at the opening of the Jj Spirit Foundation internet café situated on the first floor of the Pension Complex at Grand Anse on mainland Praslin.

He also viewed how construction work was progressing on the second phase of this complex, adjacent to the completed building.
As is customary on such tours, he also visited a home at Cote D’Or.

In an interview after the visits, he said his presence on Praslin formed part of his customary tours in the districts to keep abreast of developments taking place in the communities.

He said his visit on Eve Island was to see for himself the developments taking place there and also to discuss with technicians the various projects that have been planned for the area.

This visit, Mr Michel noted, also followed various requests he had received from artisans and other small entrepreneurs on Praslin for locations for them to set up their businesses.

Noting that Eve Island has been created precisely to cater for such demands, Mr Michel said the visit on Saturday was also an opportunity for him to discuss with technicians the possibility of making available as soon as possible land to the small entrepreneurs so that they could start their businesses.

Noting that his repeated calls for Seychellois to become business-minded and develop an entrepreneurial spirit is in line with the country’s ongoing economic reform programme, Mr Michel nevertheless said that for Seychellois to become entrepreneurial they must be given the facilities and the appropriate environment in which to develop.

“When they are given such facilities, they create employment and generate more wealth for themselves and for the country,” Mr Michel said, adding that is something he will continue to encourage in the future.

He described his visit on Eve as part of efforts that must be done to continue to encourage our people to develop themselves and their businesses so that they can earn their living.

On Eve Mr Michel visited a micro-enterprise project funded by the Seychelles Pension Fund at a cost of over R5 million. The two-storey infrastructure, named Eve Island Enterprise and which covers a total area of 503 square metres, comprises 8 workshops which are being rented out to small entrepreneurs.

Planned projects that Mr Michel was briefed on relate to light industries and housing, among others.

He was briefed on those projects by the principal secretary for National Development Christian Lionnet. Also accompanying Mr Michel on the visit was the principal secretary in the President’s Office Jean-Paul Adam, the member of the National Assembly for Baie Ste Anne Mitcy Larue and the district’s administrator Damien Ally.