Year 2015 news highlights |31 December 2015
As we come to the end of 2015, Seychelles NATION presents its readers with a month-by-month review of the major local news that have marked this eventful year.
January
De nouvo pti baba – en pti fiy ek en pti garson – i ne kot Lopital Sesel zour lannen.
Premye pti baba, Sebastien Samuel Barbé, i ne 12er44 apremidi avek en lapeze 3.1 kilo. Dezyenm pti baba i ne en pti pe mwens ki en erdtan plitar, 1er40 apremidi, e i pez en pti pe par lao 3 kilo.
Air Seychelles expands its codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways to include flights to Athens and Belgrade. This brings to 12 the number of European cities available to Air Seychelles on Etihad Airways’ network including London and Manchester (United Kingdom), Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and Munich (Germany), Milan and Rome (Italy), Geneva and Zurich (Switzerland), Brussels (Belgium), Dublin (Ireland), and Paris (France).
Trop-X, the Seychelles Securities Exchange, is accepted as a member of The African Securities Exchanges Association (ASEA), now bringing the association’s membership to 25.
ASEA is a platform for cooperation, engagement and networking among other exchange and key regional bodies on the continent, geared at developing exchanges and enhancing their competitiveness.
President James Michel announces the composition of his new Cabinet and appoints a number of chief executives in government ministries, departments and agencies, while other heads and senior-most staff retain their position.
Four new ministers are appointed by the President while two ministers step down.
The new ministers are Charles Bastienne (Minister for Home Affairs), Didier Dogley (Minister for Environment, Energy & Climate Change), Michael Benstrong (Minister for Investment, Entrepreneurship Development & Business Innovation) and Wallace Cosgrow (Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture).
The two outgoing ministers are Pierre Laporte and Peter Sinon.
A new Hyperbaric Treatment Centre opens at the Seychelles Hospital.
A gift from the Qatar Development Fund, the new facilities are capable of treating seven patients at the same time.
The new chambers will not only be useful to divers who are vulnerable to under water accidents, but will also treat patients suffering from diabetes, bone infections, brain injuries, burns as well as poisoning.
In the past patients suffering from decompression sickness had to be sent to Silhouette Island at high costs for treatment, sometimes at night and in difficult conditions.
The foundation stone for the biggest housing project in Mont Buxton is laid by the Minister for Land Use and Habitat Christian Lionnet and the district’s administrator Michelle Sabury.
The project is being done on the ex-Dominic Savio school or as many know it as the ex-Bel Eau annex school.
The project will cost about R23m with R9m from this year’s national budget and the rest in next year’s budget.
The 36-unit housing project, which will benefit the same number of families, is being financed entirely by the government of Seychelles.
February
Public health officers conduct an investigation into the possible causative agents of an itchy red rash seen on people from the Ramo Estate, Anse Aux Pins.
The infestation of a specific plant locally known as tantan (castor plant) with a specific caterpillar covered in hairs and yellowish in colour with black spots has been found to be responsible for the rash.
Mon Kontan Sesel, the national theme for the year 2015 is officially launched at the International Conference Centre amid songs and dance performances.
President James Michel revealed the theme during his New Year message.
The theme is translated into English as ‘I Love Seychelles’ and into French as ‘J’aime les Seychelles’.
The Mon Kontan Sesel national theme logo, designed by Rene and Ivan Labrosse-Rolston, is represented by a heart which symbolises love. Love for our country, love towards one another, peace, and solidarity for all Seychellois. The thick outline surrounding the heart symbolises our strength and resilience. The colours of the logo and the white space inside the heart represent the colours of our national flag. The way the colours merge into each other represents unity and harmony – Seychelles as a nation in all its diversity.
President James Michel delivers his nationwide year 2015 State-of-the-Nation address to the National Assembly, placing emphasis on the principles of patriotism, empowerment, national unity, social harmony, solidarity, entrepreneurial spirit, and family values for the development of Seychelles’ economic and social wellbeing.
The event marks the National Assembly’s first sitting for the first term of 2015.
It is a constitutional requirement that the head of state delivers a state-of-the nation address on the occasion of the first National Assembly sitting each year.
The Seychelles Land Transport Agency conducts an exercise to evaluate traffic flow on Castor Road. The exercise involves changing the traffic flow along Castor Road in the opposite direction from town to English River instead of from English River to town.
After the exercise is completed the agency will have a better understanding of traffic flow patterns in Victoria.
March
A ban is imposed on all aquarium living organisms into the country.
This follows concerns over possible introduction of a fungus that has been identified as the main source of a disease that is killing amphibians.
The ministry and its partners are considering ways on how to issue license to certain registered local companies who will have to produce relevant documents obtained from regulated overseas facilities that have good health screening system in place.
These importers, once they have complied with certain conditions, will be able to import and distribute aquarium fish on the local market.
India and Seychelles sign four bilateral agreements in fields such as hydrography, renewable energy and security.
The signing of the agreements follows bilateral talks between visiting Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and his delegation and a Seychelles government delegation headed by President James Michel.
Indian PM Modi, who is on a one-day official visit to Seychelles, also announces that India is giving Seychelles another Dornier aircraft and a coastal surveillance radar system to strengthen surveillance of its EEZ.
PM Modi also announces a visa waiver for Seychellois citizens travelling to India.
Konsey Nasyonal Lazenes (SNYC) i fet son 17enm lanniverser. Sete le 7 mars 1998 ki gouvernman ti met anplas sa lorganizasyon lazenes avek bi asir en meyer devlopman e lepanouisman lazenes Seselwa.
The University of Seychelles (UniSey) launches a new Bachelor of Social Science (B Soc Sc) degree course in Youth & Community Work and in Social Work.
While officially launching the course, Designated Minister Vincent Meriton said it will not only make a difference in the quality of social and community services that we provide, but it will also ensure a steady flow of newly trained professionals to meet the ongoing demand for more expertise, knowledge and skills in tackling the many problems affecting our society.
April
AMSA Renal Care, the world’s leading renal care providers based in Dubai, UAE, takes over the management of the renal care facilities in Seychelles.
AMSA Renal Care, with a distinction of ZERO mortality rate since its inception will:
- • Invest US $10 million in the next five years;
- • Provide professional guidance required to bring up the quality of service to world-class level with best practices, protocols and policies;
- • Bring world class nephrologists/internal medicine specialists and general practitioners in the country;
- • Conduct professional trainings for existing staff and doctors;
- • Induct holiday dialysis with its access of 50,000 dialysis patients across the world.
The University of Seychelles (UniSey) is awarded Registered Centre status for the various University of London programmes.
UniSey now joins a group of institutions around the world that enjoy a close relationship with the University of London International Programmes.
Seychelles hosts a three-day technical level meeting on heroin trafficking in the Indian Ocean region. The aim is to strengthen existing approaches to fight maritime drug trafficking, analyse research findings conducted on drug routes in the region, discuss legislation for drug prosecutions and support required by regional states, discuss and share best practices in fighting such crimes, seek ways to better coordinate information sharing on maritime crime and in line with that, work towards a track and report mechanism among regional states and develop a focal point mechanism for expedited flag-state response.
Pri gas ki servi pour kwi manze ouswa ‘LPG’ i desann sorti R18.50 par kilo pour vin R17.00 par kilo. Sa i vedir ki en boutey 4.5 kilo ki ti pe vann R83.25 i aprezan vann R76.50. En boutey 9 kilo ki ti kout R166.50 i aprezan kout R153.00. Pri in vin R204 dan plas R222 pour 12 kilo e R408 dan plas R444 pour 24 kilo. Dan ka bann gro boutey 48 kilo, zot aprezan kout R816 olye R888.
Dan en lot devlopman pri elektrisite osi i desann par preski lanmwatye. Sa i aplik pour konsonmasyon domestik – setadir bann lakour – osi ki pour biznes.
Dapre nouvo tarif ki Komisyon Lenerzi Sesel (SEC) in anonse, pri elektrisite i redwir par 76 sou lo sak inite e sa i reprezant en rediksyon an mwayenn 48 poursan.
The Supreme Court annexe building which will be served mostly to hear piracy and maritime crime cases is officially opened. The two-storey ultra-modern court complex is a donation to the people of Seychelles from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). It has been funded by the government of the United Kingdom, the Royal government of the Netherlands and the Trust Fund of the Contact group on Piracy.
May
The Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA) signs a memorandum of understanding with the Beijing Union University (BUU). Through this agreement, the STA will have access to the Tourism College of the BUU which will make easier the exchange of students and lecturers as well as provide a platform for exchanging research and scientific materials.
Students from the two institutions will go on exchange programmes for both studies and work attachments.
Victoria and the City of Qingdao of the People’s Republic of China sign a memorandum of understanding to establish sister city relationship.
The twinning agreement seeks to promote mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields of economy, science and technology, culture, education, sports, health, sustainable development, environmental protection, urban development, tourism, and trade, particularly in key areas such as blue economy and port.
Le Jardin du Roi spice and endemic garden has now some enhanced facilities including its own museum – an area dedicated to the history of spices in Seychelles since the 18th century.
This project has been made possible due to the collaboration with the Plant Conservation Action Group (PCA) and through the funding of Government of Seychelles, GEF and UNDP Mainstreaming Biodiversity Project for joint Environmental NGO / Tourism establishment projects involving conservation and biodiversity.
The main aim of the project is to increase forest native biodiversity in the nature trail area of forest at the site (approx. 2 hectares) and also to train the garden’s staff in rehabilitation methods.
Telecommunications company Airtel Seychelles inaugurates its first national fibre optic ring at the Providence Industrial Estate, Providence.
The optic fibre ring will provide a high speed service on Airtel’s network service so that the full potential of the company’s 3G and 4G services can be tapped.
An investigation opens into an apparent leak of classified information involving different policies the Ministry of Finance, Trade and the Blue Economy has been working on since January. This comes after a local newspaper printed a story containing two of the six policies the ministry has been working on.
The two policies mentioned in the article in question are the 13th month salary and a property tax on land and dwellings owned by foreigners.
June
Two local firms – the Seychelles Trading Company (STC) and Airtel – enter into a new merchant agreement with the aim of providing customers a modern mode of payment for their goods. Through this memorandum of understanding STC customers are guaranteed an instant payment service which can easily be accessed through any type of mobile phones. This new facility called ‘Airtel Money’ allows STC customers to purchase their goods and pay for their shopping by just using their phone.
Twenty-one-year-old Linne Freminot is crowned Miss Seychelles ... Another World 2015!
Petra Richard, 20, is the first princess while Genevieve Rene, also aged 20, clinches the second princess title.
The group Inison, comprising Antoinette Dodin and Judith Hoareau, is this year’s grand winner of the National Day song competition with their song entitled ‘Meyer plas anba lesyel’. They receive a cash prize of R50,000.
The second prize goes to Travis Julienne with his song entitled ‘Avan Tou’. He pockets a cash prize of R25,000.
The song ‘Mon Sesel’ by Simon Amade earns the singer a cash prize of R10,000 as third prize.
Premye Lazournen Konstitisyon (le 18 Zen) i marke par en seremoni fer monte paviyon kot Moniman Lavwa Lanasyon lo Laveni 5 Zen.
Bi sa seremoni se pour onor Konstitisyon pei ek son bann senbol nasyonal, alokazyon 22enm lanniverser depi ki Konstitisyon nou 3enm Repiblik ti vin anfors.
Sa seremoni fer monte paviyon ti oparavan ganny fer le 29 Zen, Lazournen Lendepandans, ki aprezan in vin nou Lazournen Nasyonal.
The Central Bank of Seychelles (CBS), in collaboration with the National Celebrations Committee and the help of the Ministry of Education, launches a partly coloured commemorative coin with a face value of R50.
This is to commemorate the first year in which the country’s National Day is being celebrated on June 29, which is also our Independence Day.
July
Praslin’s new state-of-the-art fire station is officially opened by President James Michel along with Home Affairs Minister Charles Bastienne and chief fire officer of the Seychelles Fire and Rescue Services Agency (SFRSA) Andre Morel.
Built on 2,419.74 square metres of state land on the reclaimed Eve island, the fire station has been financed by the Seychelles government at a cost of R30 million.
The new station has an administrative block, a mechanical workshop, disaster command centre, offices, training rooms, a library, stores, residential quarters with a recreational room, kitchen, a dining room, showers and bedrooms and an appliance bay.
There are two fire engines at the station and two smaller ones which are being constructed are expected to join the fleet later in the year.
A new insurance company – Falcon Insurance – is officially launched in Seychelles, with the promise of providing new types of insurance products that other firms here do not provide on the local market.
Falcon Insurance, whose head office is based at Eden Plaza, is the fourth insurance company which is offering its services on the Seychelles market.
The company’s director Arnold Chetty says to start off the company will offer only motor insurance and after each month it will introduce new products after consulting the needs of its clients.
A visa waiver agreement between Seychelles and the United Arab Emirates comes into force. Under the agreement, which was signed in Abu Dhabi in November last year, Seychellois nationals will be allowed to enter, exit or transit through the United Arab Emirates without a visa and fees for a stay of up to 90 days.
Seychelles is the first African country to sign an agreement of this kind with the UAE.
Air Seychelles effectue son premier vol direct de Mahé à l'aéroport Charles de Gaulle. C’est un retour en force pour la compagnie Air Seychelles, près de quatre ans après avoir cessé ses vols directs vers la capitale française.
La compagnie aérienne nationale effectuera trois vols directs par semaine de Mahé à l'aéroport Charles de Gaulle. Les départs sont programmés pour mercredi, vendredi et dimanche à 21h40 (arrivée le lendemain à 6h05) et les vols retour quitteront Paris lundi, jeudi et samedi à 18h00 (arrivée le lendemain à 6h10).
August
Vennsenk nouvo manm Lafors Defans Pep Sesel (SPDF) i pret serman apre ki zot in swiv en formasyon de baz ki’n dir pandan en peryod kat mwan. Apard formasyon militer, sa bann solda in osi ganny antrennen pour tenny dife e donn premye swen. La ki zot in sermante, sa bann solda pou aprezan entegre dan bann diferan seksyon SPDF parey Gard Lakot, Larme de Ler ek Lenfantri.
The foundation stone is laid for the construction of a reception and visitor information centre at the Mission Lodge heritage site at Sans Souci.
The Mission Lodge site is one of Seychelles’ most valuable heritage properties from both environmental and cultural perspectives. The Seychelles Heritage Foundation wants the site to have a more iconic visual impact and more visitor friendly by putting up a reception and visitor information centre with a gallery, cafeteria, a larger parking area, permanent exhibition, new signage, toilet and washroom facilities.
The foundation stone is laid for the construction of 24 new housing units on the ex-Kashogi estate at Bel Ombre. The project is being financed by the government of the United Arab Emirates through a grant which is being managed by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD).
Mathilda Twomey, née Butler Payette, is sworn into office as the new and first Seychellois female Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Seychelles.
Justice Twomey's appointment as Chief Justice follows the unanimous recommendation made to the President of the Republic by the Constitutional Appointments Authority.
She becomes the first Seychellois female to hold the post of Chief Justice in the country.
The governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles Caroline Abel is awarded the African Female Public Servant of the Year Award by the African Leadership Magazine, as well as a Special Commendation Award from the US Georgia Legislative Black Caucus.
The African Female Public Service Award is a prestigious distinction reserved for deserving public servants, public institutions, groups and associations, who have contributed immensely to the growth and development of Africa’s public service.
The Special Commendation Award from the US Georgia Legislative Black Caucus is in further recognition of the governor’s role in boosting Seychelles’ banking sector and contributing to the country’s economic and social development.
September
The foundation stone is laid for a new police station at Anse Aux Pins to replace the existing one and it should be ready by June next year.
The new police station will be about 600 square metres and it will have new facilities to boost the operations of the police force as the Anse Aux Pins station covers Pointe Larue, Cascade, Au Cap, part of Montagne Posée and Anse Aux Pins itself.
This new modern police station, which will cost R6 million, will have a proper reception area, a meeting room, criminal investigation department (CID) area, and better detaining cells among other facilities.
The National Drugs Enforcement Agency announces that it is intensifying its fight against drug trafficking through what it has called a major anti-drug operation, in the most affected areas and with bad reputation on the islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue.
The operation is targeting traffickers such as distributers, transporters and pushers operating at community level and directly affecting drugs’ victims.
Thirty-seven officers from several units of the Seychelles police force are promoted to the ranks of special corporal, corporal, sergeant, sub-inspector and inspector.
Out of the 37 officers is promoted to special corporal after being a special constable, two move from lance corporals to corporals, 14 from constables to corporals, 12 from corporals to sergeants, seven from sergeants to sub-inspector and one from sub-inspector to inspector.
Seychelles introduces the injectable Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) into its routine immunisation programme, thus taking a landmark step to join global effort to accelerate polio eradication.
Children are routinely immunised against polio at the age of three, four, five and 18 months, six and 15 years and up until now this has been through drops given orally but as of this month injection is being introduced as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
October
Lasanble Nasyonal i aprouv en mosyon pour ki Ile Perseverance i vin 26enm rezyon elektoral dan Sesel. Sa mosyon i vin apre en demann gouvernman pour fer sa zil konble vin en sirkonskripsyon elektoral.
La ki sa mosyon in ganny aprouve, i reste zis pour Prezidan Larepiblik, Msye James Michel, siny sa lalwa e fer Ile Perseverance vin ofisyelman en distrik elektoral.
Avek anviron 7,000 zabitan, Zil Perseverans pou pli gran distrik e zòn elektoral dan Sesel.
Sesel i zwenn sa pti lalis pei dan lemonn ki’n pibliy Labib dan zot prop lalang nasyonal. Labib an Kreol Seselwa i en linisyativ Seychelles Bible Society an kolaborasyon avek le trwa legliz ek larelizyon prensipal dan pei – Legliz Katolik Romen, Legliz Anglikann ek Legliz Advantis.
Konsiltan tradiksyon sa Labib i Dokter Krijin van der Jagt.
Eighteen-year-old Debbie Horsman is the winner of the first Miss Creole Des Iles International. Marie-Antoinette Robert and Emma Denousse clinch the first and second princess titles respectively.
The foundation stone is laid for the construction of a new bypass bridge that will link Ile du Port to the Espace building area.
The R45.2m asphalt surface bridge will provide for a dual carriageway with lanes of 3.5 metres wide and constructed on pillars driven to bedrock level.
The bridge will also have a footpath of 1.5 metres on each side, as well as all the necessary markings, traffic signs, street lights and pedestrian and vehicular railings.
Seychelles receives a US $10 million loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to support the government's Inclusive Private Sector Development and Competitiveness Programme.
This budget-support loan, designed to ensure continuity and deepening of reforms supported under the first phase, will be disbursed in one tranche in the fiscal year 2015.
The aims of the Inclusive Private Sector Development and Competitiveness Programme – phase II (IPSDCP-II) are to achieve inclusive and sustained economic growth through enhanced competitiveness of the economy of Seychelles. It will also support a series of reforms to address key constraints to private sector development, focusing on domestic small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Two new bus shelters built adjacent to each other at the entrance of Ile Perseverance housing estate, a project of the Lions Club of Seychelles, are officially inaugurated. The project has been sponsored by Shreeji Construction PTY.LTD and Laxmi Trading, two companies managed by Lion Keshra V. Bhudia.
November
Distrik Takamaka i gran venker premye edisyon Pri Distrik Kiltirel organize konzwentman par Minister Tourizm ek Kiltir ek Minister Zafer Sosyal, Devlopman Kominoter ek Spor.
Trez distrik antou ti dan final kot zot ti resevwar sakenn en sertifika. Sa ti Au Cap, Anse Boileau, Anse Royale, Baie Ste Anne (Praslin), Baie Lazare, Beau Vallon, Bel Ombre, Bel Air, Cascade, Rivière Anglaise, Mont Fleuri, La Digue ek Takamaka.
Konkour Pri Distrik Kiltirel ti lanse an Novanm 2013 avek bi rekonnet bann distrik ki’n pran bann linisyativ pozitiv pour devlopman diferan laspe kiltir Seselwa. Osi pour donn zot loportinite pour demontre bann atou kiltirel dan zot distrik.
Gregory Albert, head of the United Concrete Products Seychelles (UCPS), is the best entrepreneur and businessman of the year.
He receives his award during the annual Business Awards Ceremony and Gala Ball 2015.
Iwanah Pillay, the chairperson of the young entrepreneur association, wins a special award for young entrepreneurs.
The long-awaited premiere of the 3D film ‘Aldabra: Once upon an Island’ is screened in Prague, Czech.
Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) chairman, Ambassador Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, and SIF chief executive Dr Frauke Fleischer-Dogley attend the first showing of this new and exciting film that truly brings the wonders of Aldabra to life.
The 73-minute long film has been produced and directed by Czech film company Starlite Pictures in collaboration with Disney. The film is described as ‘An adventurous 3D expedition to the shores of a mysterious island lost in the waters of the Indian Ocean.
Air Seychelles renews a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the University of Seychelles (UniSey). Through this agreement, students of UniSey will be able to attend lectures delivered by Air Seychelles experts on various facets of aviation operations, as well as benefit from vocational training at the airline’s headquarters and airport facilities.
In addition, top performing graduates will be considered for employment and provided the opportunity to visit Etihad Airways’ state-of-the-art training academy in Abu Dhabi, where employees and graduates receive training and development.
A total of 147 students graduate from the University of Seychelles (UniSey). The graduates are recipients of either a Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Law, Bachelor of Arts degree, advanced diploma or diploma or postgraduate certificate combining from the Faculties of Science and Humanities, Business and Law and the Guy Morel Institute.
Nelson Tamboo, a second year fine art student at the Seychelles Institute of Arts & Design, clinches the Outstanding Young Male Role Model Award organised by the National Family Council.
Sixteen-year-old Mujaheed Robert, an S5 student from Mont Fleuri school and 17-year-old Christian Larue, an S5 student from Beau Vallon school, win second and third places respectively.
The aim of the award is to help develop and promote positive attitude and behaviour in our young boys and inspire them to become positive role models in society thus ensuring gender equality.
The award is a newly added segment of the Men’s Award which the National Family Council launched last year. But this year the above award itself will not take place because of the forthcoming election.
December
The EUCAP Nestor, a civilian mission of the European Union dedicated to enhancing maritime security, donates several pieces of equipment aimed at boosting the capacity of the Seychelles Maritime Police Unit in detecting crime.
The donation comes ahead of the EUCAP Nestor’s closing of its country office here after three years of engagement.
The equipment include boat GPS & radar, defibrillators, boat central unit, as well as many navigation type of equipment that will benefit the Seychelles Maritime Police Unit.
The K.D. Pillay-Savoundaravally Foundation signs a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Education. Under the terms of this agreement, the foundation will reward best students at IGCSE and A-Levels on an annual basis.
The foundation says it will also give scholarships or loans to pursue further studies in the field of Business Studies to one deserving needy student per year who has excelled in his/her academic performance.
Seychelles and the Unites States of America (US) sign an air transport agreement, the first of its kind between the countries. It is the first Open Skies agreement which Seychelles signs with an international partner.
Lasanble Nasyonal i aprouv bidze 2016 ki’n prevwar en depans 6 bilyon, 564 milyon, 229 mil roupi. Dan sa bidze, Lasante ek Ledikasyon i reste sa de sekter priyoriter. Sekter Lasante pou resevwar 661 milyon roupi ki reprezant 10.1% sa bidze tandis ki ledikasyon, li i pou resevwar 556.5 milyon roupi, oubyen 8.5% sa bidze nasyonal.
The Ministry of Health installs a medical oxygen production unit worth R7 million at the Seychelles Hospital. This unit is aimed at ensuring that there is a reliable and continuous supply of medical oxygen to meet the requirements of both the public and private medical health centres and institutions throughout the country and also reduce high purchasing costs by saving some R10 million annual spending on oxygen cylinders.