References to Ile Soleil by the President during his press conference of Friday September 9, 2022. |14 September 2022

Former chairman of 2020 Development (Seychelles) Ltd reacts

Allow me to exercise my right of reply to address specific remarks that the President made during his recent press conference, which affect the reputation of the previous board and management of 2020 Development (Seychelles) Ltd, mandated to develop Ile Soleil.

Before I proceed with the President’s specific remarks regarding Ile Soleil, allow me to refer to two general statements that the President made in the same press conference:

“Seychellois are always the same, when you do an expression of interest, nobody comes forward. Then, when you award the project to someone, people start finding out if there was an official tender… Let us be pro-active Seychellois, do not wait and then complain.”

“Nobody is supposed to mislead the population, neither the media nor officials

accusing people of bad behaviour, until there is a judgment that is pronounced.”

Now, regarding Ile Soleil itself. Pure 90.7 journalist Sylvie Ah-Time questioned the President (check from 2 hours, 56 minutes and 30 seconds) on his administration’s plan to develop Vocational Training, noting that the previous administration had a plan to build a National Vocational Training Centre. The President said:

“Cabinet had considered this Vocational Training School which was supposed to be implemented on Ile Soleil, but what we discovered was a total disorder; that, the piece of land which had been earmarked for this Vocational Training Centre, not only that it was not big enough, but, secondly it has a depression (“en kre”) because certain people there in the midst of all the corruption and everything else, they are removing earth (“later”) from that piece of land to take to another piece of land. So, it is a matter that is still preoccupying us, on where we are going to build this Vocational Training School … we will probably take a plot on Ile Aurore and build it there.”

I wish to respond to (1) the size and state of the school plot during the tenure of the previous administration of 2020 Development (Seychelles) Ltd and (2) the allegation of corruption by the President.

Size and state of the school plot

I am baffled to hear the President say that certain people have been removing earth from the school plot. I do not know from where and how he gets his reports, because should anyone visit the school plot NOW, one would find the school plot generally level (no depression of concern or “Kre”). On the contrary, what there is there is a stockpile of coral fill which the previous administration had kept there for development purposes and needs of the Ile Soleil project. These were used always under specific written permits issued by the management.

As for the size of the school plot, government was aware that it was planned to increase the size of the plot from its current size of 11,293 square metres to 18,000 square metres which is what Education wanted. (See accompanying Land Use Plan which clearly shows the extent of the school plot and the additional land – 6,888 square metres – that needs to be reclaimed). The previous administration had planned to achieve this via a tender for the lagoon reclamation. The winner of the tender was required, and agreed in July 2019, to finance the cost of the reclamation (6900 square metres) and sell it to 2020 Development (Seychelles) Ltd for the symbolic fee of R1, after which it would be amalgamated with the school plot. What happened thereafter? The President himself put spanners in the works when during his November 2021 visit to Ile Soleil, he ordered to put a stop to the reclamation in the lagoon which had already been approved by the Planning Authority since February 11, 2021.

Why would the President play the blame game? What confidence do we give to investors when government itself treats them in this manner?

The allegation of corruption by the President

It is not the first time that the President says this in public. He also sent his Minister to make a statement to the National Assembly on May 31, 2022 to air these views. The Opposition paper “The People” carried an article in its edition of June 6, 2022 (pages 15 to 17), which refutes the allegations. It should be noted that the Audited Financial Statement of 2020 resolves the qualified opinions raised by the auditors in 2018 and 2019. On the other hand, we are told that investigations on the previous administration are still under way. Should this be the case, why does the President and his administration not allow proper due process to be completed and refrain from making these allegations which for the moment remain unfounded?

Is this not an example of misleading the public?

I further wish to add that since security has been removed from Ile Soleil, there is no guarantee that there will be order on the island. If trucks come to the island to remove coral fill, who is going to stop them? The security team that the previous administration had in place at least could monitor and control these movements. Already, there are disturbing reports of an increase in theft and inhabitants being terrorised.

I thank you for publishing this article in its entirety.

Barry Faure

Former chairman of 2020 Development (Seychelles) Ltd

Disclaimer:

The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Seychelles NATION newspaper.