P. O. Box 1167 - 2nd Floor
Caravelle House - Manglier Street
Victoria - Mahé - Seychelles
Tel: +248 295500
Fax: +248 225125
YOUR INVESTMENT FACILITATOR
E-mail: sib@seychelles.sc
SEYCHELLES INVESTMENT BUREAU
Website: www.sib.sc
• SIB NEWSLETTER • 2ND QUARTER 2007 • ISSUE #2 • VOLUME 3 •
SEYCHELLES BUSINESS DIRECTORY
2007 S
IB is creating a direct link to its website
(www.sib.gov.sc/directory.html) for the
2
Guest Editor:
• Mr. Maurice Loustau-Lalanne
Chairman & CEO - STB
• Business Opportunities
3
General News:
• National Day Address
Highlights
• Seychellois elected as
Executive Director at ADB
• SHTA gets new Chairman
• STB to take over Hotel School
4
Private Sector Corner:
• SIB Interview:
CEO - AirTel
Telecom (Seychelles) Limited
5
Sectoral News:
• Emirates boosts portfolio
in Seychelles
• The development of Île Aurore
• High ICT ranks for Seychelles
• Commonwealth - India:
Small Business Program
6
Private Sector Corner: (cont.)
• European Union to pay more
for Seychelles fish
• Frequently Asked Questions
78
Regional & Int’l. Updates:
• Benefits of DTA
• Barbados/Seychelles DTA
• Int’l. Agreement: Updates
• Seychelles-China relations
• Japan renews Fisheries Pact
• COMESA - FTA
• IOTC Annual Meeting
Business Directory 2007, for ease of access. People will be able to
search the businesses by company, by business category, or by
individual names.
New businesses will be able to register for the free listing online, and for those businesses who
wish to make amendments to their company details can fill in the forms in the contact us. The
business directory will
also be accessible through SIB's website: www.sib.gov.sc on its on
homepage.
The Seychelles Business Directory 2007 which came out in April 2007 has seen an increase in the
number of registered businesses. There were a total of 314 local businesses who expressed their
interest to feature in this edition, compared to only 200 businesses listed in the 2006 edition.
SIB wishes to also inform the business community that registration for the 2008 edition will officially
start from 1st August 2007 until 31st October 2007 and calls upon all those businesses that did not
participate, to contact SIB to register.
.......................................................................................................................
SIB: PROJECT UPDATES
(1ST APRIL - 30TH JUNE 2007)
B
etween 1st April and 30th June 2007, SIB
Projects Approved
10
8
6
has approved (43) project proposals,
which include tourism-related, commercial
4
fishing, transportation, commercial/resi-
2
dential development, industrial and others,
0
representing a nominal value of
SR5,905,702,480.00 with employment creation potential equal to
1221.
Sector
Arts and Crafts
Commercial Fishing
Industrial
Car Hire
Diving Operation
Hotels
General
Restaurant/Cafeteria
Hirecraft
Transportation
Commercial/Residential
Development
(Continued on Page 2)
Seychelles Investment Bureau Newsletter • 2nd Quarter 2007 • Issue #2• Volume 3
................................................................................
BUSINESS OPPORTUNIES
Maurice Loustau-Lalanne
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Seychelles Tourism Board
I
t's shaping up to be another record-setting year for Seychelles'
tourism industry, with visitor arrivals continuing to climb toward
unprecedented levels.
Interest from consumers and the overseas travel trade has
never been greater, and the biggest names in travel are eager
to tap into the amazing potential that our islands hold.
Backed by a new destination brand positioning — the
GENERAL NEWS
INVITATION TO SUBMIT PROJECT PROPOSALS
FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF
LA PLAINE ST. ANDRE HERITAGE SITE
T
he Seychelles Heritage Foundation is pleased to
invite companies or individuals to submit project
proposals for the management of La Plaine St André
heritage site or part thereof. The project proposal should
be in conformity with the cultural and heritage value of
the site. The project must be sustainable, beneficial to
the preservation of the site and contribute to cultural
tourism development. Companies or individuals intending
to submit project proposals will be required to pay a pre-
Seychelles Islands, Another World which we launched earlier
bid application fee of Sr200. The fee will entitle the
this year, the Seychelles Tourism Board continues to market
prospective bidder to receive the relevant documents and
our archipelago to our key feeder markets in Europe, while
visit the site.
exploring new avenues in emerging markets. Just this year
we opened an office in Moscow to better cater to the Russian
and CIS markets, which represent our top market in 2007
outside France, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom.
The closing date for submission is August 31st 2007 and
immediately after that the proposals will go through an
assessment and selection process. The applicants will be
informed of the outcome in mid-October 2007.
But amidst all this positive enthusiasm and growth, we as a
nation should be prepared for the realization that there is a
Interested parties are kindly requested to contact the:
ceiling to our tourism potential, at least in terms of the
Chairman of the Seychelles Heritage Foundation
economic benefits that can be derived from it.
Room 232, Oceangate House
Tel: 224393 • Fax: 610644 • E-mail: sa@mac
We must avoid an unfortunate tipping point that has befallen
so many other destinations, in which tourism success leads to
a frenzy of development that, in the long run, actually serves
to detract from the very essence that made the destination
so appealing to begin with. There are a number of new
2
SIB: PROJECT UPDATES
(Continuation from Page 1)
Tourism-related projects remain predominant in terms of
products coming online in the next few years, and with
approved projects with twenty (19) or (44.19%) out of all the
Seychelles' sterling track record of environmental conser-
approved projects. The approved tourism-related projects alone
vation, I'm confident that our standards will not be compro-
represent a nominal value of SR2,704,669, 450.00 with 1100
mised, but we must remain vigilant.
potential employment.
It's up to all of us, both the government and the private
The number of projects by Seychellois investors for this period
sector, to invest beyond the normal scope of what it means to
(1st April — 30th June 2007) were (39) (90.7%) out of the total
operate in the tourism industry. We must invest in our
approved projects, representing a proposed investment value of
environment, our human resources and our nation's infra-
SR63,615,580.00, whilst the number of projects from foreign
structure, because the sustainability of our own economic
investors were (4) (9.3%) of the total approved projects at an
development from tourism depends on them.
investment value of SR5,842,086,900.00.
Seychelles Investment Bureau Newsletter • 2nd Quarter 2007 • Issue #2• Volume 3
................................................................................................
GENERAL NEWS
SEYCHELLOIS ELECTED
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT ADB
S
eychellois Peter Sinon has been appointed as Executive Director
of the African Development Bank (ADB), representing the East
Africa Constituency which comprises Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya,
H
Seychelles, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
I G H L I G H T S
The election, which is for the period of 2007-2010 took place on May
14, 2007 during the bank's annual meeting held in Shanghai.
Below are the highlights of the National Day Speech
on 18th June 2007 by President James Michel, vis-àvis improving the business/investment climate of
the country:
Seychelles was represented at the meetings by a delegation led by
the Minister for Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation Patrick
Pillay.
(For the full version of the speech, visit www.sib.gov.sc)
Established in 1964, the ADB is a regional multilateral development
n the tourism sector, reforms will be undertaken soon to
ensure that all investment concessions are applied
across the board, and in the same way.
bank, engaged in promoting the economic development and social
I
* The development of an institute for training in the
banking sector to improve the participation of young
Seychellois in the expansion of this sector;
* Implementation of several measures to further develop
small businesses, examples are:
progress of its regional member countries in Africa.
.................................................................................
SHTA GETS NEW CHAIRMAN
T
he 2007 Annual General Meeting of the Seychelles Hospitality
& Tourism Association, held in May at the Meridien Barbarons
Beach Hotel elected its new Executive Committee. Mr. Louis

the same benefits for all companies — no matter
D'Offay, the General Manager of Hotel L'Archipel at Praslin was
what size
elected Chairman. The Association's 2007 Committee was

SIB to take all application procedures under its
mandated
to work on updating the Association's Constitution to suit
umbrella - eliminating the need for days spent
traipsing around Victoria between various
the new environment and climate facing the hospitality industry.
authorities
The SHTA will introduce its new constitution and structure by the

Certain categories of business reserved only for
end of February 2008.
Seychellois
.................................................................................

Reducing the cost of doing business
STB TO TAKE OVER
HOTEL SCHOOL
* To build, in collaboration with Pension Fund, more
buildings in Victoria and other strategic locations, to
provide business spaces at affordable rents;
* Reviewing of the structure for the disbursement of
concessionary loans to enhance its effectiveness and
rapidity in disbursement — this includes YES loans,
small businesses and cottage industries. The money
available in this fund will be increased allowing the
cottage industry start up loan to be increased from
SR10,000 to SR25,000;
* The creation of a new revenue authority in charge of
collecting Government dues.
T
he Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) will as of July 2007 take
over the running of the Seychelles Hotel and Tourism Training
College (SHTTC). This is to facilitate closer collaboration between
the school and private sector players in the tourism industry who
identify more easily with the STB that the Ministry of Education
under which the college now falls. Under this new dynamism,
SHTTC will be able to provide more advance training. It will also
enhance its affiliation with similar training centre overseas.
3
Seychelles Investment Bureau Newsletter • 2nd Quarter 2007 • Issue #2• Volume 3
..........................................................
SIB INTERVIEW WITH
Mr. Vinod Sud
CEO — TELECOM (SEYCHELLES)
T
elecom (Seychelles) Ltd is a
telecommunication provider of Edge/3G, prepaid & post
paid services.
Fixed line services: to business
and residential areas. Tourists
products: Inmarsat, Iridium and International “Home
Country Direct” dialing (collect & credit card calling).
SIB: What prompted your company to establish a branch
in Seychelles?
Liberalization of telecom sector became a global trend in
the 90s .This was in order to bring direct benefit to customer
with introduction of competition and lower prices. In
keeping with this trend the Government of Seychelles was
keen to introduce duopoly. Until then there was monopoly
(CWS) .At this time Bharti & Emtel were also seeking
opportunities to take their expertise in GSM and go
international. It was perfect timing.
SIB: What would you consider to be the biggest challenge
in operating your business in the Seychelles business
environment?
Market size and demograhy, topography and satellite
bandwidth costs.
SIB: How would you describe the development of
Telecommunications in Seychelles?
The DOI ( DIGITAL OPPURTUNITY INDEX) which is used as a
measure of access, availability of interface devices such as
mobile handsets and the coverage of the Network
has
placed Seychelles as 54th among 180 countries that have
been surveyed. We have a DOI value of 0.46 which classifies a
small island Nation such as ours amongst the high DOI
category along with most developed economies. In fact
Seychelles and Mauritius are the only two countries in the
African region that are in the category. I think this says a lot.
We have good telecommunication infrastructure despite
satellite bandwidth costs that are prohibitive.
SIB: Airtel has recently launched the 3rd Generation
mobile services in Seychelles. Can you talk about this new
venture?
We undertook this project in the 2nd half of 2006. The scope
of work included installation of a new GSM/Edge/ 3G switch
and new compatible network with additional sites to
increase coverage of existing footprint and also
4
PRIVATE SECTOR CORNER
expanding to one remote Island i.e., Coetivy. 3G or UMTS is
literally Mobile broadband providing very high speed internet
access. Being mobile Broadband it supports additional Value
added Services such as Video calling ( handset related) mobile TV
etc apart from normal voice, SMS, MMS and naturally internet
access. The uptake has been good and as anticipated.
SIB: Do you think there is enough support from Government
for this sector? If not, what would you recommend?
The Government has been very supportive. The Project proposal
was accepted and approved in record time. We were also
allocated the required frequency band through the Department
of Telecoms and the Planning Authority also provided us with the
required permission for additional site. The Parastatals were
equally supportive. IDC, PUC, SMB, SBC, SCCA, to name a few,
made it possible to roll out the network in good time with all
necessary assistance. Foreign exchange continues to be a
concern, as it impacts the applications that can be introduced on
the new platform and also the costs of International satellite
band width which are high. The taxation is also high in this sector
and concessions on these shall go a long way in making this sector
an enabler for overall economic development and further
expanding the market. Availability of undersea Optical Fibre as
an alternative to Satellite connectivity can also boost this sector
to new heights.
SIB: What are the future plans for Airtel?
Our focus is on Applications that are now possible with the new
3G mobile network and on which lot of activity and research is
going on in entire world. An informative and interactive WAP
Portal , Mobile TV, Mobile banking are some such applications.
We are also currently replacing the fixed line switch and the
installation is in progress. The new fixed line switch is again the
latest with all modern features. In short our new infrastructure
enables Seychelles to benefit from the latest advances that are
taking place in telecom arena in the world.
SIB: What advice would you give to those interested in this
line of business? Do you think there are potentials in this
sector and the supporting service?
Technology is dynamic and innovations is the key to success.
There is really no time to sit on your laurels, we simply have to
continuously work at being ahead. The public has a choice
between 3 operators in telephony and a similar number of
Internet service providers. For a small Island Nation of a
population of just over 83,000 we have done very well as a
country in this sector. There are many indirect opportunities for
entrepreneurs in Seychelles as a result of high penetration of
telephones which are yet untapped e.g., Mobile shops, call
centres, application development etc. Intresting potential
exists in such areas.
Seychelles Investment Bureau Newsletter • 2nd Quarter 2007 • Issue #2• Volume 3
.................................................................................
EMIRATES
BOOSTS PORTFOLIO
IN SEYCHELLES
E
of Ile Aurore. The project will include an
The meeting was the third of its kind since
18-hole golf course, resort facilities and
the launching of the consultative
possibilities for luxury villas plus a
committee in September last year.
marina.
...................................................
MIRATES Hotels and Resorts, a sub-
Negotiation of the Lease and Commercial
sidiary of well-diversified Emirates
agreements between Pinnacle Point
Groups, has announced a US$253 million
Holdings and the Government have
resort project to be developed at Cap
started and the Lease Agreement is
Ternay on Mahé.
expected to be signed before August 1,
The joint agreement of the Emirates Cap
SECTORAL NEWS
2007.
Ternay Resort and Spa, which is expected
The Government received three tenders
to open in 2010, was signed in May 2007 at
for the project and the proposal of
COMMONWEALTH INDIA:
SMALL BUSINESS
COMPETITIVENESS
PROGRAMME
T
he Managing Director of the Small
the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai by HE
Pinnacle Point Holding was accepted in
Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum,
view of its more superior concept.
(SEnPA), Mrs. Maryse Berlouis and the
Chairman and CEO, of Emirates Group,
...................................................
President of the Association of the
and Mr. Joseph Belmont, Vice-President.
The agreement formalises Emirate's
commercial investment into the development and the resort's concept, while
securing the right to a 99-year land lease
over the property.
HIGH ICT RANKS
FOR SEYCHELLES
T
he United Nations has ranked
Seychelles third among African
Construction of the Emirates Cap Ternay
Resort & Spa will commence in 2008. The
main resort features 186 rooms planned
countries and 63rd globally out of 192
countries in terms of readiness for
electronics government.
Enterprise Promotion Agency
Seychellois Craftsmen (ASC) Mrs. Jenny
Ah-Kong, represented Seychelles at the
Sixth Annual Commonwealth-India Small
Business Competitiveness Programme,
held in India.
The programme which was spread over
for five days was attended by Indian Union
Minister for Small Scale Industries, Agro
and Rural Industry, Mahavir Prasad, Coir
for families and budget-conscious travel-
This came to light when the National
Board Chairman A.C. Jose as well as some
lers, and 230 deluxe rooms designed as
Information Communications Technology
65 delegates from 43 Commonwealth
semi-detached, cottage-style complexes.
(ICT) Consultative Committee met in a
countries.
A private resort area
will feature 15
workshop held in June in the presence of
water-bungalows, the first of their kind in
officials from the Commonwealth
Seychelles and rivalling the best in the
Secretariat to examine Seychelles’ draft
world. This area will also house 40 two-
ICT policy.
bedroom villas, and a Presidential suite
of over 600 square metres.
...................................................
THE DEVELOPMENT
OF ILE AURORE
The workshop dealt with an ICT benchmarking study and e-readiness assessment. The objective is to understand the
level of ICT development in Seychelles
relative to other countries while the
The five-day session was a capacitybuilding programme aimed at developing
competitive small-business practices,
policies and strategies for Commonwealth developing states.
During the five days, talks and presentation on how to develop and promote
small businesses were organised.
readiness assessment refers to the level
The programme was also an opportunity
in absolute terms of preparedness of a
for the delegates to share experiences
P
country to participate in the global
with other delegates from other
Africa, won the bid for the development
information society.
countries.
innacle Point Holdings, an interna-
tional company incorporated in South
5
Seychelles Investment Bureau Newsletter • 2nd Quarter 2007 • Issue #2• Volume 3
..........................................................................................
SECTORAL NEWS
EU TO PAY MORE
FOR SEYCHELLES FISH
S
eychelles will benefit from an increase in the reference
tonnage of 63,000 MT (metric tonnes) of fish exported to the
European Union and a new partnership contribution which is
based on 20% of the total licence payments based on the
reference tonnage. This will be provided for under a revised
protocol which will enter into force on 18th January 2008 that
will see ship owners' contribution per MT increase from 25 to 35
euros per tonne whilst the EC contribution per MT will decrease
from 75 to 65 euros.
The revised Fisheries Protocol was successfully negotiated
during a meeting held in April 2007 between a high level
delegation from Seychelles, jointly led by Seychelles Ambassador to the European Union, Barry Faure, the Chairman of the
Seychelles Fishing Authority, Finley Racombo, and the directorate of fisheries of the European Community in Brussels.
Negotiated in September 2004, the current Fisheries Protocol
which defines the fishing opportunities and financial
contribution provided for by the Agreement drawn up between
the European Community and the Republic of Seychelles on
fishing off Seychelles for the period spanning January 18, 2005
to January 17 2007 is up for review following its third
anniversary. This includes the review of the financial compensation, reference tonnage and other economic parameters of
the protocol.
.............................................................................
FURTHER BOOST FOR
SMALL BUSINESSES
The Department of Investment & Industries, in collaboration
with the International Trade Centre (ICT), will launch a business
centre in July 2007. This centre will provide small and medium
entrepreneurs (SMEs) with business information and advice in
areas such as marketing product and capability development.
This announcement was made during a half-day workshop
organized by the same department in May 2007, to discuss a
policy and strategy for SMEs.
The SME strategy is to encompass such issues as the
enlargement, sustainability, promotion and further
development of SMEs in the country. It will be the responsibility
of the Small Enterprise Promotion Agency (SEnPA), and that of
other business support organizations in Seychelles, to
implement it once it becomes statutory.
The workshop, which took place at the Seychelles Institute of
Management (SIM), was facilitated by two experts from the
Commonwealth, namely Watipaso Mkandawire and consultant
Lisa Callender.
6
What documents does one need to submit for an
investment project?
For all investment projects, promoters have to submit a
project memorandum in line with SIB's guidelines.
Does SIB charge for the services offered?
SIB offers all its services free of charge.
Once a project proposal has been approved, what are
the requirements for the promoter to start up?
The following are required for a promoter to start an
investment project in Seychelles

The relevant licenses

Planning Authority permission (if necessary)

Gainful Occupation Permit (for non-
Seychellois)

Government sanction for the lease, rental or
purchase of premises (for non-Seychellois only)

Registration of company

Registration with Social Security Fund (within 7
days of the commencement of the business)

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (if
necessary)
What are the requirements for investing in a hotel
business in Seychelles?
To invest in a hotel business in Seychelles, an investor
will first need approval from the Government.
The investor will need to submit a business plan of their
proposal to the Seychelles Investment Bureau for
processing.
In the tourism sector, accommodation up to 10 rooms
(excluding luxury villas) falls under the reserved areas,
which means that this type of business activity can be
done only by Seychellois.
Accommodation between 11 and 20 rooms falls under
the restricted area, which means that 51% ownership
must be held by a Seychellois.
Accommodation above 21 rooms are open to foreign
investors.
Seychelles Investment Bureau Newsletter • 2nd Quarter 2007 • Issue #2• Volume 3
..............................................................
BENEFITS OF DOUBLE
TAXATION AGREEMENTS (DTA)
T
he main purpose of the agreements is for the avoidance of
double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with
respect to taxes on income and on capital. The main benefits
to be obtained from such a network of treaties include:
A removal of tax barriers in respect to trade and investment
between two countries to ensure that a double taxation situation
does not arise i.e. where a business and/or investment may be
liable for tax in both countries Such agreements also endeavor to
ensure that such business or investment does not escape tax in
both countries i.e. fiscal evasion.
These DTA's override the domestic tax laws of each country and
are signed to be in existence for agreed minimum durations
(normally five or ten years). Therefore, a double taxation
agreement provides certainty for a business or investor not only
in regard to the taxation consequences or such trade or
investment in both countries but also in respect of the tax
treatment for known minimum periods of time.
The removal of tax barriers and an existence of certainty of tax
treatment can increase existing and/or open up new investments
and trade between the two countries. It is also a general practice
the DTA's between the two countries also provides some
promotional/incentive aspect to further assist to create/improve trade and investment by establishing lower rates of
withholding taxes on such foreign investment flowing from the
other country.
Apart from strengthening ties between the two countries, the
negotiation of such agreements can also facilitate the exchange
information needed by each country in respect to tax matters
occurring in the other country, as it relates to activities of tax for
the same business or investor in one's own country. Such agreements also provide a means of resolving tax disputes between the
two countries in such a manner that it is equitable to each
country and at the same time does not place the business or
investor in a double taxation position.
...............................................................................
BARBADOS/SEYCHELLES DTA
W
ith view to encourage and promote investment, Seychelles
welcomed a delegation from Barbados for the first round of
negotiations towards concluding an agreement for the Avoidance
of Double Taxation on the week beginning 19th June 2007. The
Barbados delegation was led Ms Francoise Hendy- Director of
International Business and the Seychelles delegation comprised
of senior officers from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of
Investment, Industry and Technology and the Seychelles International Business Authority. It was agreed that both delegates
would recommend to their respective Governments that this
Convention be concluded and signed as soon as possible.
REGIONAL & INTERNATIONAL UPDATES
INTERNATIONAL
AGREEMENT
DOUBLE TAXATION AGREEMENT (DTA)
DTA agreement
concluded by
Seychelles
China, South Africa, Indonesia,
Thailand, Zimbabwe, Oman, Malaysia,
Botswana, Mauritius, Vietnam,
Belgium, United Arab Emirates
Cyprus, Qatar,
Negotiations
concluded awaiting
date for signature
Egypt, Bahrain, Namibia, Kuwait,
Barbados
Cont. of negotiations Second round
Czech Republic, Tunisia, Russia
First round of
negotiations
Philippines, Malta, Burundi,
Ivory Coast, Lesotho, Morocco,
Uganda, Israel, Portugal, Turkey,
Kenya, Zambia, Spain, Pakistan,
Jamaica
Request for DTA
negotiations
Tanzania, India, Sweden,
COMESA member states, Argentina,
Greece, Netherlands, Poland,
Slovenia, Japan, Mexico, Republic
of Slovak, Mali, Germany, Maldives,
Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, Italy,
Singapore, South Korea, France,
UK, Cuba, Sri Lanka
BILATERAL INVESTMENT PROMOTION &
PROTECTION AGREEMENT (BIPPA)
BIPPA concluded and
ratified by Seychelles
The possibility of
concluding BIPPA with
Seychelles
Egypt
Republic of Slovak, Bahrain,
Cuba, Qatar, State of Kuwait,
Namibia, United Kingdom,
United States, Sweden,
Germany, Canada, India
7
.............................................................. REGIONAL
Seychelles Investment Bureau Newsletter • 2nd Quarter 2007 • Issue #2• Volume 3
& INTERNATIONAL UPDATES
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: FOREIGN AMBASSADORS ACCREDITED
COUNTRY
NAME
BASE
ACCREDITATION DATE
Austria
H. E. Mr. Roland Hauser
Kenya
17 / 04 / 2007
Denmark
H.E. Mr. Bo Jensen
Kenya
22 / 05 / 2007
.....................................................................................................................
S
eychelles has set up an Embassy in the Chinese capital that
marks the beginning of a new phase in the relations
between the two countries. The physical presence in Beijing is
considered as a pro-active way to meet increasing demand for
the promotion of Seychelles' interests in China now that more
business projects are encouraged and developed on the two
sides, and more Chinese tourists and Chinese investments in
Seychelles' key economic sectors are expected.
Seychelles' Ambassador to China, Mr. Philippe Le Gall,
presented his credentials to President Hu Jintao in May 2007.
.............................................................................
JAPAN RENEWS
FISHERIES PACT
A
US$750,000 agreement to improve fisheries management
was signed in June 2007 between the Overseas Fisheries
Cooperation Foundation (OFCF) of Japan and the Indian Ocean
Tuna Commission (IOTC).
This US$250,000 per year programme is an extension of the
five-year US$500,000 project that provides assistance to
countries in the region to improve their fisheries datea. The
project is all about ensuring that fisheries managers have the
best possible information with which to manage their fisheries,
COMESA - FTA
S
eychelles is weighing the pros and cos associated with
joining COMESA’s (Comon Market for East and Central
Africa) Free Trade Area (FTA) before joining member countries
of the organisation that already have.
Assistant Secretary General of COMESA, Sindiso Ngwenya was
in the country in June 2007 to see how the Seychelles
Government can address the issue of membership. A COMESA
meeting held in May 2007 in Nairobi decided that those
countries that have not joined the FTA should work out a road
map towards joining.
COMESA has 19 member countries, and six of them, including
Seychelles, are non-FTA members.
............................................................................
IOTC ANNUAL MEETING
The 26 member states of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission
(IOTC) including Seychelles met in Mauritius in May 2007
whereby they agreed towards achieving a sustainable
utilisation of tuna resources in the Indian Ocean. The IOTC
members agreed this year to maintain the size of this fleet
fishing for swordfish and albacore at the current levels, with
special consideration given only to the needs of the
development nations in the region. Amongst other topics
discussed in this meeting, was consideration of the possible
ways to achieve a more flexible organisation and, therefore, a
more effective forum for all stakeholders in the fishery.
in particular the valuable tuna fisheries. IOTC and OFCT have
been collaborating for over five years advising countries on best
practices for collecting, processing and reporting their fisheries
data.
The agreement for this programme was signed by the President
of OFCT, Michio Shimada, and the Executive Secretary of the
IOTC, Alejandro Anganuzzi.
8
This meeting also saw the election of the Mr. Randolph Payet,
Managing Director of the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) as
the new Chairperson of the IOTC for the next two years,
replacing Mr. John Spencer, of the European Community in this
function.
The IOTC was established in 1996, and its headquarters has
been based in Seychelles since 1997.
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