St. Ange’s Indian Ocean tourism report

SEYCHELLES REPRESENTATIVE ATTENDS MALDIVES’ CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT

SEYCHELLES REPRESENTATIVE ATTENDS MALDIVES’ CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT
Former Seychelles president, James R. Mancham, accepted the invitation of Mohamed Nasheed, president-elect of the Republic of the Maldives, to attend his swearing in ceremony as the president of the Republic of the Maldives, which took place on November 11, 2008 at Dharubaaruge, Malé, Maldives.

In 2005, former President Mancham was one of the prominent world Leaders who paid a visit on President-elect Mohamed Nasheed, who was then under house-arrest in the Maldives. Mr. Mancham made time to visit Mr. Nasheed when he was in Maldives where he had been invited to deliver a keynote address on national unity and reconciliation at the annual Maldivian Democratic Party’s Convention.

SRI LANKAN JUDGE TO BE APPOINTED TO SEYCHELLES BENCH
The Seychelles Constitutional Appointments Authority (CAA) is recommending appointment of a Sri Lankan, Mr Mohan Nitanyit Burhan as one of the country’s new judge. This follows the appointment last week of a Tanzanian Magistrate.

Seychelles remains one of the countries where the majority of its judges are foreign nationals. The recently appointed chief justice is also of Sri Lankan nationality who took up Seychellois citizenship once in position in Seychelles.

These Indian Ocean Islands have an adequate number of local legal practitioners and past chief justices until the Seychelles Independence from Great Britain in 1976 had been “home grown” Seychellois. The current attorney general is also from Sri Lanka and he also replaced a long list of Seychellois attorney generals.

It has also been confirmed this week that the application of Seychelloise, Mrs .Nicole Tirant-Gherardi, for a position as a Seychelles judge has been turned down.

IMF BACKS THE SEYCHELLES REFORM PROGRAMME AND OPPOSITION LEADER REACTS TO NEW MEASURES
Mr. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has welcomed the Seychelles economic reform program. He has proposed that the IMF supports the program with an IMF stand-by agreement. The Seychelles government’s daily newspaper Nation reported that Mr. Strauss-Khan has said, in a communiqué published on the institution’s website, that “the Seychelles authorities program is wide-ranging and bold, and I welcome the steps announced by President James Michel and the related legislative changes adopted by parliament.”

He added: “These include fundamental liberalization of the country’s exchange regime that will enable a floating of the rupee, significant and sustained fiscal tightening, and reform of monetary policies to promote liquidity management based on indirect instruments.” “The reforms merit the strong support of the international community and I am pleased to propose to the IMF’s executive board that the Fund supports the government’s economic reform program under a stand-by agreement.”

The Seychelles opposition leader, Wavel Ramkalawan, on his part said: “As a Seychellois and a political party leader, I want Seychelles to come out of this crisis and start a new economic way which is more certain and prosperous. I am here to work for Seychelles. My role is to give my point of view, say where things are going wrong and give my opinion on how they should go.” Mr. Ramkalawan also called for tougher measures to fight corruption.

CARREFOUR CONFIRMS MOVE INTO SEYCHELLES
The “foundation stone” for Carrefour’s Shopping Complex was laid this week by the Seychelles Finance Minister Danny Faure in the presence of Seychelles President James Michel. Also present were Francois Caille, Caille Group of La Reunion, and Serge Carrasco, who is responsible for the development of the Carrefour Group in the Indian Ocean.

The Carrefour’s new center will have 5200 meters square that will have a Hypermarket of 32oo meter-square along a number of smaller individual shops. The arrival of this international group in Seychelles spells the eminent demise of the Seychelles Trading Company, the brainchild of former President Albert Rene, which for many years was the government’s trading company that managed imports of all basic food in the islands.

ANNUAL ‘LA DIGUE OFFSHORE FISHING TOURNAMENT’ BRINGS IN 4198 KILOS OF FISH
A record eighteen boats from Mahé, Praslin and La Digue ventured offshore at 3:00 am on Saturday and returned at 5:00 pm to the La Passe La Digue Jetty with a record 4,198 kilograms of fish in this exciting and competitive offshore fishing tournament organized by the Marine Charter Association.

The tournament, which was on its ninth edition, saw a record crowd of locals and tourists alike gathered at the La Digue Jetty to watch the weighing in of sailfish, tuna, carangue (trevally), bourgeois (red snapper), vieilles (grouper) and many other colorful species of fish. Although no marlin was caught this year, an exceptionally large 47-kilo sailfish was brought in by Praslin-based “True Colour” followed by a 44 kilo Dogtooth Tuna landed by first-timer “Blue Girl.” The mood at the La Digue jetty was jovial as the local DJ entertained the crowd with modern and local island music while the boat skippers jockeyed for position to bring their boats to their jetty for their turn to weigh their respective catches.

Boat “Blue Wave” skippered by Gonsalves (Speedy) Larue and his young team of anglers which included son Christian “Tola”, lawyer Elvis Chetty and Henri Eichler took home SR 3,000 cash and the beautiful winner’s trophy, narrowly beating out newcomer “Heartbeat” by a mere two points. Last year’s winner and tournament favorite “Island Girl” won the Total Overall Catch as well as the Average Catch trophies and tied for 3rd place with “Eye Catcha.”

The prize-giving BBQ lunch was held on Sunday at the La Digue Fun Park where popular Paradise-FM DJ Sean was on hand as master of ceremony and call up the sponsors to hand out cash prizes and trophies to the winning teams. The crowd was also entertained by local performers and models. During the ceremony, the chairman of the Marine Charter Association presented a check of SR 7,500 to the La Digue Elderly Home and another check of SR 7,500 was presented to the La Digue Disabled Committee by the MCA treasurer Mr. Gonsalves Larue. Mr. Houareau noted that all profits from last year’s tournament had been returned to La Digue for charitable causes and that all future tournament proceeds will continue to benefit the people of La Digue.

(US$1.00=8.91 Seychelles rupee)

St. Ange’s Indian Ocean tourism report

SEYCHELLES
FOUNDING PRESIDENT MANCHAM BECOMES MEMBER OF THE
WORLD ENTREPRENEURSHIP FORUM THINK-TANK ALONGSIDE PRESIDENT SARKOZY OF FRANCE

SEYCHELLES
FOUNDING PRESIDENT MANCHAM BECOMES MEMBER OF THE
WORLD ENTREPRENEURSHIP FORUM THINK-TANK ALONGSIDE PRESIDENT SARKOZY OF FRANCE
The Seychelles’ founding president, Sir James R. Mancham, has become an official member of the World Entrepreneurship Forum Think-Tank, the first worldwide Think-Tank focusing on the role of entrepreneurship in society. The event has been granted the official patronage of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and will take place in Evian, France from November 13-15, 2008, at the Royal Hotel, which hosted the G8 Summit in 2003.

The forum will gather some 70 members from the global stage: entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, experts and political decision-makers. It is being promoted by the Emlyon Business School, considered to be the leading business school in Europe for entrepreneurship in association with KPMG, which is one of the largest professional services firms in the world and employs over 123,000 people in a global network of member firms spanning over 145 countries. Composite revenues of KPMG member firms in 2007 were US$19.8 billion. The company has three lines of services– audit services, tax services and advisory services.

The goal of the first meeting of the forum will be to address three main questions: how to create an entrepreneurship-friendly business environment, how to evaluate the impact of entrepreneurs in society, and how to train the next generation of entrepreneurs

FORMER SEYCHELLES MINISTER IS THE NEW CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION
Ms. Simone de Comarmond, a former minister and secretary of State in the Republic of Seychelles, has been chosen as the new chairperson of the Commonwealth Foundation, the intergovernmental body of the Commonwealth mandated to work with civil society organizations.

Ms. de Comarmond was chosen by the foundation’s board of governors by consensus at a specially convened meeting at Marlborough House on 2 October. She will begin her two-year term on January 1, 2009. Ms de Comarmond succeeds Professor Guido de Marco of Malta, who has been a distinguished Chair of the Foundation since 2004.

Commenting on the selection, Commonwealth secretary-general Kamalesh Sharma said: “Ms. de Comarmond has a wealth of experience in public life in the Seychelles and internationally, and I am pleased that she will be able to bring this to bear in furthering the important work of the Foundation in advancing Commonwealth civil society, and its own role in promoting democracy, sustainable development and inter-cultural understanding across the Commonwealth. ”

For his part, Dr Mark Collins, director of the Commonwealth Foundation, said, “At a time when the sector’s importance is increasingly recognized and has a key role in Commonwealth affairs we look forward to working with Ms. De Comarmond, whose international experience will greatly add to our work and impact.”

Ms. de Comarmond was the minister of tourism and transport in the Republic of the Seychelles from 1993 to 2003. She was also responsible for Tourism and Civil Aviation between those times. In those roles, she strived to ensure the tourism policy of the Seychelles balanced economic development with environmental sustainability. As the Minister for Education from 1989 to 1993 she undertook major reform with the re-structuring of the academic cycle at primary and secondary level and a review of teachers’ conditions. Prior to her Ministerial appointments, she held the role of Secretary of State at the President’s Office. Ms de Comarmond, who was educated in the Seychelles and the United States, has also been active in the promotion of opportunities for girls and women in a wide range of organizations particularly in Africa.

When informed of her election, Ms. Comarmond said: “ I very much look forward to being of service to the Foundation, which is a uniquely valuable organization striving on behalf of Commonwealth governments to strengthen civil society and professional organizations in all walks of life. There has never been a more important time for citizens to engage closely with their governments in addressing social, economic and environmental challenges.”

GOVERENOR OF THE CENTRAL RESIGNS AS IMF MOVES IN TO RESTRUCTURE THE SEYCHELLES ECONOMY


The president of Seychelles, James Michel, has accepted the resignation of Mr. Francis Chang-Leng as governor of the Seychelles Central Bank. Mr. Chang-Leng’s retirement marks the end of a 30-year career in the civil service, of which 24 years have been spent with the Central Bank including being its general manager from 1995 to 2001, when he was promoted to the position of governor and principal secretary at the Ministry of Finance. 

It has been reported in the Seychelles government newspaper Nation that Mr. Chang-Leng had cited health problems in his letter of resignation. Under the Central Bank of Seychelles Act 2004, the Central Bank governor is appointed by the President of the Republic, but thereafter operates independently of the executive arm of government.

This coming week, President James Michel is expected to address the Nation on his reform program after intense negotiation with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. One of the expected measures is for the country’s currency, the Seychelles rupee, will be floated which will bring an immediate drop in its current value.

MAURITIUS
CHAGOS ISLANDERS LOSE APPEAL TO RETURN TO THEIR ISLAND
The Chagos Islanders have had the right to return to their island homeland in the Indian Ocean overturned by a British House of Lords judgment. The former inhabitants of the Chagos Islands were evicted from the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) between 1967 and 1971 and they were hoping that they could return to their birthplace and rebuild a new life around a new tourism industry and fishing. The largest Chagos Island is Diego Garcia. This was leased by the UK to the US for a military air base.

Seychellois hotel manager Roch Evenor, 51, was among the 2,000 islanders relocated as part of the secret deal with the US. He was moved from Diego Garcia to the Seychelles as a child, before settling in the UK, where he now works as an NHS administrator.

The number of the exiled population and their dependants has grown to an estimated 4,000, with many of the 1,000-strong UK community living in Crawley, West Sussex, and working as cleaners or packers.

Mr. Evenor, of Rotherhithe, South London, said: “In our language we have a saying that says: ‘Where your umbilical cord is buried, this is your place’. “Mine is buried there. I haven’t had the chance to go there to see where it is buried.” Mr. Evenor said the US had taken over Diego Garcia because of its strategic position and he could not envisage it leaving.

In 2000, British High Court judges ruled that Chagossians could return to 65 of the islands, but not to Diego Garcia. In 2004 the government used the royal prerogative – exercised by ministers in the Queen’s name – to effectively nullify the decision.

Last year, the court overturned that order and rejected the government argument that the royal prerogative was immune from scrutiny. The government asked the Lords to rule on the issue.

Ministers have maintained that the UK control over security matters and this country’s legal relationship with its overseas territories was at the heart of their appeal.

The US had also indicated that any return of islanders would compromise its military presence.

Most of the islanders were sent to Mauritius and the Seychelles and in 2002, the islanders were given the right to British passports. The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is now being asked to rule on a separate appeal by the islanders against a refusal by the UK to grant them compensation.

St. Ange’s Indian Ocean tourism report

SEYCHELLES
‘EMIRATES HOTELS & RESORTS’ APPOINTS KRIS SEEBOO AS PROJECT MANAGER FOR ITS SEYCHELLES DEVELOPMENT

SEYCHELLES
‘EMIRATES HOTELS & RESORTS’ APPOINTS KRIS SEEBOO AS PROJECT MANAGER FOR ITS SEYCHELLES DEVELOPMENT
Mr. Tony Williams, the senior vice president for Emirates Hotels & Resorts, the premier hospitality management division of Dubai-based Emirates Airline, has announced the appointment of Mr. Kris Seeboo as project manager for its Seychelles development which will be located at Mahe’s Cap Ternay.

The Cap Ternay Resort & Spa, the division’s third-conservation-based property, is currently in its detailed design phase, and is promising, according to Emirates Hotels & Resorts, to shape up as one of the Indian Oceans’ best resorts. The new resort is scheduled to open in 2010 and is expected to cost some US$253 million. It is the largest international investment by Emirates Hotels & Resorts, and is set to be one of the largest-ever in the Seychelles.

Mr. Kris Seeboo has over 10 years experience in the construction industry and over the past 18 years he has been involved in the hospitality sector, both as developer and general manager of several five-star Indian Ocean resorts. Mr. Seeboo’s experience in the management of Mauritian and Seychelles resorts has earned him a personal reputation in the industry. Mr. Seeboo will be remembered by many tourism and hospitality professionals for his work in Seychelles, where he spent five years as the managing director for the Beachcomber’s Sainte Anne Resort and contributing to the establishment of the Beachcomber’s hotel management and training school at the Reef Hotel on Mahe.

The Cap Ternay Resort & Spa will be located within a protected area of the main island Mahe and will uphold the Emirates Hotels & Resorts conservation practices and use of ecologically-sensitive designs in resort development; first initiated with the division’s flagship property, Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai. Cap Ternay Resort & Spa is being marketed as another feral-free wildlife reserve, with its 60-acres protecting many species endemic to Seychelles. To date, the private resort islands of North, Fregate & Denis are confirmed to be feral-free.

The Cap Ternay Resort & Spa will feature two distinct areas spread over 22 acres of land. The main resort boasts 186 rooms planned for families and budget-conscious travelers, and 230 deluxe rooms designed as semi-detached, cottage-style complexes situated in landscaped beachfront locations.

A private resort area will feature 15 water-bungalows, the first of their kind in Seychelles, and 40 two-bedroom villas and a Presidential suite, each with a private pool and deck.

STANDARD & POOR’S RATING FOR SEYCHELLES DOWNGRADED
It has been confirmed from Mumbai by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services that the republic of Seychelles’ foreign currency debt has been downgraded and signaled a further possible downgrade, after holders of the republic’s 54.75 million euros amortizing notes due 2011 noted their intention to accelerate payment as the republic has failed to make interest and principal payments due last July 1.
Standard & Poor’s lowered Seychelles’ foreign currency sovereign credit rating to “CCC/C” from “B/B” and placed the rating, along with the “B+” long-term local currency ratings, on negative watch.

Standard & Poor’s noted that the government has asserted that it did not pay debt service on the notes because of irregularities in the issuance approval process and a lack of transparency in the note documentation, which the agency has not yet reviewed. “The government’s actions also raise broader questions about its debt-management policies and heighten concerns about its capacity to service $230 million of rated global bonds,” the agency said.

MAURITIUS
AIR MAURITIUS FEELING THE EFFECTS OF INCREASE FUEL PRICES
The national carrier of Mauritius has announced that, while the current year’s profits have seen record high profits, prospects for 2009 will not be as successful. It was announced that next year’s profits could plummet by as much as 75 percent due to high fuel prices.

Air Mauritius has this year proudly announced record profits, amounting to 16 million euros in the fiscal year that ended in March. These 2007-08 results came out far higher than last year’s profit of 2.5 million euros. The year before Air Mauritius recorded a significant loss of 13.9 million euros.

“Air Mauritius is expecting to make an estimated profit of 16 million euros” this financial year, according to a press release from the airliner’s board. Final accounts have been submitted to the Air Mauritius Board for approval.

However, further prospects are bleak, Air Mauritius revealed. “Under prevailing market conditions and current fuel prices the company is estimating that it will make a profit of around 4 million euros for the next financial year,” the airline said. This represents a 75 percent decrease in profits for the upcoming year.

The Mauritian national airline has been expanding its services and airplane park during the last two years, after restructuring its ailing economy in 2006. With a new route to Bangalore, Air Mauritius is strengthening its customer basis beyond the traditional European tourism market.

Air Mauritius has seen increased competition on its lucrative routes connecting Europe and the Indian Ocean region; a traditional up-market tourist destination where travelers have accepted high flight prices. With the arrival of cheaper alternatives, Air Mauritius needed to engage in cost-cutting programs to be able to lower fares and continue to attract passengers.

Despite the increased customer basis, lower fares have made the airliner more exposed to increase fuel prices, cutting the profit range. Most of the airliner’s flights are long-distance, increasing risks, as fuel prices remain volatile.

Mauritius as a popular tourist destination continues to record a sustainable year-to-year growth in arrivals, averaging around 3-4 percent annually.

AIR MAURITIUS CUT 80 FLIGHTS DUE TO FUEL INCREASE
Air Mauritius has also announced that it has cut 3 percent of its total flights. This announcement was made in the Mauritian Parliament by the Tourism Minister Xavier Luc-Duval. This reduction of some 80 flights is believed will help Air Mauritius face the fuel price instability. The cut flights are mostly those that were experiencing load factors that were less that the set by the Company.

The Mauritian minister also said that the fuel surcharges announced by British Airways and Air France would not be enough to recover all the extra costs because some of the costs could not be passed on to the passengers.

Mauritius is prepared to spend more to remain visible on its main markets and necessary supplementary budgets are in place to ensure that visitor arrival numbers continue to increase.

COMORES
COMORES MAKES IT TO FULL MEMBER OF THE ISLAMIC DEVELOPMENT BANK
It is now confirmed that the Comoros has been admitted as a full member of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB). This was confirmed during the bank’s annual board meeting, held in Jeddah. The Comoros Islands has already been granted funding of several development projects and will receive aid to address the food prices crisis.

The Islamic Development Bank, which is the Muslim world’s premier multilateral financial institution, endorsed and approved the membership of two new member states, being Albania and Comoros. Both states are predominantly Muslim.

It was also revealed at that board meeting that some 26 least developed Muslim countries, most of them African, are to benefit from the landmark US$1.5 billion food initiative of the Islamic Development Bank that was announced. Under the five-year initiative, the Bank is to provide soft loans and grants to member countries to increase their agricultural production and make adequate stock of food grains.

The African beneficiaries of the food crisis initiative are: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Mozambique, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, and Uganda. “This food initiative will be implemented immediately,” IDB president Ahmed Muhammad Ali told the press in Jeddah.

Comoros was also one of eight states receiving grants from the IDB’s Waqf Fund, which promotes Islamic communities and religious training worldwide. The fund was to spend US$200,000 on the provision of lab equipment and furniture for four secondary schools in Comoros.

MADAGASCAR
MADAGASCAR PRESIDENT APPEALS FOR SOLUTION TO COMBAT HIGH FOOD PRICES
President Marc Ravalomanana of Madagascar attended the last FAO summit in Rome to present his views on a way out of Africa’s food crisis, due to currently hiking food prices and global warming. In a six-point proposal, he told participants how Madagascar and Africa at large could achieve a “Green Revolution” within the framework of international free trade.

President Ravalomanana was one of the few leaders who addressed the FAO summit with concrete proposals on how to find a way out of the crisis spreading throughout Africa as consequence of skyrocketing food prices internationally.

The president of Madagascar said that his country was suffering because large parts of its crops were destroyed by a cyclone, further contributing to rising prices locally and creating widespread food insecurity. “I do not want that Madagascar is so economically dependent on the effects of cyclones,” the president said. “I want Madagascar reach a level of development that allows us to absorb external shocks in an efficient manner.”

Essentially, the solution was in increasing and diversifying the agricultural production of Madagascar, and of other food insecure countries. “We must find ways to become exporters rather than importers of foodstuffs. Prices immediately will drop by about 20 to 30 percent if we can achieve our goal of increasing agricultural productivity. Then, we can better absorb external shocks,” Mr. Ravalomanana said.

He presented a six-point list on how to achieve a Green Revolution. “First, we must strengthen the training of farmers,” he said, adding that his government this month was to open a new Institute for Peasants. “We will soon have information centers and advice for farmers in all 22 regions of Madagascar. But we need support and incentives for these farmers,” he added.

“Secondly, we must increase the yield per hectare using certified seed without being dependent on international seed producers,” he outlined. “We need to improve cultivation techniques and methods of irrigation. We must make effective use of fertilizers of better quality while preserving the environment.”

Thirdly, storage and infrastructure – especially port and airports – needed to be improved. “We need to develop a cold chain for producers at the ports or airports,” President Ravalomanana said.

The last three points addressed the need to get better access to export markets for African products. The Malagasy President said it was necessary to develop systems to standardize quality products and have certification standards in line with what exports are meeting in Europe, the US and Asia. Then, new products to meet international demand needed to be developed

Finally, to better reach export markets, it was necessary to “adopt new marketing strategies to better penetrate the domestic and international markets, and also create new markets for a better added value of our products. We must create new partnerships with industrialized countries which respect the Kyoto Protocol,” he said.

Commenting on his own proposal to “revive the Green Revolution in Africa,” Mr. Ravalomanana said, “These are some very pragmatic proposals. They are based on my strong belief that free markets and free trade are the basis of international trade, but also that we need comprehensive action and responsibilities shared by all actors.”

Concluding, President Ravalomanana criticized the great current focus on mineral and oil extraction in Africa. He said African countries should realise that they had more to offer that edible oils, minerals and cheap labor. “We should stop the looting of our natural and environmental resources. We should enhance the potential of our human resources. We should take better advantage of our wealth.”

St. Ange’s Indian Ocean tourism report

LAND SALES BECOMES A MAJOR DIVIDING ISSUE IN SEYCHELLES

LAND SALES BECOMES A MAJOR DIVIDING ISSUE IN SEYCHELLES

The selling of land to foreigners and, recently, to nationalized entrepreneurs has become a touching and divisive issue that has seen the independent newspapers dedicate the whole front page to the problem. Africa has often seen land issue turn ugly and, in Seychelles itself, the government of the Seychelles People’s Progressive Front (SPPF) in its days of a “One-Party State” implemented the policy of “Compulsory Acquisition” of large estates. Government estates and island have been sold on long leases to private individuals without a transparent and credible tender process.

The latest grip has been about a newly naturalized Indian billionaire entrepreneur named Chinakannan Sivasankaran, who has been able to buy land at an incredible speed to become one of the Country’s largest land owner in the spate of only two years. Records at the land registry shows 33 titles of property in Mr. Sivasankaran’s name amounting to over 2 million square-meters. This begs the question: Should anyone have so much land in a small country where land remains a rare commodity?

AIR SEYCHELLES REORGANIZES
The flag carrier for Seychelles, Air Seychelles, has announced that Mauritian national Dr. Rajiv Bissessur has been appointed chief executive officer for the airline. He replaces David Savy, who is now only the chairman of the national airline’s Board of Trustees. Mr. Bissessur is the first foreign national to occupy the position since the creation of the company some twenty years ago. This appointment has seen the announcement for the reintroduction of the Seychelles/Singapore weekly service, a much sought after connection for business to and from Australia and also the runs to Maldives and Bombay. The run to Singapore was discontinued when the service to Bangkok was introduced only a few months ago because it was “a key to the future of the airline.” The new services will commence on June 30, the same day when the Bangkok run will be suspended. The Bombay and Maldives run had been discontinued over a year ago.

SEYCHELLES RECEIVE ROYAL VISITOR
Last month, the Seychelles welcomed the Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, who was on a private holiday visit. The Emir deployed an armada of yachts and a super jet for his visit to Seychelles. At least two of the royal yachts had been in Seychelles for several days prior to the arrival of the Emir and several other yachts have been chartered for various trips to the outer islands for the Emir and the large group accompanying him. Besides fishing, the Emir stopped at some of the outer islands, reports say.

MAURITIUS
WORLD INVESTMENT FORUM RECOGNIZES MAURITIUS
The Board of Investment in Mauritius has received the top prize for outstanding performance in advocating policies that have helped its government to stimulate foreign development and local development. The award was presented to Mauritius at the World Investment Forum in Accra, the capital of Ghana by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies. The Mauritius Board of Investment has been recognized to have championed reforms that have created a reputation for Mauritius as being a highly effective investment environment.

IT’S THE BUS AND NOT THE METRO FOR MAURITIUS
The Mauritian government has finally decided that the bus service will remain the main public transport to link the cities Port Louis to Curepipe, and that all plans for the introduction of a light metro have been dropped. The bus lanes have been found to be more flexible and less costly and Mauritius Public Infrastructure Minister Rashid Beebeejaun has announced that work will now commence in September. The project will see a dedicated corridor for buses linking Port Louis to Curepipe. Other urban areas will then also be linked to this bus corridor, which is meant to ease traffic congestion on the roads leading to the capital.

A SECOND CRUISE SHIP COMPANY TO USE MAURITIUS AS ITS BASE
After Costa Cruises, it is the British cruise liner called Foresight that has decided to base its Ship MS Ocean Odyssey in Port Louis, Mauritius. Initially, the ship will be used as a hotel and gastronomic restaurant but will then undertake cruise itineraries around the islands surrounding Mauritius. Mauritian Tourism Minister Xavier-Luc Duval has said that the decision by Foresight will allow Mauritius to reinforce its image as a destination fro cruise ships.

LA REUNION
SIX GIANT LAND TORTOISES GIVEN TO LA REUNION
The Seychelles government of President James Michel has handed over to Paul Verges of La Reunion six giant land tortoises coming from Aldabra Atoll, a United Nations World Heritage Site. According to published reports, these giant Seychelles Land Tortoises will be displayed at a new tortoise park in the coming months.

MADAGASCAR
MADAGASCAR SUSPENDING THE EXPORTATION OF RICE
Madagascar’s government has confirmed that it has decided to suspend the exportation of rice because of the ongoing food crisis. “Les Nouvelles” newspaper reported that Madagascar Armand Panja Ramanoelina, the minister of Agriculture, made the declaration following an agricultural seminar.

US TO ASSIST MADAGASCAR WITH MILITARY SUPPORT
The United States of America has met with Madagascar in Antananarivo to discuss military and civil relationships in an effort to reinforce political stability and democratic institutions in Madagascar. The meeting was organized by the Center for Civil – Military Relations of Monterrey in California and was attended by the Madagascar representatives from both government and non-governmental groups.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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