Eyewitness News

A Moment With The President of Seychelles

Every month, the President of Seychelles, Mr. James Alix Michel, comes into the living rooms of every Seychellois through the state owned and operated TV station the SBC and dishes out his mushy impressions of what our reality in Seychelles is and is not.
This month was not an exception, but the twist and turns this month, make good reading, whereas in past months, we could afford to just turn off the TV, though some viewers have reported to have proudly, broken their sets.
Michel Says Seychellois Must Take Control of Tourism Industry
The first startling point Mr. Michel made was that Seychellois must take control of the Tourism Industry. This is a joke coming from the man that has promoted and approved more Tourism projects outside of Seychelles for Seychelles, than any other President in Seychelles history.
He cautioned us into falling hook line and sinker on his own assertion, when he himself told us:”next year, I will outline a plan on how Seychellois, can participate meaningfully in the Tourism Industry”. Next year?
My question to Mr. President is this: “What is wrong with telling us this year?” Taken a little deeper and more conclusive, “What is wrong with telling us how Seychellois can participate in the Tourism Industry for the last Five (5) years instead of telling your friends from UAE and Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, how to do that?”
People of Seychelles, under James Michel, our main Tourism Industry which has been built by Seychellois, has been sold by a Seychellois, James Michel to internationally branded companies that have key players behind them all. The money they earn, off our sun, sea, sand and Seychelles being simply, the most beautiful group of islands on earth, is banked over seas. The only money that comes to Seychelles, is monthly operating expense.
Now, he wants us to believe that he did not do the deals.
Ask questions and All Will Be Revealed
• Who brought in Lemuria Constance Group to Praslin, and now Anse Georgette Beach is off limits to Seychellois and Seychellois establishment guests, which has destroyed the “Seychelles Brand”, in so far as free unfettered island exploring holiday has been in fact, blocked?
• Who approved Raffles Hotel Praslin, which is an environmental disaster, destroying the Seychelles Brand and the Praslin Brand?
• Who brought in Four Season Hotel and Villa’s and what does Seychelles benefit from such a project, aside from a few private jets landing at the airport?
• Who gave Four Seasons tax free concessions on BMW x 5’s 75 in all, to the detriment of Seychellois taxi operators and transfer businesses, while Seychellois hotels have to beg State House for a concession to import a luxury transfer vehicle?
• Who gave Banyan Tree the right to transfer guests, and the right to block off effectively, a substantial part of Anse Intendance, which was one of the most frequently visited beaches on Mahe, Island by visitors and Seychellois alike?
• Who brought in Eden Island, a retirement villa community, that could not handle the market forces as the world financial bubble burst, and has now ventured into renting out apartments to make ends meet on an artificial island, competing directly with Seychellois owned businesses, further destroying the “Seychelles Brand” with a culturally artificial,fake product?
• Who allowed over 200 foreign owned barefoot charter sailboat units set up shop in Seychelles, hence creating the equivalent of a 1200 room hotel, with revenues banked overseas, aside from operating expenses? This decision displaced Seychellois boat operators, and hotels alike across the board, while destroying our environment and marine parks, with unfettered anchorage.
• Who allowed LaBriz Shilouette to set up operations, but allows IDC to furnish fuel to the establishment and boats, which it buys tax free from SEPEC, hence subsidizing a foreign owned hotel in effect;
• Who licensed not yet completed 385 room Ephelia Hotel, before additional flights could be set to keep “Tourist Arrival” numbers increasing? To keep things looking good we now quote: “Visitor Arrival” numbers, which includes ship mates in transit, and Ascon non GOP workers, all 3000 of them.
• Who brought in all these internationally branded hotels, without requiring that development impact fees be paid, in order to upgrade our water catchments nationwide, and our electricity grids and roads nation- wide, now we are at capacity, without funds to upkeep and improve basic infrastructure?
• Who brought in these internationally branded hotels to Seychelles, and claimed that they would save us, when in fact, we were declared bankrupt on October 31, 2008, by the same person in a national televised speech?
Our situation is so pitiful under James Michel, I must stop, but I will carry on in a second part article addressing Michel’s version of the “Melting Pot”, after the practice of selling passports for over two decades, has been exposed.
Melt on Jack!

Sesel Pou Seselwa!
May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!