House, Garden and Hospitality expo - A commendable example of public-private partnership |27 June 2014

The first ever House, Garden and Hospitality Expo to be held in Seychelles was officially opened yesterday at the National Sports Council Hall at Roche Caiman.
 
Held under the theme Tou, Tou, Tou pour Lakaz ek Lotel, the expo has been organised by the Small Enterprise Promotion Agency (Senpa), the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and the Publi-Promo Ltd based in Mauritius.

It was President James Michel who had the honour of cutting the ribbon to officially declare the expo open in the presence of  Vice-President Danny Faure, the Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St Ange, the Minister for Finance, Trade and Investment Pierre Laporte, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly David Pierre, judges, members of the National Assembly, high ranking government and SCCI officials.

The aim of the expo is to enable the professionals and the public of Seychelles at large to have access to the latest products and services in the house, garden and hospitality sectors while expecting the commercial and industrial community in Seychelles find interesting partners for long-term partnership.

After a tour of the different stands at the expo, President Michel congratulated both Senpa and SCCI for organising the event in partnership with other regional partners, specifically Mauritius.

“Like I have said on previous occasions and something which I firmly believe in, it is the private sector which is the motor of the economy. And the most important components in it are the small businesses. We should do everything we can to encourage small Seychellois businesses to develop. A means of achieving this is through partnerships with other islands of the region and in this case Mauritius,” said the president.

He noted that the expo is a fantastic initiative where we Seychelles can learn from Mauritius and also where Mauritius can benefit from our experience through a win-win partnership.

President Michel also said this partnership will help in making our economy grow and offers the possibility for small entrepreneurs to develop their businesses, while other regional countries like Mauritius benefit in terms of expanding their businesses in the region.

“It is through this medium that we can help the Seychelles economy grow while at the same time consolidating the economy of the region which is also in our interest,” said President Michel.
He congratulated all who have exhibited their products at the expo and wished them success.

In his opening address, Minister St Ange described the day as an important one in the public-private sector partnership initiated by the government of Seychelles and under the leadership of President Michel and saluted the SCCI for its partnership with Senpa and Publi-Promo Ltd of Mauritius and other destinations for organising the expo.

He described the event as a success in itself because the organisers have brought people together especially those who want to showcase what they manufacture and what they provide to the public at large.

Mr St Ange noted that such an event is a way of raising visibility of what we have and what other business communities have. Minister St Ange also invited proposals for good annual trade fairs which will bring the whole region together.

He suggested that the FetAfrik becomes a platform where the countries of the region converge in Seychelles to promote what they have, to create links and opportunities for each other.
He commended the chairman of SCCI on the organisation of the expo which he described as exactly what the government of Seychelles would have done.

The SCCI chairman, Marco Francis, said that the day serves as a testament that the private sector has responded to President  Michel’s call that they must take the lead and initiate noble ways to strengthen our economy.

“In order to increase trade we must have more action-oriented strategies, businesses should establish meaningful relationships, joint ventures and create new contacts,” Mr Francis said.
“This expo is for the people of Seychelles ; it is for the small, the medium and the bigger enterprises,” said Mr Francis while referring to the year 2008 when the government initiated the economic reform programme.

“Even if it was a move that was not popular, I always say it takes a great leader to realise that when something is not working to make the necessary changes and adjustments,” Mr Francis said.
“Now six years later we have a vibrant economy, we have an economy which is broad-based where the small and medium enterprises have all benefitted from it,” Mr Francis added.

He thanked the president and vice-president for allowing the SCCI to have a voice in business policy-making. But he also stressed on the necessity of not to be complacent as the private sector is still facing difficulties and obstacles and bureaucracy still exists which he said needs to be improved if we want the economy to continue growing.

He commended the president on his recent National Day speech in which he instructed his officials and public servants to go out and meet the people, get to know their concerns and to action on them in a timely manner.

During the opening ceremony there was also a cultural performance by group Tanmi to entertain the crowd.
Members of the public are being invited to come and see the various items for the house, garden and hospitality sectors from Seychellois, Mauritian, Malaysian and Indian entrepreneurs and businessmen.

The expo will remain open until Sunday and the opening hours are from 10am to 6pm. Entrance is free.