No business allowed on ex-children’s playground as of now |05 April 2023

Ms Lautoy (Photo: Joena Meme)

The chief executive of the Enterprise Seychelles Agency (Esa), Lisa Lautoy, has said that no business is allowed to operate at the ex-Children’s Playground as of now.

“As announced previously, tenants at the ex-Children’s Playground were given an extension to their lease agreement on September 1, 2022, which expired on February 28, 2023. We had a meeting with all the tenants to explain the situation and out of the 11 tenants, nine agreed and Esa filed a court case against the two tenants,” shared Ms Lautoy.

The two tenants are awaiting the court decision for them to stop operation.

Clause 14 of the lease agreement tenants signed with the Enterprise Seychelles Agency (Esa) on September 1, 2022 states that;“(a) The leased premises is part of land that the Government and/or Esa will develop as part of the Victoria Waterfront Project (the ‘Victoria Waterfront Development’) and that in anticipation of the commencement of the Victoria Waterfront Development, the Government through Esa agreed to temporarily lease premises that are part of the said land to third parties to carry out certain commercial activities on short-term agreement for a lease; (b) The Victoria Waterfront Development will commence at any time; and (c) In anticipation of the commencement of the Victoria Waterfront Development, the land for the said development (which the leased premises is part of) should be vacant.”

Ms Lautoy also clarified that while the commencement of the project was still in the pipeline, the Government through Esa agreed to temporarily lease parts of the land to be used in the project, to third parties so they may carry out certain commercial activities.

“However, tenants also agreed that the Victoria Waterfront Development will commence at any time and that in anticipation of such, the land for development should be vacant and they had been advised to look for other places to relocate and Esa had been following up with the tenants who had submitted proposals for relocation. However, for most, a definite response is yet to be received,” stated Ms Lautoy.

The tenants were explained on February 28, 2023 of the above. Since Esa will not enter into a new lease agreement with the tenants, they have been served with notices following the expiration of which the tenants will have to relocate. The notice expired on March 28, 2023.

Ms Lautoy also assured the tenants that they will get the necessary support to relocate.

Vidya Gappy