Seychelles unveils new trade hub to empower entrepreneurs |16 December 2023

Guests touring the centre

By Sunny Esparon

The Trade department has officially opened the Trade Information and Promotion Centre (TIPC) which is a one-stop trade information resource centre providing information to exporters, importers, trade support institutions, researchers, academics and the general public.

The opening days are Monday to Friday, except on public holidays, from 9am to 12pm and from 1pm to 3pm. The centre can be accessed at the Maison Esplanade, Trade department second floor.

In a ribbon cutting ceremony held at the Trade department headquarters, the Minister for Finance, National Planning and Trade, Naadir Hassan, stated that Seychelles has a long list of international trade agreements, as well as domestic laws, rules, regulations and policies which regulate trade transactions in the country and globally.

These trade documents can be found in various locations, hence why a person might go back and forth and sometimes end up not getting all trade information at hands to facilitate an entrepreneur’s entry into business.

He noted the centre will serve as a one-stop shop, where members of the public would have access to all information related to trade.

“A place, right in the centre of Victoria where they could learn about the latest development in the field of trade and gain knowledge on the rules and regulations applicable, especially when it comes to Import and Export.”

The centre will also display an array of books related to trade, and different trade agreements shared between Seychelles, regional countries and the rest of the world.

It will also cater to walk-ins who want to use computers to access the Seychelles official trade website, namely the trade portal.

The website is packed with information pertaining to all of Seychelles’ current and past developments and achievements in the field of trade and also acts as a guide, answering most of the public’s queries.

Minister Hassan said he hopes the centre will enable entrepreneurs to look beyond Seychelles, as they will be armed with vital information on how best to access international markets, where they can enjoy trade preferential conditions for their goods.

The minister said government’s recent announcement of a five-year tax holiday for new businesses venturing into manufacturing for exportation, and the opening of the centre “is further proof the government is creating the right business environment for investors to go beyond our borders”.

He concluded by urging the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry to spread the word about the centre and encourage its members to access the information available, so as to be well-informed when they venture into business and learn how they can grow their business outside of Seychelles.

Local businessman, Mustafa Bristol, founder of Bristol Enterprise, shares his testimony on how he first began as an entrepreneur in the early 2000s, not realising the vastness of the world he was about to step into.

Bristol Enterprise started by reviving three of the major industries which were the backbone of the economy back in the old days, namely cinnamon, coconut and essential oils.

“To become successful from starting at a cottage level to now being one of the major exporters and we are the first and only company to have ever certified our cinnamon as organic,” he stated.

He recounted how there were many obstacles he needed to overcome, such as learning the correct pricing and how to export the actual product, before he could finally prosper and become the successful man he is today.

He commended the government for setting up a centre to facilitate the lives of local entrepreneurs.

Photos by Joena Meme