Minister Devika Vidot’s message on the occasion of Global Entrepreneurship Week (November 8 – 12)   ‘The youth of today are the future of our economy’   |08 November 2021

Minister Vidot

“It is a pleasure to officially announce the start of the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) in Seychelles.

“The GEW, held annually during the month of November, is a global celebration of our entrepreneurs. We celebrate not only those who have laid the first brick but also those who are still finding their way in setting up a business venture. We celebrate the perseverance of our people and their never-ending determination to build a successful venture and take the plunge in the life of an entrepreneur.

“Covid-19 has highlighted the importance of creativity in our society. Despite all the hardships, our entrepreneurs have reigned successful throughout this difficult time. The pandemic accentuated the importance of ‘improvisation’ and ‘thinking outside the box’ to remain relevant and survive this economic hardship. The pandemic has not only made us realise the need for less dependency on the tourism sector but also shown us how powerful we can be if we allow ourselves to do things differently, to create, to diversify.

“The vision of the Ministry of Investment, Entrepreneurship and Industry is ‘Generation of wealth and creation of employment responsibly, in a conducive business environment’. We can only achieve this vision through the success of our entrepreneurs and the private sector. The private sector is the driving force of the economy and they need to be allowed to do just that!

“It is therefore not acceptable that local entrepreneurs should struggle with the setting up of their businesses simply due to the complex procedures or absence of the proper regulations. In this light, I am happy to state that the ministry is spending a lot of effort to address this matter. With the provisional license regulations that will be enacted soon, there will be the possibility for new business ideas formulated with ‘outside the box’ thinking to be realised.

“Furthermore, for the coming year, it is important to showcase what it truly takes to become an entrepreneur. And there is no better place to start than focusing on our youth. 

“As the great Nelson Mandela once said: ‘The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow.’ We are saying that the youth of today are the future of our economy. With the aim of encouraging the idea of entrepreneurship among our youth, we have to look at the difficulties our young Seychellois face. Only by addressing their issues can we really help them realise their dreams, encourage creativity and innovation, and set the scene for them to truly be the leaders they are destined to be. The ministry has engaged with the Ministry of Education to incorporate entrepreneurship and business studies skills in the curriculum. This will allow the kids to develop a business acumen from a very young age.

“With the overall goal of highlighting the youth’s entrepreneurial potential in Seychelles, with the constant support of the Central Bank of Seychelles, we have planned numerous activities this week in promoting and generating more encouragement towards becoming an entrepreneur.

“The ministry, through its agencies, are also gearing up with the right policies, strategies, procedures to facilitate the journey of an entrepreneur. In this context, I am happy to announce that we have sought and received the support of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development for the formulation of a National Entrepreneurship Policy. The local consultant has been engaged and the consultations have begun.

“In fact, there will be, a consultation workshop taking place this week on Thursday November 11 and we count on the active participation of the stakeholders.

“I would like to thank our local and international partners for their continuous support to our efforts towards the development of Seychellois entrepreneurs and for your active support during the GEW. 

“To all members of the public, please take note that all events of the week are being publicised through our social media platforms.

“We count on your active participation and engagement for the success of this event and eventually that of Seychelles.

“I wish you all a very Happy Global Entrepreneurship Week.”

This year’s GEW is being celebrated under the theme: youth and entrepreneurship.

Press release from the Ministry of Investment, Entrepreneurship & Industry