Minister Vidot meets with suppliers of building materials |26 December 2023

The meeting with suppliers of building materials

The Minister for Investment, Entrepreneurship and Industry, Devika Vidot, held a meeting last week with suppliers of building materials based in Providence.

The objectives of the meeting, held at the ‘Leve Debrouye’ building, Providence, were to understand the extent to which the explosion of December 7 have affected the suppliers in terms of operations, stock levels and forecast in supply over the next few months.

The meeting also addressed ways the government can assist the suppliers in resuming operation as smoothly and fast as possible as they play an essential part in the repairs of the buildings and houses. On another note, there were concerns raised on the use of safety glass being used on buildings.

Given that hundreds of households will now be replacing their windows and doors, the minister urged the suppliers to appropriately advise their clients on the use of safety glass. On its part, the Seychelles Bureau of Standards will continue with its sensitisation programme to educate the public on glass standards.

Minister Vidot also encouraged the suppliers to sell their products at a discounted rate especially now that the number of clients will increase significantly and they will benefit from the quantity of sales. Admiringly, some suppliers reported that they have decreased their selling prices and most suppliers are not anticipating an increase in prices on building materials.

In this regard, Minister Vidot thanked the suppliers on behalf of the government for their understanding of this dire situation. Minister Vidot stated, “For those who have slashed your prices, we salute you and commend you for your understanding and for standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters affected. We are also urging other suppliers to follow in that example.”

Contributed