COVID-19 President Faure continues with visits to essential service providers |02 May 2020
Meeting with the SPA staff and other port stakeholders (Photo: Patrick Joubert)
President Danny Faure on Thursday afternoon visited and held meetings with personnel in shipping and port handling activities at the Seychelles Ports Authority (SPA), New Port, and at the Ile du Port Handling Services (IPHS) based at Ile du Port.
The aim of the meetings was for President Faure to bring his support and encouragement and also to thank these service providers organisations and their staff for the work they are doing amid the coronavirus(COVID-19) pandemic. Those visits and meetings form part of his on-going schedule to meet and discuss with essential service providers and other stakeholders in the front line on their work, challenges and on the way forward amid the COVID-19 pandemic which has constrained the operations of other sectors of the economy.
In the discussion with President Faure at the SPA included representatives from shipping agents Hunt Deltel, Mahé Shipping and Aquarius Shipping, Société Seychelloise de Navigation (SSN), Seaward, Land Marine Ltd as a terminal operator and the Seychelles Revenue Commission (SRC).
Also present were the chief executive of SPA, Ronny Brutus; board chairman Paul Hodoul and other SPA staff.
Following the meeting, Mr Brutus said that everyone present expressed their gratitude for having had the opportunity to interact with President Faure and to discuss pertinent issues at a time when the economy is going through major challenges and hence the need to consolidate our efforts towards a gradual economic recovery with the port and maritime sector leading the way.
He noted that in spite of the current restrictions, Port Victoria has maintained its operation 24/7 to ensure that the cargo operations remained active as it is the only “gateway to the economy” at present.
He further noted that the port activities constitute transshipment of tuna which is at present the main economic activity of the country.
Mr Brutus stated that President Faure expressed the need to remain vigilant and to maintain the guidelines of the Public Health Authority to ensure that the port does not become a point of entry for COVID-19.
He said to that end SPA has imperatively ensured that all employees maintain a high degree of discipline and alertness which is a prerequisite in mitigating possible infections.
He also stated that President Faure also expressed the importance for all port stakeholders to assume their due diligence so that Port Victoria continues to function and serve the maritime industry which is now the lifeline of the economy.
President Faure also highlighted the need to continue maintaining the good level of cooperation and synergy among port stakeholders while his government will continue to provide full support to the port and maritime sector so that the maritime activities continue as normally as possible despite the current challenges.
Following the meeting at SPA, President Faure headed to IPHS at Ile du Port for discussion with its management. Present were Captain Robert Morgan (chairman), Captain Antoine Changarnier( general manager) and Captain Daniel Hoareau (port operation manager).
After the meeting, Captain Changarnier said that it was an honour for them, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, to receive such a visit of encouragement from President Faure where they have been able to discuss on past and on-going work happening, including on their future plans.
Captain Changarnier also said that they took the opportunity to thank President Faure and his government regarding all the actions taken against COVID-19, as thanks to these actions, they were able to continue with their operations as normal during the restriction period.
He claimed that work was just only a little less during that period as they had to finish one hour earlier.
He noted that as an essential service provider, IPHS was able to function normally during the restrictions measures where over 250 stevedores came to work and to whom the company provided masks and gloves among other hygienic products, as protection against the virus. He claimed that 80% of the workers at IPHS are Seychellois and he was happy that despite the COVID-19 pandemic the workers have been able to keep their job and paid fully.
IPHS, which started operation in 2016, is a foreign exchange earner and it operates the 425-metre commercial fishing quay, handling all of the unloading or loading operations of mainly fish.
The objective for having another fishing port at Ile Du Port, as a one-stop berthing for ship owners, is to reduce congestion at Port Victoria while also having an improved and efficient unloading facility for the fishing vessels.
Patrick Joubert
