Mr Speaker

Members of the National Assembly

Excellencies, Distinguished Guests

Seychellois brothers and sisters

The central part of my reflections prior to declaring 2003 the Year of Economic and Social Dynamism was that we should build on the accomplishments to date to propel our country and nation forward, whilst consolidating our economic and social achievements.

Despite the fact that I was focusing mainly on the aspects of ‘economic dynamism’ I felt that this should not be divorced from the social and moral aspects of our nation for I strongly believe that our main mission in Seychelles has always been to achieve a high level of material success as well as personal and spiritual wellbeing.

As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of our Third Republic therefore, we can look back to a number of themes that we have embraced during these past 10 years, all of which have in one way or another been aimed at seeking the best for our people.

Two of these themes that come to mind immediately are “Sharing and Caring” and “For the love of Seychelles” (or as we called it “Pour Lanmour Sesel”).

These two themes should always be the basis of our thoughts as we embrace new themes in our search to consolidate and improve our nation.

My choice therefore of “economic and social dynamism” for the 10th anniversary of our Third Republic is based on the premise that after 10 years of working in a new multi-party environment we should use everything we have achieved and learned to propel ourselves forward.

Whilst we made significant strides forward in these last 10 years we have also experienced a political climate that has not always been as peaceful as we would have liked it to be, punctuated sometimes by mistrust and even insults, which have brought bitterness to our small community and divisions to families and neighbourhoods.

I therefore sincerely trust that with the new platform of civility between political parties and leaders that has been established after the last National Assembly elections, we can work closer together for the future and the wellbeing of the Seychellois nation.

Naturally we will have our differences of opinion; naturally there will be occasions when we will have to repair a bridge that has cracked; there will be occasions when we disagree on the common solutions to a particular problem, but I trust that we can have political divergence in this country without us resorting to insults, lack of respect for the authorities or even lack of respect for the institutions of our republic.

The political divergence of our people and the freedom of association and expression that reign in our country make it such that today we have a different political landscape than 10 years ago.

Along with this our people have become more demanding in what they expect as a service from their government and other instruments of the state.

In the last elections, for example, we observed how the concept of consultations with the public took a central role in the discourses of many of the parliamentary candidates.

If that was the case, it is precisely because the candidates have realized that the electorate demands and expects a better process of consultation and participation in district and national affairs.

That is very normal in the development of a country and a democracy. That is part of the political maturity of a population that accompanies a better education, and a better awareness of what is going on in the country and on the international scene.

It is for this very reason that we need to ensure in Government that the process of better ‘customer care’ which started in September 2001 after the Presidential elections continues and is sustained.

We need to ensure that every level of government - from the Chief Executive’s Forum and its style of management right down to the sensitization and work attitude of our junior staff – clearly understands and adopts the culture of service and the spirit of devotion to work.

We need to embrace this conscientiousness in our work if we are to attain the target for the year of ‘economic dynamism’.

It is for this very reason that I wish to stress that political tolerance and harmony should not be an excuse for mediocrity in the public service, or even for public service officers to boycott the government agenda by the way they execute their responsibilities.

I do not believe there is one political party in this country that would form a government and tolerate irresponsible officials who bring partisan considerations to their public service duties.

There is no place in the Public Service for an officer who deliberately allows a file to gather dust in order to cause frustration in people who are seeking to buy a plot of land or the construction of a house.

There is no place in our civil service for an officer who asks for payment under the table in order to activate a file or a project.

The very fact that my government has set as one of its most important targets that of giving the public a better service means that this year we will pursue our efforts in this direction.

The newly-created Public Service Development Division in the Ministry of Administration and Manpower has started to put into place a programme involving our Chief Executives in this regard and is identifying appropriate training for all officials and workers.

In line with this, individual ministries are also putting together their own initiatives to improve all aspects of the way they deal with, and serve, the public.

This is an ongoing process in which we cannot expect overnight success but I can assure you that everything is being done in order to ensure that we have a government that is as sensitive, receptive and efficient as possible.

The year 2003 is one in which all institutions and structures of government will have to bring all the diligence and vigilance to bear in their work.

Following on the 2003 Budget address delivered by the Vice-President at the end of last year, we have already put in place the necessary procedural disciplines to ensure that Ministries manage their respective budgets correctly and prudently, and ensured that there are the necessary officers in the Ministry of Finance to assist them in meeting their targets.

Naturally we have specific ambitions for each of our ministries and I would like to touch on a number of areas where we need to consolidate or perform better.

We are adamant in our wish to consolidate the integration of information technology in our Education system so that we can equip more and more students with the means of better accessing and grasping information and learning.

We intend to strengthen the collaboration between teachers and parents, not only for the benefit of students, but so that we can also resolve areas of conflicts and misunderstanding. It goes without saying that we will explore more and better ways of imparting the right moral and spiritual values in our youths.

Last year we introduced a programme of sensitization of our youths through the media on the threats that some of the more serious ills of society pose, such as drugs, sexual abuse, violence, smoking and alcohol.

We will pursue such campaigns and in parallel encourage more organizations and agencies to persevere with their individual programmes.

Again with respect to our youths we will continue to diversify and decentralize educational, animation and sport programmes through the districts and find new and better ways to improve training, be it in skills, sport or artistic fields.

Each year we make important strides in the development and improvement of the Health service, yet every year brings new demands and challenges.

We have just witnessed the graduation of young nurses and medical technicians from our School of Nursing, and each year we welcome back new Seychellois doctors who return from overseas training, fruits of our investments in further education and training.

This year will see the realisation of a new hospital in La Digue. We are putting the best resources possible to ensure that such a project that will integrate modern facilities and amenities that blend harmoniously with the environment and culture of the island.

Given our small population we will never be able to even dream of having each and every latest medical facility in our country.

It is for this reason that we continually explore new partnerships with some of the best medical centres and facilities in the region so that our patients can get access to the specialist treatment they may require.

We still have a long way to go to bring the performance of our Ministry of Land Use and Habitat up to scratch, in order that we can clear the backlog and provide optimum service to the public.

One of our priorities for this year is to do exactly this in order to reduce the waiting list, manage the files better and give the public a better service within reasonable parameters.

I say reasonable parameters because, while the fair distribution of land and housing remains one of our priorities, we will not be able to satisfy every demand. The pressure on this ministry is such that as we clear backlogs, new lists and new demands come up.

In managing this demand, the aspect of Planning is one which will need to receive greater attention. As we create and develop new housing we will need to ensure that the social and recreational and environmental elements of the Seychellois way of life are well integrated and planned for.

Some areas of our land territory are more sensitive than others. On islands such as Praslin and La Digue, for example, where communities are smaller and more fragile, we cannot simply sub-divide a piece of land into 30 or 40 housing plots without planning the landscaping aspects, the harmonious integration of the community that will develop, and such community services that will have an impact on human and social aspects.

There are numerous instances in the past where individuals have taken great liberties with the Planning Authority, as well as instances where the Planning Authority has closed an eye on an infraction.

As we continue to develop, it is critical and imperative that there is much more harmonisation and networking between the Planning Authority, the Ministry of Environment and the Licensing Authority to ensure more order.

In the area of Social Services and Employment it is important that as a nation we remain sensitive to the needs of the elderly, the less fortunate as well as those children who do not grow up in proper family units, and orchestrate our efforts to ensure that our progress does not pass them by.

It is worth not forgetting that our country has become a model to the world for the way in which we look after those less able in our society and we should build on this by finding new and better ways of caring for them.

Agriculture and Marine Resources are two pillars of national production in which we need to show more innovation and resourcefulness.

I would like to see Indian Ocean Tuna put greater emphasis and effort in the recruitment of Seychellois for their factories and similarly I would like to appeal to more Seychellois who are looking for employment to show an interest in working there so that we may come to depend less and less on imported labour.

Only recently I was impressed and touched to hear a young Seychelles Polytechnic graduate confess publicly that he would like to become an engineer in order to serve local companies such as IOT.

As a young nation we should be proud that we are home to one of the biggest and best tuna canning factories in the world and we should be able to support and sustain such an industry that can bring so many benefits in the future.

Local production will continue to be a very important area of national development and for this reason agriculture and marine resources needs all our attention.

There have been many initiatives taken by the Ministry of Industries and International Business to ensure that it remains an important pillar of our economy.

One of the most important has been to find better ways within our economic and financial strategy to help small and medium businesses sustain their business operations, allocate more land to their operations, and allocate the necessary foreign exchange to meet their needs for the importation of raw materials as well as provide them with sales and marketing know-how and support.

This is precisely one of those key areas of development in which our land reclamation programme will have its greatest impact – put more land at the disposal of Seychellois to create or develop their businesses and contribute to the wealth of the country.

The domains of craft production and ‘Made in Seychelles’ souvenirs have yet to show the kind of success and status which we have been looking and striving for, for so many years now.

I have always said that I strongly believe that we should explore those areas of crafts where we do not have to compete with such places as the Philippines and Madagascar, but rather concentrate on items which we do best and bring to them a better quality of workmanship, because we are simply never going to be able to compete with the cost of same or similar items from those countries.

The Ministry of Local Government has a lot of work ahead in its programme to decentralize services and bring them to district level.

Developments in districts such as Anse-aux-Pins, Anse Royale and Beau Vallon will help us to achieve this decentralization of services and business.

Government cannot help musicians sell more CDs or put medals around our sportmen’s necks, but we are here to put everything possible at their disposal to help them to do just that.

I have witnessed tremendous growth in the potential, and output, of our artists and sportsmen and women.

The Ministry of Culture and Sports, as well as its affiliated bodies like the National Sports Council and National Arts Council should ensure good organisation and operation in order to provide our sportsmen and women and artists with the maximum openings and encouragement.

Our Tourism industry has made some significant strides.

The increase in investments in the industry of late, by foreigners and Seychellois equally, have helped, and continue to help, our industry get a better name.

Despite these investments in higher end hotels however, there is still a marked absence of the Creole flavour in our hospitality industry, which is the very ingredient that our visitors come all this way to experience.

This is exactly where our medium and small hotels have a better role to play and contribute.

It is therefore very important that the industry should make use of the new incentives that we will be proposing in the coming months to continue to improve their products and service and give them that local touch that is required to set us apart from the competition.

We have much more to do on Mahe where we still have a few of the larger and older hotels that are still holding back our product and image.

On Praslin we need to ensure that whilst we develop we do not use that special atmosphere and cachet of “Ile des Palmes”.

La Digue needs significant product improvement, not in the sense of luxury but in a manner that is in harmony with the character of the island, if we are to ensure that it remains a jewel for our visitors.

As for the smaller and outer islands we need to forge a quality and a style of development that respects and enhances the nature of the islands and that can offer to our visitors a uniquely Seychelles island experience.

Seychellois brothers and sisters, it is with this very spirit of better service and better consultations that we have created a special Economic committee to consult with as large an audience as possible on all aspects of our economic development and future, with national as well as international institutions.

For several years now we have put into place different economic structures and mechanisms to ensure that we do not only make our economy healthier and more robust but also safeguard it from any international disasters that may have a negative impact on our progress and wellbeing.

The proof that our measures have worked and are working is there for all to see and it has brought us to a year where we can truly look ahead to more ‘economic dynamism’.

In my dedication for the year I stressed on how this year should bring a new phase in the development of Seychelles and the Seychellois, one in which we should consolidate our personal values and put in place the mechanisms that will encourage every individual to give more of himself and herself to create more wealth and wellness.

During the past 25 years we have charted a path of human and economic development that has not only brought us a high standard of living but has shielded us against many economic problems that have plagued most developing countries.

Furthermore we have equipped our people with a high standard of education, health and morality which have in turn made the Seychellois more alert, responsive, innovative and ambitious.

As we continue up the path of this remarkable progress we should pay great care and attention that we do not lose those important human values and principles that should accompany this progress hand in hand.

The negative elements and trends that stand in the way of our harmonious society seem to be mushrooming by the day. Slowly but surely violence is creeping in; there appears to be more aggression, more dishonesty, more corruption – all elements that could lead us closer to a dangerous precipice.

It is imperative and urgent that we halt this slide so that we may regain a hold on those very qualities and sentiments that have guided us to where we are today. As a nation, our outstanding characteristics have always been politeness, honesty, civility, hospitality and our love and respect for our fellow man.

The time has come for us to come closer together and unite ourselves to make that all important step into the future.

In the months to come my government will be putting in place a series of Economic and Financial measures that will better enable each and every Seychellois to work better and contribute better to our economy and wellbeing.

These measures will be generally aimed at facilitating how we go about our businesses and industry in order to have fewer hassles and become more profitable.

They will impact on the taxation system as well as create the right parameters for encouraging business and industry.

Over and above these mechanisms, we are also looking at ways of improving personal and national development through better recognition of business achievement, innovation in industry, ideas and effort.

Together with the private sector we will seek new ways of encouraging those who participate in this national mission through their products and their services, and we will also explore more and better ways of training our workforce.

It is very much my personal wish that we all commit to this national effort so that we can propel Seychelles forward into a new era where personal effort and dedication to the ethics of work find satisfaction and fruit not only in a more prosperous Seychelles but equally in a society that is physically and morally healthier.

Seychellois bothers and sisters, let us once again dedicate our love and work to the success of our nation.

Let us do everything we can to use 2003 as a springboard for a better future.

Thank you.

LINKS