Seychelles has joined with seven other insular countries to come up with a new strategy to better facilitate their integration and participation in the New Economic Partnership for African Development (Nepad).

This was said by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Jeremie Bonnelame, when he was answering questions in the National Assembly on Tuesday morning. Minister Bonnelame was asked by Hon. Jeovana Charles of Roche Caiman to explain Seychelles' position vis à vis Nepad.

Minister Bonnelame said Seychelles was very much involved in the implementation of Nepad given that it was following a course of development very much similar to what the government has undertaken over the past 20 years, in terms of infrastructural, human resources, tourism and fisheries development.

The group of seven countries including Cap Verde, Comores, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Equatorial, Madagascar, Mauritius and Sao Tome/Principe, he said met again earlier this year to set up a technical team and to prepare a concrete plan of actions in the fields of infrastructure, communication, marine resources and information technology.

The team is expected to meet again in May and will in July submit their action plan at a summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Seychelles is expected to endorse the new strategy.

Seychelles, Minister Bonnelame said, would reap several benefits under the Nepad programme, especially initiatives aimed at boosting development in East Africa. As part of the programme the country has recently secured a $120,000 grant from the Food and Agricultural Organisation to be used in the implementation of fisheries, agriculture and environment projects.  

Nepad itself was initiated in 2001 in Lusaka, Zambia by a number of African countries as part of efforts being made to fight against poverty on the African continent. The programme is also directed at increasing the volume of commerce on the continent and facilitating its participation in world economy. One of the programme's short-term goals is to increase Africa's economic growth by 7% and to reduce poverty by 50%, by 2015.

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