Chinese entrepreneurs donate to UniSey

Seychelles Nation - 06.02.2010
The Seychelles University Foundation has received a donation of R80,000 from the World Chinese Entrepreneurs General Association.

The association’s executive chairman Liao JunQiao presented the cheque to Dr Rolph Payet, the university’s president and vice-chancellor, in a short ceremony at State House yesterday. 

Thanking Mr JunQiao for the donation, Mr Payet said since the University of Seychelles was launched last year it has been growing very quickly and the money will be put to good use.

Mr JunQiao said it is important for the government to develop and strengthen the education level of its people.
He said being a small island state, Seychelles lack resources and the people are in fact its most valuable resource.

“The development and improvement of the people’s education also means the improvement of national prosperity,” said Mr JunQiao.

“The development of the university has historical significance because only when education develops can that state have talent, become stronger and its people become more prosperous and happy.”

President appoints human resources board

 Seychelles Nation - 29.01.2010
Members of the body responsible for developing human resources have been appointed by President James Michel for a period of three years, with effect from November last year.

Chairperson of the National Human Resources Development Council (NHRDC) board is Marina Confait – also principal secretary for employment and human resources development – who joined the other members for their first meeting at National House yesterday.

Dr Rolph Payet, vice-chancellor of the University of Seychelles (UniSey), is the new vice- chairman, and among other members – representing the civil service and private sector – are the NHRDC’s chief executive Christian Cafrine, principal secretary for education Jeanne Simeon and for public administration Jessie Esparon.

Also on the board are Michael Benstrong from the Seychelles Savings Bank, Eric Savy from the Ephelia Resort, Jean Malbrook representing the Federation of Workers Union, Cyril Bonnelame from United Concrete Products Seychelles and Jennifer Sinon representing the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association.

Jill Tirant from the NHRDC is the board’s secretary.
Chairing the meeting, Mrs Confait said there are many challenges ahead but a lot of work has been done since the council was established by its own Act in June 2006.

She said it is good to have people from different backgrounds and with different skills on the board as the NHRDC is the focal point for the country’s human resources development.

“We are faced with a lot of challenges in regard to human resources development, education, training and the employment perspective,” she said.

She added that at the moment most jobseekers are school drop-outs or people who have not gone on to post-secondary education.

“These people do not have the required skills, so we are retraining and reskilling them as a temporary measure,” said Mrs Confait.

The council hopes to bridge this gap and be able to respond to the needs of the labour market, she added.

Expatriate employment has now reached just over 9,000, which is not good for a country with jobseekers, Mrs Confait said. As at September last year there were 246 expatriates in the public service and 94 in parastatal bodies.

Talking about human resources availability at national level, Mr Cafrine said with our small population we have a limited group of people who can be employed and who have the required skills.

We can train many people here, but in specialised domains we have to send them abroad, he explained. And in certain areas we still need expatriates until they can be replaced by Seychellois.

Mr Cafrine said although they can train people for a job, there is sometimes no one who is interested, which is a problem.

“We need to find ways to get people interested in fields such as the manufacturing sector,” he said.
And Seychellois are also needed to work at the Indian Ocean Tuna factory, which has a high number of expatriates, he added.

“We hope with UniSey we can train more people, but there is always a need for expatriates as there are many Seychellois who go overseas to work,” said Mr Cafrine.

But he added that education reforms can help to reduce the human resources problem as they have taken the national plan and the socio-economic situation into account in deciding what kind of skilled people we need.

“Gradually, education can become more effective in preparing students for employment,” he said.

Mr Cafrine also called on employers to play their part and produce a conducive working environment to help keep their employees and encourage other people to work.

G.S. Pillay donates to UniSey on golden jubilee

Seychelles Nation - 22.01.2010
As part of activities to celebrate its 50th anniversary, the G.S. Pillay Company has donated R100,000 to the University of Seychelles.

The contribution forms part of the company’s social responsibility to share with society what it has achieved during 50 years in business.

Chairman of the Seychelles University Foundation Dr Rolph Payet accepted the cheque from the grandchildren of G. Subramanian Pillay – founder and chairman of the company – during a special gathering on Wednesday at the Sea Front restaurant in the International Conference Centre.

Among the guests were Minister for Community Development, Youth, Sports and Culture Vincent Meriton, managing director of Seychelles Breweries Ltd Aubrey Lucas, chief executive of Airtel R.V.S. Bhullar, chairman of the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry Dr V. Ramadoss, National Assembly member for Roche Caïman Giovanna Charles, people from other sectors, friends and relatives.

Dr Payet thanked the Pillay family for their contribution to educational development in Seychelles and reminded those present that education is the fundamental foundation of any individual, family or nation.

Company director Paramesvaran Pillay said the hard work started by his father 50 years ago has borne fruit as the company has now a good reputation as an importer, wholesaler, retailer and distributor of Seychelles Breweries’ products.

Mr Pillay said honesty and trustworthiness in business have been the keys to the company’s success.

He also acknowledged the help received from partners, which has contributed to the company’s achievements.
Special mention went to the late K. Ramanathan Pillay, who is considered as the family’s mentor.

Mr Pillay thanked the Seychelles government for its pro-business attitude and its efforts to create a favourable business climate locally.

He also thanked customers and the general public for their continuing support.
On behalf of Seychelles Breweries, Mr Lucas described the 38 years of partnership with G.S. Pillay – one of the first main distributors of its products – as excellent and efficient, remaining firm even in difficult times. He added that G.S. Pillay has witnessed the progress of Seychelles Breweries through the years.

With new challenges ahead, Mr Lucas said the partnership with G.S. Pillay and other retailers should be strengthened to boost the services offered.

Mr Bhullar said his company has had a very good working relationship with G.S. Pillay throughout its five years in business.
He added that Airtel is proud and happy to have the company as one of its distributors and wished them more success in their future investments.

During Wednesday’s ceremony, distinguished guests and staff received gifts from the company’s directors, and the event ended with a dinner.

Seychelles tuna conference to consider needs of Indian Ocean tuna fisheries

Tuesday, 12 January 2010 11:47   From: fishnewseu

ORGANISERS of the inaugural Seychelles Tuna Conference, taking place in Mahe 4-6 February, have confirmed an impressive line-up of speakers for the event.

They say that government officials, industry leaders and some of the world’s top marine scientists have committed to speak and share ideas in an open forum scheduled for the first week in February.

“The Indian Ocean is an important resource and its future depends upon cooperation among all stakeholders,” said Adolfo Valsecchi, Chief Executive Officer of MWBrands (maker of Petit Navire, Parmentier, John West and Mareblu products). “This is an opportunity to build on the success already achieved in the Seychelles.”

Conference host, the Republic of the Seychelles, is located in one of the largest fishing grounds in the world and is home to the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC.)

“More than 20 percent of the world’s tuna comes from the Indian Ocean making it a region that we all have an intense interest in protecting,” International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) President Susan Jackson said. “This conference will be a huge success if it simply sparks a renewed passion for working together toward a sustainable future.”

The Seychelles 1st Tuna Conference – Taking Stock: Action Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow – will allow participants to evaluate what is currently known about the fisheries, share new scientific data and propose immediate actions and long range strategies to strengthen and protect tuna resources in the Indian Ocean. Attendees will also tour a working fishing vessel and tuna processing plant.

Among the confirmed speakers scheduled to present during the 3 day conference are: Joel Morgan, Minister for Environment, Natural Resources, Transport and Fisheries, Republic of Seychelles; Laurent Dagorn, Senior Scientist, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement; Miguel Jorge, Marine Program Director - WWF International; Rolph Payet, Special Advisor to the President of the Republic of Seychelles; Dale Squires, Senior Scientist and Economist, National Marine Fisheries Service; Dr. Michel Goujon, Director of Orthongel. A full list of speakers and the conference agenda can be found here.

The conference will also honour the work of the late Dr. James Joseph, a well-respected fisheries conservation scientist who passed away while organizing the event. Dr. Joseph was, most recently, the Chair of the ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee.

The Seychelles 1st Tuna Conference is being hosted by the Government of the Republic of Seychelles with support from MWBrands and the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation.