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Seychelles 2008

September 22 2008

Inside this issue

• A chronic shortage of foreign currency is a central issue

• Landscapes are beginning to attract geologists as well

• The country has a proud history of independence but eyebrows have been raised about Chinese influence PDF - -

Content

Drive is on for a sea change in attitudes

When President James Michel delivered his State of the Nation address in February, he warned the country that a “new chapter” was about to open

Living on borrowed time

Vsitors to Seychelles need not even stray from the beach for evidence of strains on the economy. Polite but stern notices at restaurants and cafés advise foreigners that they must pay in euros, not local currency, for their meals and drinks.

Friends with everyone

Seychelles recently began work on a brand-new parliament building on reclaimed land. Artists’ conceptions show a gracious and airy structure incorporating vernacular architectural styles.

IMF medicine set to test resilience

This year, Seychelles marks the 15th anniversary of the advent of multi-party democracy. Government critics can voice their views without fear and, on governance league tables, the country ranks toward Africa’s top, usually behind such regional standard-bearers as Mauritius and Botswana.

Seeking to capitalise on an exclusive niche

Were it located in Thailand or Greece, Seychelles’ Beau Vallon bay might look like a quiet place to get away from the crowds. The country’s busiest tourist hub, a 15-minute drive from Victoria, the capital, truly comes to life only on Wednesday evenings and occasional Saturday

Resorts challenge regulators’ resolve

The Seychelles black paradise flycatcher, the country’s most endangered bird, would at first glance seem an unlikely symbol of progress in its push to preserve the environment.

Profile: Brendon Grimshaw – a free-spirited nature conservationist

Decades before foreign hotel groups began bidding for prime beachfront property in Seychelles, Brendon Grimshaw bought an entire island. While on a visit in the early 1970s from Tanzania, then his home, the Englishman bought Moyenne Island from private sellers on a whim, paying £10,000.

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Seychelles 2008

Content

Drive is on for a sea change in attitudes

Living on borrowed time

Friends with everyone

IMF medicine set to test resilience

Seeking to capitalise on an exclusive niche

Resorts challenge regulators’ resolve

Profile: Brendon Grimshaw – a free-spirited nature conservationist

Property that speaks to the emotions

Fishing: Anxiety over the state of ‘blue gold’

Explorers lead quest for Africa’s next bonanza

The offshore sector: Plans for a third pillar of the economy

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