Experts then presented the strategy to development partners who were attending the Smart

Partnership National Dialogue under the theme Seychelles2020.

Mr Adam said the strategy covers five areas for action – climate change, renewable energy,

water supplies, human resources development and economic infrastructure development.

It includes information communication technology and transport, food security, trade and

diversification, and improving the measurement of national statistics.

He said in 2007 the government launched Strategy 2017 to give a vision for transformative

development for Seychelles. “Four years on, much has been achieved to take the country to

the next level of development,” he said. “We are in the process of building on our base as a foreign

direct investment and service-based economy to move to a knowledge-based economy.

“The institutional framework for government has been set with our own university and a revamped

welfare system. “New entrepreneurs are now looking at new possibilities for investment by Seychellois.”

Mr Adam said Seychelles and the world are now different but also vulnerable, with many challenges

ahead, from rising fuel and commodity prices to the threat of piracy.

Two of the main aims of the new medium-term strategy are to reduce vulnerability and strengthen

resilience, he said. “What we have faced over the last four years has shown us how resilient we

can be and also what we can achieve when we work together,” he added.

Mr Adam said the strategy he presented is the result of the first round of consultations through a

national committee launched for the purpose.

All government departments, civil society and the private sector are represented on it “but the strategy

is just a green paper being put forward for debate and improvement”, he said.

“We are pleased to be able to present a proposal that can take us to the next level of development.”