Seychelles is already gaining by exporting tuna to countries like Egypt and Libya as a member of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), Vice-President Danny Faure said yesterday.

          
Mr Faure and Mr Adam during the interview at State House yesterday

And there will be more such benefits soon when Comesa is due to form an enlarged free trade area with the Southern African Development Community and the East African Community, said Mr Faure, who is also Minister for Finance and Trade.
He was speaking at State House on his return from the 14th Comesa summit, which was held on August 31 and September 1 in Swaziland.

Mr Faure said there are Seychellois businesses that are already importing quality goods from Egypt and selling them here at reasonable prices, and he urged more members of the private sector to take advantage of existing and widening opportunities, reaffirming that government will continue to act as a helper to doing business.

“Then there is the new proposal to create a free trade area which is bigger than Comesa. This will really help regional integration and economic development that will further benefit our citizens,” said Mr Faure.

“The main objective is a higher quality of life for our people in the region. America, Europe and Asia are now looking at Africa, and it is important for us as government that more funds are being channelled to regional groupings so Comesa is getting more financial assistance from America, Europe and Asia.

“We will continue with our bilateral relations as usual through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) but we need to note this very important development and to ensure Seychelles is at the table and takes part.

“It is important that we are there and we bring more benefits to our country and our people.”

Mr Faure said the Ministry of Finance and Trade will look at ways to increase the resources needed by the MFA, as well as by the Ministry of Investment, Natural Resources and Industry.

The Vice-President said the summit also discussed the problem of piracy, on which President James Michel enlightened member countries during the 13th Comesa summit held at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, last year.

He said the members have accepted that piracy is a real threat, especially to countries in or bordering the Indian Ocean.
“We cannot tackle the problem by ourselves,” he said, adding that there was a collective agreement that Seychelles will get the help of Comesa and the African Union.

Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Paul Adam, who was also at the summit, said there is a much better understanding of the problem of piracy by the countries that attended the meeting.

He said it is not only countries bordering the sea, with ports, that are affected, as piracy interrupts the flow of goods and raises their costs through higher insurance premiums.

He talked about the efforts of Comesa and the Indian Ocean Commission against piracy, which add to those of the European Union.

He said a plan to address the problem is being worked on and will be tabled at a meeting due to take place in Mauritius in October that will also consider further training of the armed forces and the police.

Mr Adam said VP Faure’s appeal at the summit for more involvement by countries of the region was well received, noting that Mauritius is already working on its law to make it similar to that of Seychelles and allow it to prosecute pirates. Tanzania is also stepping up its efforts with the support of all countries present.

He also said counter-piracy efforts are addressing other problems, for example drug trafficking, and added that Seychelles continues to step up its surveillance of the sea.

The summit condemned the recent bombings in Kampala, Uganda, which were blamed on groups based in Somalia, and Mr Adam said the countries of the region have realised that the problem of piracy and others emanating from Somalia need to be addressed. Somalia’s stability is seen as the key to solving its complex problems.

He also said Seychelles is proud that former President James Mancham has been chosen as a member of Comesa’s council of elders.

 

Forrás: http://www.nation.sc/