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Private sector asks government to hear them out more
The second tourism sectorial meeting of the year of the public private sector partnership has been described as very animated with the private sector urging the government to pay more attention to their pleas.
The government has agreed to set up another meeting especially where they have been asked to submit ten points ahead.
But they were also reminded to understand that government will remain facilitators.
As is customary the meeting, held on Friday at National House, was chaired by Vice-President Danny Faure and attended by ministers and both public and private sector officials of the tourism trade and industry.
They also recapped all points raised in the last meeting while also discussing new issues.
“Some key points came up like one where government better understands the cost of operations. For example William Rose of Praslin made a passionate appeal to government to hear his plea and for this next week there will be a meeting on Praslin for boat owners and operators to meet the government so we better appreciate the cost factor,” said Minister St Ange while enlightening the press on the discussions of the meeting.
It’s not just the turnover, he said, but the operating costs that they are battling with.
The minister said other issues raised were beach cleaning on Praslin and the private sector putting forward the need for government not to impose the 13th month salary.
He stressed this is something the government is adamant on and will keep pushing forward as it was something raised during the last elections across the board.
“Everybody agreed of the idea that a 13th month salary was needed. So the decision has been taken to go ahead with it,” said the minister.
He said a key point raised during the meeting is a separate forum the Seychelles Hotels and Tourism Association (SHTA) suggested is organised between the Vice- President, the Minister for Finance, Trade and the Blue Economy and himself as Minister for Tourism and Culture.
“A meeting will be held very soon by Vice-President Faure, Minister Adam and myself with the private sector as the SHTA is claiming government has been talking for a long time but is not doing much.
“They’ve been asked to submit ten points ahead where the government can come in and give replies so that we all understand that government will remain facilitators,” he said.
But Minister St Ange also cautioned that the government hearing out the private sector does not mean accepting everything the private sector will say.
“We still have a government to run, we still have the whole people of Seychelles to take into consideration,” he remarked, while at the same time stressing on the importance of meeting them and hearing them out.
The next tourism multi-sectorial meeting is set for July 1, 2016.
Source : Seychelles NATION