President James Michel has inaugurated the new office and shopping complex ‘Unity House’ in Victoria at a ceremony held this morning, describing it as a sign of the progress and prosperity of the country. Unity House was constructed by the Seychelles Pension Fund as part of its investment programme, in a project which is valued today at 210 million Seychelles Rupees.
 
The ceremony was attended by Ministers, Members of the National Assembly,  Bishop Denis Wiehe of the Roman Catholic Church and Bishop James Wong of the Anglican Church together, the Chairman of the Seychelles Pension Fund Board, Mrs Sitna Cesar, the Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Pension Fund, Mr. Willy Confait as well as other distinguished guests.  Also present were staff of the Seychelles Pension Fund and tenants of the new complex.
 
“It is not only a beautiful building which will improve the landscape of Victoria, but at the same time, the economic activities which we can see inside, show the progress and prosperity which is taking place in Seychelles,” said the President, following his tour of Unity House.
 
The President said that that the Pension Fund should not be seen simply as another government organisation but a Fund that belongs to the Seychellois people
 
“The Pension Fund belongs to all Seychellois workers, all those who are contributing to it, and it is a guarantee that if you fall ill, or have an invalidity, you can get a pension. The investment we are seeing [Unity House] will guarantee the future of the Fund, to continue to give pensions to all those who work…. This investment will supplement the Fund when the contributions from workers are not sufficient, and will  ensure the Fund grows.”
 
Unity House covers an area of 9,540 square metres of office and business premises, with three floors and a total of 44 shops and 88 offices belonging to 60 tenants. The building is now fully occupied. The premises include a supermarket, fast food restaurant, furniture shop, pharmacy, optometrist, flower shop  bureau de change, wine shop, pet shop as well as a range of shoe, clothing and toy shops. The complex also hosts the Office of the Auditor General, the Social Services Department, the Office of Fair Trading, the Energy Commission, Savings Bank as well as SACOS Life Insurance.
 
In 2013, the Seychellois Pension Fund will be building the Seychelles’s first multi-storey car park with office spaces in the area adjacent to Unity House, in order to provide for increased demand for parking areas in Victoria.
 
Unity House stands in the area of the Old Unity House which was built in the 1970s.It was demolished in February 2007 in order to make way for the new building complex.