President James Michel visited several small and medium size businesses in the districts of Anse Etoile and Glacis today, which forms part of a series of visits to various communities and businesses this year.

President Michel met with the owners of a daycare centre, a carpentry workshop, a guesthouse, a car repair garage, a plant nursery and potted plant business, a bakery, a shuttle bus business, a water bottling company, tourism self-catering chalets, a takeaway business and a shop complex with self-catering apartments.

Following his visit, the President told the local media that these community visits form an important part of his work.

“I have always done visits to the community…and I will continue to do so in the future. What struck me during these visits.... is that this government has really developed Seychelles!....everywhere you pass by you see the evidence of development and that people have taken opportunities given to them, to build houses, to get loans, to build businesses. Businesses are mushrooming everywhere… I see the success stories everywhere. Wherever I visit I am told that these business owners want to expand, they want things to continue this way, to continue to have stability and to create wealth,” said President Michel.

The President said that the success of these businesses gave him even more reason to see how they can be developed even further.

The President visited the site of a proposed micro-enterprise centre to be built at La Retraite, Anse Etoile, where new facilities will enable the district’s small business entrepreneurs to develop their workshops and shops.

President James Michel was accompanied on the visit by the Minister for Investment, Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation, Mr. Michael Benstrong, the Principal Secretary for Investment, Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation, Mrs. Marise Berlouis, the Member of the National Assembly for Anse Etoile, the Hon Melval Dugasse, the District Administrator for Anse Etoile, Ms. Jenna Dubignon,the Member of the National Assembly for Glacis, the Hon. Dr. David Payet, and the District Administrator for Glacis, Mr. Jim Moncherry, as well as senior officials in the Office of the President.