Press release

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative for Mauritius and Seychelles, Ms. Amanda Serumaga paid a courtesy call on Minister Sylvestre Radegonde

May 11, 2022
StateHouse

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative for Mauritius and Seychelles, Ms. Amanda Serumaga paid a courtesy call on Minister Sylvestre Radegonde, yesterday, at Maison Quéau de Quinssy. Ms. Serumaga is currently on a working visit in Seychelles where she will be having meetings with high government officials and will later join other UN colleagues to participate in the United Nations Country Team Retreat. She was accompanied by Ms. Joan Manda, the Senior Investment Advisor for the UNDP Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Finance Sector Hub in Pretoria, South Africa as well as other officials from the UNDP Office in Mauritius and Seychelles.

The meeting was mainly to appraise the Minister on the on-going cooperation between Seychelles and UNDP especially on the diversification of the country’s economy. Minister noted his gratitude towards UNDP for the continued technical assistance in formulating strategies that involves the private sector and investment.

Ms. Serumaga added that UNDP is working with the Ministry of Investment, Entrepreneurship and Industry to formulate an SDG Investor Map for the country.  The SDG map is an online market intelligence tool developed by UNDP that enables countries to attract private sector to Investment Opportunity Areas with high potential to impact on the national development priorities.

To note that UNDP has embarked on a new strategy that is geared towards enhancing the strong existing partnership with the country which includes other sectors such as tourism, investment, socio-economic areas other than just the environment portfolio which UNDP keeps playing a crucial role particularly towards climate change adaptation and mitigation.

On this note, Minister Radegonde explained on the need for diversification of tourism activities that would increase the yield from what the tourists spend. “Seychelles needs to open up and explore cultural activities within the local communities where the tourists could experience the creole culture” noted the Minister. On her part, Ms. Serumaga expressed her agreement towards the necessity for tourism activities to move in-land through activities that put human relations back at the heart of travel and create social links to meet the demand for authenticity on the part of the tourists.

Minister Radegonde thanked Ms. Serumaga and her team for the meeting and expressed the government’s gratitude for UNDPs strong and remarkable presence in the country.