President James Michel attended the opening of the third edition of the National Show which showcases what public and private companies have to offer, the best of Seychelles' products and services, as well as a Boat Show at Eden Island. The ceremony which took place at the Roche Caiman Sports Complex, was officially opened by Vice President Danny Faure who is also the Chairman of the National Day Celebrations Committee.

This three day exhibition is organised by the National Day Celebrations Committee in collaboration with the Small Enterprise Promotion Agency (SENPA) and Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Speaking to the local press after touring the different stands and boats show, President Michel said the number of participants who took part in this year's National Show, especially businesses and their positive response, shows that Seychelles has a strong economy and that people are using opportunities here in Seychelles to do business and create wealth.

"My general impression of what I have seen and what I have heard people talking about is that Seychelles is on the move, Seychelles is going the right way forward, with peace, stability and economic empowerment. Seychellois are taking ownership of their economy and moving the country forward.... I would like to congratulate the organisers of the National Show and all the private sector participants who took part in the show for making it such a big success, which people will enjoy throughout this weekend of our National Day. A day of great importance, unity, pride for our people and our country. A day that we celebrate the anniversary of our Independence," said President Michel.

The President also commented on the participation of the small and medium enterprises, where he said that they also using this opportunity to showcase their products, making money for themselves and contributing towards the economy of the country.

Mr. Michel also spoke about the first Boat Show at Eden Island. He said that the private sector and the government should continue to work in close collaboration in order to make Seychelles a centre for yachting in the Indian Ocean.

"I believe that this is another aspect of importance in our economy. We have spoken a lot about the Blue Economy here in Seychelles. It is not only fisheries, but also those that depend on the ocean and we have looked at the maritime activities, for example yachting, all these are bringing wealth in the country and moving our economy forward. Moreover, those activities are creating employment for our Seychellois, and people get the chance to sell their products. When tourists visit Seychelles and see how we're offering such facilities, they will return and the tourism sector will progress. Today, I happy to see how the private sector have worked closely with government to organise this Boat Show, whereby the public can visits those yachts and see their facilities, which form an integral part in the Blue Economy concept," said the President.

This National Show is by far bigger than the previous ones, where the organisers have registered some 217 participants as compared to 203 participants in 2013.  Addressing the invitees at the opening ceremony, Vice President Faure said that this National Show is showcasing the resilience of businesses, large and small, in the ever changing socio-economic environment as well as optimism for the future.

"An example of those changing socio-economic environment is illustrated in the trends observed in the 2013 households' budgets survey carried out by our National Bureau of Statistics, showing that as living conditions improve, households in Seychelles changed their patterns of spending based on changes in priorities. The relative importance attached to food is on the decline. From 39% in 1978 to 18.5% in the year 2013. The proportion of the budget accounted for by housing and utilities was also lower in the year 2013 with 21.5% compared to 31% in the year 2006 and 2007. On the other hand, relative expenditure on health has steadily increase from 0.3% in 1983 from 3.4% in the year 2013. More importance is also attached to clothing and transport," said Vice President Faure.

He continued, "So it is not surprising that over the last five years, since our first National Show we have seen an increase in the number of new businesses to cater for the new demand. Interestingly, the biggest sector participating in this National Show is the trade and commerce sector, representing 27% of participants, followed by the service sector with 20%... as you walk to the different stands, you will notice that our participants from commercial entities, government departments and agencies, civil society and individuals are promoting new products, services and programmes aim at addressing many of the emerging challenges we are facing as a result of the changes in the socio-economic environment"

This National Show will end on the 29th June 2015, the Seychelles' National Day which marks the country's Independence that took place on 29th June 1976.