The former Minister for Finance, Trade and Investment, Mr. Pierre Laporte, paid a farewell call on President James Michel at State House this morning, ahead of his posting to a senior World Bank role at the end of this month.

Mr. Laporte will take up the post of the World Bank’s Country Director for Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Benin, Burkina Faso and Togo as of November 1, 2015, and will be based in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

President Michel congratulated Mr. Laporte for this notable achievement and expressed his gratitude for his hard work and dedication to the economic development of Seychelles.

“Thank you for your hard work and contribution to the economic reforms in your time as Governor of the Central Bank and as Minister for Finance. Your World Bank appointment is a great recognition of your skills and expertise as well as the success of Seychelles’ economic reforms. It makes us proud as a nation, as it shows what a small country can do on the international scene. I hope you continue to assist Seychelles in various world fora.  I wish you every success in your new role,” said Mr. Michel.

Mr. Laporte thanked the President for his support and friendship, as well as the opportunities he received to contribute towards the development of Seychelles and the economic reforms that were undertaken.

He said that he would share the Seychelles experience of the reforms with the World Bank and the countries he will be working with and ensure that the fundamentals of the Blue Economy concept continue to be promoted in the African region.

“It is not easy to leave Seychelles....there is no better country in the world, so it was a difficult decision but I looked ahead in terms of my career and the opportunity to work at the World Bank has always been a dream of mine...and today I have been able to realize it...it is a real challenge and it will be really demanding...but I am ready for it,” said Mr. Laporte in an interview with local media.

Pierre Laporte has worked in the past for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for six years, and became the fund’s resident representative in Niger from 2005 to 2008. In November 2008 he was appointed as the Governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles at the start of the Seychelles economic reform programme with assistance from the IMF.

In January 2015 he stepped down as Minister for Finance, Trade and Investment, and in the last four months Mr. Laporte worked as the Chief Executive Officer of the SACOS Group.

Also present in the meeting was the President’s Diplomatic Adviser, Ambassador Callixte d’Offay.