To mark the 30th anniversary of the Camion Hall building in Victoria, an exhibition was organized by Enterprise Seychelles Agency (ESA) on Tuesday 27 April.
Camion Hall building was a project financed by the European Union Commission and the Government of Seychelles. The building was a gift to our country, to house the Seychelles National Craft Industry. It was managed under the auspices of the new Seychellois parastatal called Corporation Development de L’Artisanat – CODEVAR. It was officially inaugurated on 27th April 1991 by the Minister for Planning and External Relations, Mrs. Danielle de St. Jorre in the presence of Mr. Manuel Marin, the Vice-President of the European Union Commission.
Upon the completion of the artisanal project, CODEVAR subsequently handed over the building to the Seychelles Industrial Development Corporation (SIDEC), which was the first governmental body to manage the property. With the dissolution of SIDEC, the Small Enterprise Promotion Agency (SEnPA) came into force in 2004 and took over the management of the property and in 2018 with Enterprise Seychelles Agency (ESA) replacing SEnPA, the Camion Hall building was transferred to ESA.
During a short ceremony to celebrate this occasion, the CEO of ESA, Ms. Angelic Appoo said that “The Enterprise Seychelles Agency Act, 2018 has broadened the categories of businesses under the purview of the Agency to Micro, Small and Medium enterprises of all sectors compared to only the handicraft sector when it first started with CODEVAR. In spite of that, ESA is still pushing for the development of local artisans. Through our Ministry, the Ministry for Investment, Entrepreneurship and Industry, we have an action plan to revive this sector to its full capacity.”
In her address, the Minister for Investment, Entrepreneurship and Industry, Mrs. Devika Vidot described Camion Hall as, “an iconic building not just for our locals but also to the thousands of tourists who historically have flooded our town centre.”
She continued by stating that, “pre the COVID-19 period, our economic and financial conditions ensured steadiness in business creations and growth. As we
emerge from the effects of the pandemic – and with the need to diversify our offerings as a country – there is an appetite for new and innovative types of businesses. Camion hall is instrumental in providing space for our artisans’ products to continue obtaining the visibility they need.”
The Ministry is gearing towards boosting production of local products and ensuring the continued capacity building and skills development of artisans.
The exhibition which is on display in the Artisans Des Iles shop until Friday 30th April 2021, highlights the use of the building pre-Camion Hall existence and its evolution under the management of SIDEC, SEnPA and ESA. The display also reveals the various Managing Directors and Chief Executives who have taken up the responsibility of the institutions located inside the Camion Hall building over the years. Some local artisanal products are also on display.
