A ‘Made in Seychelles’ label will soon be introduced as a branding and marketing tool for the island nation to promote locally made products, said a top official on Thursday.
“Seychelles depends greatly on importation and our local products tend to get lost in the process. Therefore, we need to establish a brand so that people can easily recognise and promote our product locally and internationally as well,” said Angelique Antat, the principal secretary of the Department of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development.
The “Made in Seychelles” branding idea was endorsed in the Seychelles’ Cabinet of Ministers’ meeting chaired by President Danny Faure on Wednesday at State House.
The marketing label will be introduced in national policy and when it comes into force it will be available to enterprises as stickers.
Antat said that producers will not be obliged to label their product but can register to use the branding.
“Before anybody is registered to get the brand their application will be evaluated by a committee to ensure that the product is really being produced in Seychelles,” said Antat.
She added that the label will also add a sense of authenticity to the locally made products.
Tropical Juices Seychelles has a wide range of juices made from local fruits. (Tropical Juices Seychelles/Facebook) Photo License: CC-BY
In terms of trade and export, Antat said that a national branding campaign will let people abroad know that Seychelles exist and will be better informed on products made from that island nation.
In the coming months, the Department of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development will consult the private sector and members of the public to get their input.
“Once we have received their input, we will go back to the Cabinet of Ministers to come up with a more comprehensive policy,” said Antat.
Seychelles, a group of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean, already have a ‘Made in Seychelles’ label administered by the Enterprise Seychelles Agency (ESA) targeting small cottage industry.
A local broom maker, Tony Jeanne, from Les Mamelles, a central Mahe district, said that this initiative is a great idea such that “will give our product more value and a sense of authenticity.”
Jeanne said that this will put some order in products made locally as many people are importing certain items and claiming to be made in Seychelles.
Source: Seychelles News Agency
