Seychelles

In an interview published on 10 October, Finance Minister Pierre Laporte said foreign investors generally do not need a local partner, although some sectors still require one. He said a public-private partnership framework is in place and a Seychelles Sovereign Investment Fund is being set up to co-invest in strategic sectors. The priority sectors he named were tourism, fisheries, ICT, energy, real estate and petroleum exploration. The interview ran in a sponsored country feature, so it is best read as a statement of government intent rather than as approved projects.

Gulf News (GN Focus) · 2026-10-10

A USD 35 million renewable energy programme backed by the World Bank and the Green Climate Fund aims to bring private capital into solar generation, battery storage and grid upgrades over the medium term. This is one of the few concrete openings for foreign suppliers and independent power producers, though no tender dates were reported.

Gulf News (GN Focus) · 2026-10-10

On 9 September Cabinet approved a policy framework for Special Economic Zones and agreed to draft an SEZ Act to replace the International Trade Zone Act, 1995. The new regime would set up separate zones for financial services, free ports, trade and industrial parks, and the blue economy (fisheries and other ocean industries), each with its own governance, licensing, incentives and rules on how much real local activity firms must have. Firms currently operating under, or planning around, the trade-zone regime should follow the draft bill closely, because incentives and substance requirements are likely to change.

State House Seychelles · 2026-09-10

Annual inflation rose to 1.22% in September 2026 from 0.93% in August, the highest since December 2024. Fish prices drove the rise, core inflation also went up, and prices rose in every major category. Entrants should budget for gradually rising local input and wage costs rather than the near-zero inflation of 2024-25.

InstaForex (reporting National Bureau of Statistics data) · 2026-10-07

On 30 September the Central Bank of Seychelles warned that the full impact of rising global fuel and food prices has not yet shown up in local prices. The policy rate was reported at 1.75% as of September. The bank is also under new leadership after Governor Caroline Abel resigned in early September, which adds some uncertainty about the policy stance at the next quarterly decision in late December.

The Rio Times; Trading Economics · 2026-09-30

The IMF expects growth to slow to about 1.5% in 2026, after roughly 5-6% in 2025, with public debt near 52% of GDP. Fitch kept the sovereign rating at BB in early September. Demand forecasts for tourism-linked businesses should assume a much slower year than 2025.

The Rio Times · 2026-10-01

In his first UN General Assembly address, on 23 September, President Herminie named transnational organised crime, drug trafficking and illegal fishing as the main security threats in Seychelles' waters. He argued that small island states should not bear the economic cost of distant conflicts. Shipping, fisheries and logistics firms should expect more maritime enforcement and stronger security cooperation with partners.

The Rio Times · 2026-09-23

On 9 September Cabinet also endorsed coordinated government action on flood and coastal risk, including inspecting, maintaining and desilting drainage, and approved maritime measures to meet SOLAS (the international convention on safety at sea) on navigational safety and search and rescue. Climate exposure remains a real operating cost, and these measures may create work for engineering and maritime-services contractors.

State House Seychelles · 2026-09-10