Africa-Press – Seychelles. President Wavel Ramkalawan has said that despite the challenges the country is facing it is on the right track.
He made the comment during his second State-of-the-nation address delivered before the National Assembly late yesterday afternoon and which was beamed live on radio and television.
“Nobody can deny that we are on the right track. We are staying in a stable country where the change in politics and transition has already been accepted, we are a population that has embraced democracy, a population who understands that the only way to change its government is through the ballot box,” the President said.
The President noted that we should be proud that our defence forces have shown loyalty to the state and the national flag and therefore reflecting their true professionalism.
He added that as we are living in a true democratic state, there is no telephone tapping as was the case in the past and everyone can express themselves freely, including those who have no message to get through.
He said the rights of all citizens are being respected under his administration.
President Ramkalawan said it is important that the month of October 2020 is kept as a source for reflection for the achievements the country has known up to now given the fact that in October 2020, the dollar was at R22 and the government was living off on advances given by the Central Bank of Seychelles.
He added that at the time government was not focused on the 13-month salary or bonuses but rather on if workers were to be paid a salary at the end of the month to feed their families.
In regards to the health system, President Ramkalawan reminded us that the Covid-19 pandemic intensified just days after his Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS) party won the election in October 2020 and it was felt in the health system, affecting all hospitals and clinics across the country.
He said today through good, serious and concrete management planning, the country is already on the road to move forward.
Vaccination against Covid-19
President Ramkalawan stated that the country did not take long to take action and in a short period of time, more than R60 million were contributed in the Covid funds which helped the country to enter into an aggressive vaccination programme against Covid-19 as of January 2021, he became the first African President to take the vaccine and his action was followed by former President Danny Faure, ministers, other high government officials and the people of Seychelles.
He added that it is the vaccination programme that allowed the country to open its borders on March 25, 2021 to revive the economy, which up to now is on a good path, although some countries and people in Seychelles did not agree with the idea.
He said his administration was not afraid to take decisions that were well-calculated and when Covid-19 was doing havoc in the community, a hospital facility was constructed in 17 days to accommodate 40 patients followed later by the rehabilitation of the tent hospital donated by Qatar.
He added that in the short period of time, two other oxygen plants were brought into the country including freezers to stock Pfizer vaccines, among other things that were done to mitigate the spread of the virus.
“Mr Speaker, I would like to tell the people of Seychelles that we should not take anything like just something that has been given to us, but on the contrary. We should realise that the only way for the country to move forward, the only way for the country to attain noble objectives is for us to conduct good planning and to see that each cent that our country earns is well spent and after that we should have unity among us. Yes, the people of Seychelles, it’s unity that has brought us to where we are and for that I am very proud as we have worked hard and we should be proud as a nation,” said President Ramkalawan who noted that we have been blessed by God to reach that far and we should thank him for the special love that he has for us.
Country’s reserve at US $702 million
Speaking on the country’s reserve, President Ramkalawan stated that at the moment it stands at US $702 million with a net reserves of US $529 million, adding that this amount has never been attained before.
He added that in spite of the difficulties in tourist arrivals where in 2019 there were around 400,000 visitors compared to 180,000 in 2021, the amount in revenue collected from the tourism industry in 2021 was higher than in 2019. He said the amount in revenue reflects the hard work that has been done.
“Where has this brought us? Mr Speaker, today it’s with great pride, and I know the Minister for Health shares the same pride and the same joy for the management of Covid-19, I want to tell the people of Seychelles, that through good management of the Covid situation, today there are no patients at all the Covid health facilities at the Seychelles Coast Guard. We have only eight patients at the Family Hospital and this is where we have reached and this makes us proud,” said President Ramkalawan.
The president stated that the country has 541 active cases with a rolling average of 50. He added that 85% of the population has taken a first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and 80% has taken two doses while 33% has already taken a third booster dose, including a large portion of the youth population who has been vaccinated.
He said the health restrictions will be the main topic on the agenda during the Platinum meeting to be held during the week.
I want to tell you that we will be going in this direction to ease the restrictions so that our population can breathe more as we all want some more liberty to visit our parents and to mix in the community and we will take this decision this week,” remarked President Ramkalawan.
He also launched an appeal to all religious communities and the people of Seychelles in general to dedicate this weekend as a weekend of praise and worship to thank God for what we have achieved. He added that the praise and worship will end in a multi-religious celebration on February 28, 2022 at State House.
President Ramkalawan mentioned that the results achieved by the youths in their examinations show that they also understand the message reigningin the country and they are also ready to contribute to the development of the country.
He said that many people who were on the Unemployment Relief Scheme (URS) are now in employment while others have also started their own businesses.
He added that the country is attracting investors and that with the change happening in the country it is time to talk about transformation. He said there is no place for mediocrity and laziness, among other bad habits that will prevent the country moving forward.
He thanked all those who are giving their best for the development of the country adding that new public service administration will work to transform services being offered.
President Ramkalawan stated that in view of more businesses being registered, the government will collect more in taxes and he has thanked the private sector for the important role they are playing in the economy. He added that the country will relook at the gainful occupation permit (GOP) application to allow more Seychellois workers to be hired. He called on workplaces to identify Seychellois workers who can replace the expatriates. At the same time, he called on the Seychellois workers to also show that they can replace the foreigners. He said government will continue to act as a facilitator and that people should do away with the mindset that government is there to do everything for them.
The president said communities have to be transformed to mitigate the impact of social ills, adding that violence is related to drugs and has talked to the Commissioner of Police Ted Barbe to find ways to stop the drug issue. He stated he is confident the police will be able to tackle the situation as he has seen a transformation in the police force where crimes are detected quickly.
He said it is unfortunate that some police officers are getting involved in activities not tolerated by the force, leading to the suspension of a high ranking officer while junior officers have been arrested. He urged all police officers to respect their uniform and to serve the country with honor and not to be involved in criminal activities.
Lack of respect
President Ramkalawan noted that there is a lack of respect among the people in the community and he sent a strong warning to men who abuse children as well as repeated offenders.
The president said he dislikes it when he hears people talking lies, especially well-educated individuals, adding that people should use their real identity when making their opinions on Facebook.
He also called on the media to come out with the truth in their stories to help in the development of the country, noting that his government will continue to provide information to the media and it is hoped that such information will be well packaged for the people’s consumption.
President Ramkalawan explained that State House is not a court and there is no political agenda behind the high profile cases appearing before the courts. He said that the country is being governed in a manner where no truth commission will ever be appointed in the future.
He added that a proper remand centre will be built in consultation with the Human Rights Commission. He said that he is proud our country has been recognised as a country with no human rights abuses and the country will continue in that direction where the individual rights of every one are respected and protected.
On the cost of living, President Ramkalawan said although everybody would have liked to see it go down, the reality is that it has increased as the price of commodities worldwide and the cost of fuel and transportation continue to go up year after year. He added that a salary increase would have balanced the rise in cost of living but sadly because of the economic situation the country was not in a position to award an increase over the 16 months period his administration has been in power.
He stated that Finance Minister Naadir Hassan has made a prediction for a possible raise in salaries this year depending on whether or not the economic situation continues on the path is has taken. He added that some malpractices by some companies and individuals have also contributed to the rise in the cost of living.
He noted that the Seychelles Trading Company (STC) through its non-tax commodities and its RRP initiative is helping to mitigate the cost of living in the country.
He also recommended that we take note of the Russian-Ukraine tension and reminded us that in the event of a war, our tourism industry will be affected and the effect will be more evident in our economy.
Speaking about Air Seychelles, President Ramkalawan said there are reasons to celebrate the achievements of his government to negotiate reducing the US $150 million debts the national airline had with Etihad Airways and the bond holders.
“Today we have to celebrate because through our negotiations we have been to right off more than US $100 million in debts for Air Seychelles. This means, 1.5 billion rupees that Air Seychelles owned,”said President Ramkalawan who noted that the negotiation was held without a single worker being made redundant.
President Ramkalawan stated that the country is seeking to appoint more judges to increase the efficiency of the judiciary and that new amendments will be made to the penal code to address crimes and bias in relation to gender, marginal and vulnerable groups, sexual assaults among others. He also stated that a new election bill among many other bills will come before the National Assembly following consultations with stakeholders.
The President said a sovereign wealth fund will be established to cater for unpredicted money collected that will be used in times of difficulties, rather than it being returned to the consolidated fund.
He stated that Seychelles being the champion of climate change, the country will continue on this line to play its role with regard to world climate. He added that the country is seeking for Aldabra to get a new bio designated status and will consolidate its management of the Saya De Malha bank with its Mauritian counterpart and the support of Unesco.
President Ramkalawan said it is expected that on National Day, Seychellois who have contributed to the country will be decorated. He called on parents to guide their children to the best of their abilities and for the youths to work to excel in their studies. He stated that there will be new policies to allow applicants including young graduates the possibility to own a house or a plot of land.
He announced that now that the pandemic is easing, the normal health activities that had to be stopped will restart. He also announced that the NIHSS building is being constructed and the construction of the new La Digue hospital will start by next week.
He also talked about a new Seychelles Fire and Rescue Services Agency (SFRSA) centre in another location, four new ice plants on Mahé and Praslin, a floating dry dock and other projects to attract investors.
He thanked his cabinet for the work done since the new government came to power.
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