President James Michel has announced major plans to restructure the Government during his State of the National Address at the National Assembly this afternoon. The speech was broadcast live on SBC radio and television.
“The people of Seychelles elected me to serve them. And I shall continue working for them, as I always have. In this task, I shall need faithful, loyal and competent collaborators. These collaborators will be principally the Ministers whom I appoint. When they accept this position, they accept the responsibilities attached to it. They must agree to set aside their personal interests and ambitions. They should not use their positions to raise their status or for personal gain. They have been placed there to work hard and for a period of time. They are not appointed for life. They are above all, at the service of the people, and they remain in their posts for as long as their services are required. The same principle applies for civil servants” said the President as he announced new ministries.
The President has announced the formation of the following ministries;
1. Finance- portfolios for Finance, Commerce and Investment
2. Internal Affairs and Transport - portfolio includes the Police Department, Immigration and Civil Status Department, and the Prison Services Department.
3. Environment and Energy
4. Tourism and Culture
5. Social Affairs, Community Development and Sports
6. Employment and Human Resources
7. Education
8. Health
9. Foreign Affairs
10. Lands and Housing
11. Natural Resources and Industry
12. The Vice-President’s portfolio-Information Technology & Communications and Public Administration.
13. The President’s portfolio- for Defence, Legal Affairs, Information, Youth, and hydrocarbons
“Government restructuring is not a game of musical chairs. The rotation of a minister to a new ministerial post is not only normal, but it is often a necessity. Another minister will continue the work and prove himself/herself. The decisions I have made on government restructuring have been taken after much reflection and they have been taken solely in the interest of the Seychellois people. In the new Seychelles, we will not tolerate the creation of empires, “said the President.
President Michel also said that corruption in the public service will not be tolerated and that those who are guilty would be severely sanctioned.In his analysis of the economic situation, the President said that in spite of the world recession the Seychelles economic indicators remained fundamentally strong.
“ We were able to maintain a positive and encouraging economic growth of 5%. Again last year we succeeded in achieving the objectives of our economic reform programme. These included a budgetary surplus equivalent to more than 5% of our gross national product. This allowed us to continue reducing our public debt which now stands at 76% of our GDP. We also increased our foreign exchange reserves, now reaching almost 0 million,” said the President.President Michel also urged the nation to embrace the New Seychelles. He described it as prosperous nation that is intelligent, united and harmonious.
“ A society that is caring and compassionate. A responsible government leading a force of workers who are disciplined, motivated and serious, and also responsible citizens who are ready to take responsibility for their own future. A country that empowers its citizens, that provides them with adequate resources and the tools to enable them to earn a living, and to create wealth. A country that has zero tolerance for corruption, criminality and social delinquency. A country that is actively encouraging innovation and creativity. We can all see ourselves in the New Seychelles.”