President Wavel Ramkalawan chaired a scheduled meeting of the Cabinet today, Wednesday 14th July, at which a number of legal and policy memoranda were considered.

Cabinet approved the Firearms and Ammunition (Amendment) Bill, 2020.  The Bill which will be presented to the National Assembly seeks to enhance the penalties under the Act. In respect of a proclamation issued by the President in accordance with section 45(1) of the Act for persons in possession of firearms to declare and deliver them; the amendment will make provisions for such voluntary declaration and delivery not to be liable to criminal prosecution. Firearm or ammunition delivered will be confiscated and destroyed as directed by the Commissioner of Police. 

Cabinet was briefed on the results of discussions with the OECD on the Exchange of Information; availability of accounting information in which the private sector representatives participated. Cabinet approved for all accounting information for the offshore entities (IBCs, Foundations, Limited Partnerships and Trusts) to be kept in Seychelles.  This is a requirement for Seychelles to be upgraded from Partially Compliant to at least Largely Compliant in the Tax Transparency and Exchange of Information Supplementary Review at the OECD Global Forum which will be necessary for Seychelles to be removed from the blacklist.

Cabinet was briefed on the revised and ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) report under the Paris Agreement. Seychelles is putting forward an ambitious climate target for 2030, looking at both mitigation and adaptation measures. Special emphasis was mentioned on the ocean-climate nexus including how seagrass meadows, coastal wetlands and corals are critical carbon sinks (known as blue carbon ecosystems) and as nature-based climate solutions. Cabinet approved the climate finance efforts and noted the preparations for the 26th Conference of Parties (COP) to be held in November 2021.

Cabinet approved for the creation of the Centralised Seychelles Infrastructure Agency.  The Agency will be responsible to provide technical services for civil structural and mechanical/ Electrical engineering and construction projects in Government with the aim of improving efficiency and effectiveness in delivery.

Cabinet considered the current Government Housing Policies.  Further work would be done to improve these policies.

Further details to the media will be provided by the relevant Ministry.