Edelle Crispin, Anthony Gertrude and Eddie Morel, three participants on the My First Job scheme under the Ministry of Employment, Immigration and Civil Status, were on Monday afternoon recognised and rewarded for their commitment and dedication towards their respective jobs.

In a brief ceremony at the ICCS in the presence of President Danny Faure and Designated Minister Macsuzy Mondon, the three were presented with prizes in celebration of their achievements since they joined the programme.

This programme was launched in 2016 with the aim of helping young graduates from the professional centres to secure employment, as soon as they exit their respective schools, as well as to assist those who wish to venture into entrepreneurship.

In her opening address, Minister for Employment, Immigration and Civil Status Myriam Telemaque noted that to date, 2084 graduates have secured employment, of whom 39 have made remarkable progress in their career paths and have been promoted to occupy higher positions in their respective organisations.

She also noted that the government has spent R10 million on the scheme so far, and that it is bearing fruits.

“When we look back prior to 2016, our unemployment rate was 4.3% on average and the unemployment rate for youth between the age of 15-24 was 14%. With the introduction of the scheme, which runs in conjunction with other programmes of my ministry, the unemployment rate has gone down to 2.8% on average for 2018 with the youth at 10.5%. A great achievement it has been and we should all be proud, by this I mean the government of the day, you the graduates and all our partners especially the working organisations,” Minister Telemaque noted.

She went on to state that the ministry is considering the possibility of extending the scheme to give more time to young graduates who want to start a business. Currently there are two pathways under the scheme whereby graduates choose to either be employed or start a business and they are covered under the scheme for a one-year period. However, Minister Telemaque noted that graduates who want to be employed in order to gain some experience before starting their business will have the possibility to do so.

Minister Telemaque concluded her address by expressing gratitude towards the numerous partner organisations who are collaborating with the ministry to ensure the scheme is a success.

The three participants were then presented with their tokens before being invited for a souvenir photograph alongside President Faure, Minister Mondon and Minister Telemaque.

The ceremony was animated by Sandra and Isham and Isis who interpreted songs about the importance of hard work.

Twenty-two-year old Eddie Morel recalled that he joined the scheme after he did not meet the criteria to qualify for a government-funded scholarship and that he started at Seychelles Breweries Limited (SBL) in 2016. Within one year, he was promoted to Quantity Assurance Technician and was recognised by the manager as the best lab technician. Mr Morel was further promoted a few months later until his latest promotion as a Raw Materials Store Supervisor.

“I have grabbed all opportunities that have come my way. I am a curious person and I am always willing to learn and I think the scheme is a good scheme and has been instrumental to where I am today,” Mr Morel noted.

Another recipient Edelle Crispin, started as a teller at the Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB) Seychelles when she joined the scheme after having enrolled at the Seychelles Business Studies Academy (SBSA).

“It was not easy especially as I was new to the working world but I managed to overcome the challenges. After a year, the post for Operations Services Supervisor was open and my manager approached me and suggested I apply until I finally did. Two years later, in January this year I was awarded the post. It has been great and I am enjoying the challenges that come with it and learning new things,” Miss Crispin noted.

She too stated the benefits of the programme in helping young graduates forge a career saying “It is a good scheme especially since it is quite common for employers to not want to hire young graduates because they lack experience. But this scheme also allows them to benefit,” she stated.

Partner organisations also benefit under the scheme from government incentives in which they are refunded part of the salary paid to graduates on the scheme.

The graduates in a souvenir photograph with guests

Complement of Seychelles NATION

To celebrate the two years since the Employment, Immigration and Civil Status departments have joined as a ministry, a ‘Fitness Fun Day’ was organised by the social welfare committee of the ministry on Saturday October 12, 2019 at the Mont Fleuri sports field.

The aim of the activity was to promote fitness and a healthy lifestyle among the staff and to create a great team building experience.

Despite the rainy weather in the morning, the staff turned up and were looking forward to participate in the activities.

The event took off with a Fitness Fun walk, led by Minister Myriam Telemaque, accompanied by the principal secretaries, special advisors and staff which started off from the ministry’s office at Independence House at 8.30am until the Mont Fleuri playing field. 

Before the competition began, everyone present participated in a warm up session with some Zumba moves facilitated by Williana Dubois from the National Sports Council. Four inter-departmental teams were nominated to compete, and were categorised by colour Blue, Pink, Green and Yellow teams.

The day unfolded with different kinds of sporting activities such as football, volleyball, netball, tug of war, obstacles race, egg and spoon, shuttle relay and other traditional games such as domino and ‘lake mimi’.

The officers from the Ministry of Health were present on site to assist with general health queries. The staff took the opportunity to do a basic check-up such as blood pressure, body mass index (BMI) and sugar level.

The event ended with a prize giving ceremony, presented by Minister Telemaque and the human resource section.

The grand winner of the day was the Blue Team in first position, followed by the Pink team in second position, the Green team in third position and the Yellow team in fourth position.

The accompanying photos show some highlights of the ‘Fitness Fun Day’.

Complement of Seychelles NATION

Gouvernman pe met diferan sonm larzan dan bidze lannen prosenn pour enplimant plizyer polisi ki pou kontinyen amelyor son bann progranm sosyal.

Minis responsab pour finans, Anbasader Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, ti anons sa bann nouvo polisi letan i ti pe prezant bidze pour 2020 devan Lasanble Nasyonal Zedi bomaten anba tenm ‘Rezilta Ekitab - Prosperite Partaze’.

I dir sa tenm i akoz bidze 2020 in ganny formile otour sa sis pilye ki trouve dan Stratezi Devlopman Nasyonal (SDN).

Bann nouvo polisi ki pou pran lefe lannen prosenn i enkli :

Logmantasyon dan saler minimonm : Parey Prezidan Danny Faureti anonse pour Lafet Travayer, sa pou ogmante par R500 par mwan e sa pou vin efektiv apartir le 1 Zanvye 2020. Sa i pou ekivalan konm swivan:

-Sorti R34.97 pour vin R38.27 par erdtan pour tou travayer eksepte bann ki pa anploye. Sa i vedir travay ki baze lo 35 erdtan par semenn, saler pou ogmante sorti R5,303.70 pour vin R5,804 par mwan apartir Zanvye 2020.

Tou lapey pour bann travayer ki pa anploye pou ogmante sorti R40.30 pour vin R44.10 par erdtan.

Lenpakt saler minimonm pou ogmant saler bann ‘Home Carers’ ki travay aplentan sorti R6,060.60 pour vin R6,633.47 apartir le 1 Zanvye 2020. Saler bann ‘Home Carers’ ki travay a mitan pou ogmante sorti R3,787.35 pour vin R4,145.92. Sa i osi vedir en logmantasyon dan kontribisyon pansyon ki gouvernman i fer pour bann ‘Home Carers’.

«Zis sa logmantasyon pou kout gouvernman R24 milyon pour finanse,» Minis Loustau-Lalanne in dir.

Logmantasyon dan bann benefis ek bann progranm aprouve kot Lazans ek Proteksyon Sosyal: Sa bann benefis pou ogmante konm swivan:

- Benefis Retret pour bann dimoun aze pou sorti R5,250 pour vin R5,750

- Benefis Envalidite ek Dezabilite pou sorti R5,250 pour vin R5,750

Pansyon minimonm R1,000: Minis Loustau-Lalanne ti fer resorti ki i annan en kategori travayer ki pe resevwar mwens ki R1,000 par mwan, atraver Fon Pansyon.

«Apartir Zanvye 2020, gouvernman pe al enplimant en polisi ki a permet ogmant zot pansyon ziska R1,000 par mwan. Gouvernman pou entrodwir en pansyon minimonm R1,000 atraver Fon Pansyon. Sa pou kout R4.8 milyon dan bidze 2020.

Pansyon Kategori Spesyal R500 pour en group retrete: Ankor parey Prezidan Faure ti anonse zour Lafet Travayer sa lannen, ti annan lezot zenerasyon travayer ki’n sibir bann kondisyon travay deplorab, difisil e enzis. Prezidan ti dir ki se zot ki’n met fondasyon ki travayer ozordi i kapab kontinyen batir lo la e se zot ki’n fer li posib pour nou ariv kot nou ete ozordi. Sa kategori travayer ti pran zot retret bokou lannen pase, e ozordi, zot viv zis lo zot benefis retret sekirite sosyal. Sa kategori pansyonner ti pran zot retret avan ki Fon Pansyon ti ganny etabli.

Zot pa ganny okenn lot pansyon ki egziste ozordi eksepte sekirite sosyal. Gouvernman in deside donn zot en sipor adisyonnel. Zot pou ganny R500 adisyonnel par mwan apartir Zanvye 2020. Sa sonm, ki’n met dan bidze pour lannen prosenn, i ariv R12 milyon e i pou ganny zere par Lazans Proteksyon Sosyal.

Lasistans daycare ek ‘child minding’:Lasistans ki serten paran ki kalifye i gannyen avek gouvernman pour fre daycare ek ‘child minding’ pou ogmante sorti R500 pour vin R750 apartir 2020.

Propozisyon pour en allowance pour bann manman ansent ki reste lo zil pros ki bezwen vin akous Mahé : An 2018, Sesel ti rikord 1,650 nesans vivan. Dan 66 nesans ki’n anrezistre pour Grand Anse Praslin, 40 nesans ti dan Lopital Sesel, e pour Baie Ste Anne 45 dan 69 nesans ti rikorde dan Lopital Sesel. La Digue ti rikord 45 nesans, e ladan, 36 ti lo Mahé. Bann manman ansent lo Praslin ek La Digue i bezwen ganny transfer lo ward prenatal dan Lopital Sesel ler zot ariv 34 semenn, ziska ki zot akouse. Donk, sa bann manman in bezwen rod lozman alternativ ziska ler zot delivre zot baba. Swivan progranm parantal ki ti fer lo Praslin, bann manman ansent in eksprim konsern vizavi larzan ki zot bezwen kontribye pour lozman ler zot Mahé, vi ki sa i met en depans ekstra lo zot. Sa i met zot a en dezavantaz konpare avek bann manman ki reste Mahé, vi ki zot oblize reste Mahé pour sis semenn ziska ler zot akouse. Bann manman ansent ki sorti lo bann zil pros pour vin Mahé pou ganny en allowance fiks R1,500 pour siport zot depans lozman si zot bezwen rod lozman alternativ. Sa i a ganny fer atraver Lazans Proteksyon Sosyal.

Ogmantasyon dan konze anyel: Alokazyon Lafet Travayer Prezidan Faure ti osi anons en lot mezir konsernan konze anyel. Parey ou konnen, tou travayer i ganny 21 zour konze konman konze anyel. Gouvernman in deside ki apartir Zanvye 2020, konze anyel pou vin 24 zour.

Ler travay fleksib dan gouvernman:Pandan premye kar 2020, gouvernman pou met striktir anplas pour kapab permet ler travay fleksib. Dan klima aktyel, nou tou nou konmans travay 8er bomaten e fini 4er apremidi.

«Dan sa monn modern, e pour pli byen ankouraz prodiktivite, nou bezwen asire ki nou etabli en lanvironnman travay ki fer provizyon pour bann paran ki travay fer letan pour zot zanfan, pour bann profesyonnel kapab kontinyen travay letan ki zot pe etidye a distans, e pour fer letan pour en stil lavi pli an bonn sante atraver legzersis ek en ladyet balanse,» Minis Loustau-Lalanne in eksplike.

I’n dir ki ler travay fleksib i kapab permet travayer konmans nenport ler ant 7er bomaten ziska 5er apremidi, e dan serten sirkonstans, travay kot lakour pandan serten peryod spesifik. Sepandan, lakantite erdtan travay pa pou sanze. Fodre osi note ki ler travay fleksib i depan lo kalite travay, bann bezwen sa departman pandan serten peryod lannen, e lenpak lo lezot partiprenan. Sa pratik in deza met anplas dan serten lorganizasyon gouvernman tel ki Komisyon Anti-Koripsyon, Lenstiti Nasyonal pour Teknolozi, Lasyans ek Linovasyon, ek Labank Santral. Minis in dir ki en striktir a ganny met anplas pour asire ki tou anplwaye gouvernman i swiv en prosedir ler travay fleksib.

Reviprogranmsibvansyon pour lakaz: Progranm sibvansyon pour lakaz ti lanse an 2014. Sa progranm ti ganny etabli pour amelyor akse konstriksyon abordab oubyen pour vin propriyeter ou prop lakaz pour en sekter lapopilasyon spesifik. Pour kalifye pour sa lón, aplikan ti bezwen en sitwayen Seselwa ki anploye oubyen ki anploy son prop lekor, e ki annan en reveni fiks. Aplikan i bezwen osi pe vin propriyeter pour premye fwa. Sa sibvansyon i azout lo lón lakaz sa aplikan, e i pa bezwen repey sa. Okour bann lannen, in annan bokou sanzman dan pri konstriksyon ek lezot fakter ki anpes lamazorite Seselwa benefisye anba sa progranm. Alor in annan en nesesite pour revwar sa.

Pour revwar rate par met kare lo sa trwa zil prensipal :Depi in ganny met anplas, en ‘rate’ R7,500 par met kare pe ganny servi pour kalkile lekel ki kalifye pour sa progranm. Rate aktyel i aplikab pour Mahé, Praslin ek La Digue. Sa rate fiks pour tou le trwa zil pa pran an kont lefe ki kou konstriksyon i pli o lo Praslin ek La Digue, konpare avek Mahé.

Sa bann rates pou ganny revize konm swivan:

Mahé konmansman R7,500 par met kare ziska R8,500 par met kare

Praslin konmansman R7,500 par met kare ziska R9,500 par met kare

La Digue konmansman R7,500 par met kare ziska R12,500 par met kare

Pour enkli rekonstriksyon lakaz anba laplikasyon pour sibvansyon lakaz : Konmela, napa sibvansyon pour rekonstriksyon lakaz – sa i aplikab zis pour konstriksyon lakaz ek dezyenm konstriksyon. Si sa i ganny enkli, aplikan i ava kalifye pour ganny sibvansyon dan bann ka rekonstriksyon, par egzanp, dan ka kot in annan en dezas tel ki dife, oubyen an term bann ki pe vin propriyeter pour premye fwa kan zot pe kas lakaz zot paran pour rekonstrir sa ki pour zot.

Sepandan, pour asire ki bann pert an rezilta dezas natirel ek dife i ganny redwir, minis i dir gouvernman pe tre fortman ankouraz bann propriyeter pour asir zot lakaz e pey zot lasirans.

Pour enkli lavant later avek propriyete dan kriter pour kalifye pour sibvansyon lakaz : Konmela, napa sibvansyon pour aste lakaz ki’n fini fer avek son later, me plizyer aplikan in fer rapel pour sa ganny aprouve. Polisi pou ganny revize pour formelman enkli sibvansyon pour aplikan ki pe aste lakaz ek later.

Pour revwar nivo reveni pour kalifye pour sibvansyon lakaz: Dan polisi aktyel, bann endividi ki ganny en reveni ziska R5,999.00, i kapab benefisye en maksimonm R200,000 sibvansyon. Avek bi pour fer benefis sa progranm disponib pour bann dimoun avek reveni ba dan kad Progressive Income Tax, aplikan ki ganny en saler R8,555 pou aprezan kapab ganny sa maksimonm R200,000 sibvansyon.

Koezyon sosyal : Minis Loustau-Lalanne in fer remarke ki 42% dan bidze total ki’n propoze i pour ledikasyon, lasante ek portfolyo zafer lafanmir, ki reprezant 16.0% ‘GDP’.

“Dan sa bann dernyen semenn, ti annan bokou ki’n ganny dir lo bann Benefits and Approved Programmes pour Lazans Proteksyon Sosyal. Dan bidze 2020, sa pou ariv en total R1.49 bilyon ki reprezant en logmantasyon R100.5 milyon oubyen 7% konpare avek bidze revize 2019. Dan sa alokasyon total R1.49 bilyon, R1.28 bilyon oubyen 88% i pour bann benefis retret, benefis envalidite, benefis dezabilite e progranm home carers,» Minis Loustau-Lalanne in eksplike.

I dir i annan tre pe posibilite pour fer seving an vi nou popilasyon ki pe vyeyi. Me selman i dir, nou pe fer zefor pour rasyonaliz bann fonksyon ek progranm dan domenn servis sosyal, avek bi pour ogmant efikasite dan performans servis, e fer seving.

Dan en entervyou apre ki i ti’n fini prezant bidze letan i ti pe reakte lo komanter konmkwa Sesel i deplizanpli en welfare State, Minis Loustau-Lalanne ti dir ki sa i pa leka me akoz nou popilasyon dimoun aze pe kontinyen ogmante, sa i vin avek tou son bann defi ki konman en sosyete nou bezwen kontinyen rod fason pour adrese.

Apre ki i ti’n fini fer son prezantasyon bidze, Lasanble ti adjourn e i pou repran son bann deliberasyon Mardi le 5 Novanm kot le de dirizan dan Lasanble pou donn zot reaksyon. Sa pou swiv par bann lezot manm.

Sa bann reaksyon i ekspekte al pour de ou trwa zour avan ki Lasanble i vot lo prensip ek merit zeneral sa bidze.

Apre sa Lasanble pou rantre dan staz komite kot bann manm ava konmans kestyonn bann minister, departman ek lezot lorganizasyon ki ganny en alokasyon dan sa bidze gouvernman.

Anmezir ki bann diskisyon i deroule, Lasanble ava vot lo sak sa bann alokasyon avan pran en vot final lo bidze dan son totalite.

Complement of Seychelles NATION

Marie-Anne Lepathy

Departman Lanplwa pou envit sa de lakonpannyen pour vin donn detay lo fason zot fer rekritman

Gouvernman Sesel pou tre byento envit sa de lakonpannyen Bangladeshi ki responsab pour rekrit travayer sorti dan sa pei pour vin travay Sesel pour zot vin eksplike ki mannyer zot fer rekritman e avek ki vites pour ki napa dele.

Avek sinyatir en lakor bilateral ant gouvernman Sesel ek gouverman Bengladesh pour etabli en lankadreman legal pour rekrit travayer sorti dan sa pei, tou lakonpannyen oubyen biznes ki anrezistre e ki anvi rekrit travayer sorti Bengladesh i bezwen pas atraver de lakonpannyen rekritman selman ki baze dan sa pei e sa se Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Ltd (BOESL) e Bureau of Manpower, employment and Training (BMET).

Yer bomaten plizyer responsab ou reprezantan bann lakonpannyen oubyen biznes ki deza pe anploy travayer Bengladeshi oubyen bann ki pe mazin rod servis sa bann travayer ti asiste en miting konsiltativ organize par Departman Lanplwa pour ganny plis detay lo sa bann nouvo prosedir rekritman.

Apre Praslin ek La Digue semenn pase kot sekreter prensipal pour lanplwa Msye Jules Baker ek lezot zofisye dan Departman Lanplwa osi byen ki Imigrasyon ek Leta Sivil ti donn detay bann anplwayer lo sa de zil lo sa bann nouvo prosedir pour rekrit sa bann travayer, yer zot in fer menm parey isi lo Mahé.

Msye Baker in dir ki zot ekspekte ki pou annan serten pti difikilte pour konmanse dan lenplimantasyon sa bann nouvo prosedir e sa i akoz pa tou keksoz ki depan lo gouvernman Sesel me pou osi depan lo gouvernman Bengladeshi sirtou sa de lakonpannyen rekritman.

Apre en prezantasyon PowerPoint lo bann nouvo prosedir pour rekrit travayer sorti Bengladesh fer par direkter pour migrasyon travayer etranze, Manmzel Vanessa Dugasse, Msye Baker ek lezot zofisye Minister Lanplwa, Imigrasyon ek Leta Sivil ti asiz lo en panel pour reponn kestyon e klarifye bann dout ek konfizyon sorti kot bann ki ti prezan.

Nou ava rapel ki sa bann nouvo prosedir rekritman in vin anfors swivan lakor bilateral ki gouvernman Sesel avek gouvernman Bengladesh ti sinyen isi mwan pase apre bokou diskisyon ant bann o zofisye lanplwa le de pei.

Sa bann nouvo prosedir ki toulede pei in dakor lo la i met lanfaz lo laplikasyon pour rekritman, konteni kontra lanplwa, fre transportasyon ek bann depans ki sa anplwayer e osi sa travayer pou fer, akomodasyon, e tou sa ki annan pour fer avek son rapatriman.

Msye Baker i dir sa bann nouvo prosedir atraver sa lakor in neseser pour met keksoz annord e dan en kad legal apre ki gouvernman Bengladesh in eksprim konsern lo fason son bann sitwayen ki al travay dan bann diferan pei enkli isi ti pe ganny rekrite e move tretman ki zot ti pe sibir par serten zot bann anplwayer e bann diferan problenm ki ti pe arive kot sa bann travayer ti vin rod rekour kot biro Departman Lanplwa ou menm fer manifestasyon piblik.

“Nou konman en pti pei nou annan loportinite pour rekrit travayer Bengladeshi e nou bezwen fer li byen e pour anpese ki Sesel i ganny servi konman en destinasyon pour lesklavaz modern e osi pour trafik imen” Msye Baker in dir.

I’n fer resorti ki avek en bon lankadreman sa i ava anpese ki Departman Lanplwa i bezwen entervenir pour rezourd bann problenm ki pa li ki’n kree, ki bann anplwayer i ava ganny bann travayer ki i ti pe rode e non pa lekontrer e ki sa lakonpannyen rekritman i ava pran responsabilite pour tou sa bann keksoz vi ki li ki pou’n legalman rekrit sa bann travayer.

Parmi bann pwen pertinan ki bann ki ti prezan ti fer resorti ti nesesite pour sa bann travayer ganny kouver par en lasirans peye par zot gouvernman, nesesite pour kapab modifye sa bann prosedir, fre ki tonb lo anplwayer letan en travayer ki ganny rekrite i vin avek en maladi dan plas vin fit pour travay, si Departman Lanplwa i annan manda pour enterfer e get dan kalite akomodasyon kot sa bann travayer pou reste.

I annan ki ti anvi konnen akoz ki gouverman i met konfyans dan sa de lakonpannyen rekritman, problenm ki annan pour fer avek allowance pour manze ek transportasyon.

Lo sa bann pwen Msye Baker ti dir ki lasirans i bezwen kouver par son anplwayer me en komite konzwent etabli anba sa lagreman pou diskit tou sa bann pwen konsern ki leve e sa size lasirans i kapab anmenn devan avek gouvernman Bangladesh pour diskisyon ek konsiderasyon.

Lo size akomodasyon, Msye Baker ti fer resorti ki Departman Lanplwa napa manda pour enterfer dan kalite akomodasyon me i annan manda pour asire ki travayer etranze ki vin travay Sesel i reste e dormi dan en landrwa ki konfortab konman en travayer e en imen.

Lo size lozman, manze ek transportasyon Msye Baker i dir bann anplwayer i bezwen detay tou keksoz klerman dan kontra ki zot fer avek sa bann travayer.

An sa ki konsern konfyans ki gouvernman i annan dan sa de lakonpannyen rekritman, Msye Baker i dir gouvernman i krwar dan kapasite sa de lakonpannyen e i pa la pour met blokaz dan prosedir ek prosesis fer biznes Sesel e si i annan okenn blokaz Departman Lanplwa ava travay ek sa de lorganizasyon pour diskite e fer keksoz bouze.

Ti annan bokou lezot pwen ki ti leve lo sa size rekritman ek son bann nouvo prosedir.

Marie-Anne Lepathy

School leavers get a second chance to graduate

A group of trainees who have successfully completed their training under the Skills Development Programme of 2018-2019 have received their certificate.

The programme, which was officially launched in 2016, allows youths who have not had the privilege to graduate at either secondary or post-secondary level to undertake skills development training at various work organisations for 6 to 18 months.

From 2018 to date, there have been 804 participants who have registered on the skills development programme and out of this 121 have successfully completed their training, 77 have secured employment and 44 are being assisted to find a job.

There are 208 trainees who are presently still active on the programme.

The certificate presentation ceremony was attended by the Minister for Employment, Immigration and Civil Status, Myriam Télémaque, various principal secretaries, representatives of work organisations and family members of the trainees.

Adolphe Antat, the senior human resource and training supervisor at Le Meridien’s Fisherman’s Cove, which has been a faithful partner of the programme since its launch in 2016, took to the stage to explain why the organisation chose to become a faitful partner of the programme.

“We felt that it was important because this programme falls in line with Le Meridien’s core recruitment strategy,” he explained.

“At some point we have had as many as 12 trainees on property and every trainee is different; they all have their specific needs so therefore they have to be treated differently,” Mr Antat reflected.

As for the principal secretary for employment, Jules Baker, he said he was pleased that some of the trainees have already secured employment while others are being assisted with his department to obtain employment.

He revealed that some trainees even secured employment before they completed the skills development programme due to their good performance and attitude.

Eight trainees had secured employment before their training had completed and according to PS Baker, “these results are encouraging, more so now that we have an ever growing number of establishments that are willing to train and employ our young people”.

“The government acknowledges the importance of training for young unskilled job seekers as part of continuous efforts to reduce youth unemployment in the country. The ministry holds the responsibility to market employment programmes, register potential trainees, refer them to various establishments and monitor their progress.”

Youth unemployment rate stands at 9.7% as of March 2019 and PS Baker asserted that the government remains committed to ensuring that youths are employed and remain employed

Nonetheless, the skills development programme has had its fair share of challenges such as trainees who drop out and PS Baker explained that the department of employment has empowered thirty trainees through soft skills sessions at The Guy Morel Institute to address this issue.

R3 million are allocated to the programme and the budget is used for payment of the trainees’ allowances, bus passes, soft skills training and the day-care allowance of R500 for young mothers who are on the programme.

The ceremony also included an inspirational testimony from young trainee, Shiranne Jules, who was unable to complete her post-secondary studies because she fell pregnant.

She noted that her child however has become her anchor and rock, and has pushed her to seek employment and join the programme.

After being posted at the postal services and demonstrating her capabilities, she was offered a permanent post as postal assistant.

For Shiranne, like for many others, the programme proved to be a second chance to graduate after months of hard skill building training at professional workplaces.

Seychelles NATION wishes the three trainees who interned at the organization – Ed Elizabeth, Anel Robert and Lorraine Larue – all the best in their future endeavours.

Elsie Pointe

Seychellois employers will now have to recruit Bangladeshi workers through only two approved recruitment agencies in Bangladesh.

This follows the signing of a labour agreement between the Republic of Seychelles and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, which seeks to ensure protection of the rights of Bangladeshi workers in employment in Seychelles.

The agreement was officially signed yesterday afternoon on behalf of the Republic of Seychelles by the Minister for Employment, Immigration and Civil Status, Myriam Telemaque and by the Minister for Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment from the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Minister Iman Ahmad.

The signing ceremony was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the presence of the principal secretary for Employment Jules Baker, the principal secretary for Immigration and Civil Status Alain Volcère, the principal secretary for Foreign Affairs Dr Marina Confait, senior ministry officials from the department of Foreign Affairs, members of the executive team at the Ministry of Employment, lmmigration and Civil Status and the delegation from Bangladesh.

This is the first labour agreement between Seychelles and Bangladesh and it will be for a period of four years, renewable. It also stipulates the recruitment of skilled workers rather than the usual un-skilled workers as recruited in the past.

In her address, Minister Telemaque said that the signing of the agreement serves to emphasise the mutual interest of both governments to ensure the protection of the rights of the Bangladeshi workers, their welfare and good working and living conditions while in employment here.

She further said that it will enable ethical recruitment practices and clearly establish the obligations of Seychellois employers, Bangladeshi workers and the authorities in both countries.

Minister Telemaque stated that the signing of the labour agreement will remove the moratorium on recruitment of Bangladeshi workers, introduced in October 2018.

At the end of August 2019, the number of Bangladeshi workers in Seychelles was 1620. With the removal of the moratorium, it is expected that the number of Bangladeshi workers recruited by employers in Seychelles will surely increase.

Minister Telemaque explained that the provisions under the agreement will ensure that:

- employers in the Republic of Seychelles source for Bangladeshi workers only through the two designated authorities in Bangladesh, namely the Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Ltd (BOESL) and the Bureau of Manpower Employment Training (BMET),

- the contact details of the designated authorities for recruitment has been communicated to the employers in Seychelles through written media and the Ministry of Employment, lmmigration and Civil Status will give further assistance to Bangladesh,

- the specified recruitment employment agencies and/or competent authority in Bangladesh in turn shall ensure that the workers are skilled and qualified for the post,

- employment contracts are signed by the workers, attested and they are aware and understand their terms and conditions of their contract prior to their departure from Bangladesh;

- the workers are well-prepared, speak basic English and have knowledge on the life, laws and culture of Seychelles.

“The provisions are important so that we as government ensure the protection of the rights of the Bangladeshi workers coming to work in Seychelles and also protection of the employers in Seychelles. I would like to thank the businesses and the workers for their understanding and cooperation while waiting for the signing and removal of the moratorium,” Minister Telemaque added.

Minister Telemaque noted that her ministry will look to enhance collaboration with its partners in order to ensure that all concerned recognise the importance of ethical labour standards in recruitment and their role in the process.

“Seychelles remains committed towards fair treatment of all workers in Seychelles, regardless of their nationality and it is anticipated that the agreement will create favourable environment for better preparation of Bangladeshi nationals coming to work in Seychelles,” Minister Telemaque said.

The labour agreement came into being after several negotiations between both parties following several incidents of mistreatment of Bangladeshi workers by employers in Seychelles in 2018.

For his part, Minister Ahmad, who was leading a six-member delegation, including the Bangladeshi ambassador to Seychelles, Rezina Ahmed, said that the day was a happy day for his delegation as all possible problems regarding labour recruitment will be left behind.

Minister Ahmad noted that through further collaboration and continuous interactions by both parties on matters arisen will now see problems be solved more quickly. He reiterated his country’s support towards the agreement.

“Today we’ve gone one step forward and I feel that this is a win-win situation for both our country’s and the more we interact the more win-win we will make it,” Minister Ahmad said, noting that his country is prepared to provide skilled workers in any required field to help in the development of our country. 

Following an open letter published in the Seychelles NATION on July 25, 2019 addressed to the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Didier Dogley, from the chairperson of the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association (SHTA), Sybille Cardon, a meeting was held to discuss issues raised in the letter.

The meeting, held on Friday August 9, 2019 at the Botanical House, Mont Fleuri, was chaired by Minister Dogley and in attendance were the minister responsible for Employment, Myriam Telemaque, the principal secretary for tourism, Anne Lafortune, as well as the board members of the SHTA.

The meeting addressed each point in a systematic manner commencing with the concerns of the SHTA regarding the increase of anti-social behaviour and petty crimes.

Minister Dogley stated that these are indeed pertinent concerns that are currently posing real threats to the tourism industry and to the Seychellois society in general.

He emphasised that the significance of these matters has been brought to the highest level of the police force and assurances have been given that the police will be reinforcing their efforts.

Over the years, government has been investing significant amount of resources in controlling and preventing the importation of controlled drugs into the country and to complement this regulatory approach, there are various socio-based outreach programmes, education and awareness being instilled in our population regarding the dangers of drug abuse. These efforts have been further strengthened through the creation of APDAR, an entity fully dedicated to tackling the drug problem at its root causes and rehabilitating those who have been affected. Government has recently gone a step further by restricting the sale hours of alcohol and designating certain places like the centre of Victoria, alcohol free zones.

Minister Dogley agreed that Seychellois as a nation are law abiding citizens but unfortunately like in all societies, there are always some who believe their constitutional rights allow them to stomp on the rights of others. While there are some police officers who are clearly doing their work diligently, there is a strong need for the police force to enhance the current resources, training and recruitment as a whole, in order to achieve a more effective enforcement of the laws. These should target those who flout the laws of the country, impact on quality of life of others and pose a threat to the tourism industry. As highlighted in the multi-sectoral meeting on Friday August 9, 2019, government is committing more resources to the police force to strengthen their technical capabilities, to prevent, investigate and solve criminal cases.

With regard to the concerns of SHTA relating to mass tourism, Minister Dogley clarified that traditionally, Seychelles has always been against mass tourism and this position currently stands. Although, there has been a growth in the number of airlines coming to Seychelles, the number of rooms has not increased to the extent that the country can accommodate large numbers of visitors. He emphasised to members that government has no plans to turn Seychelles into a mass tourism destination for the simple reason that the Seychelles islands are relatively small coupled with the limited infrastructure and a sensitive and fragile ecosystem, which cannot cater for a large influx of visitors. The moratorium on the construction of large hotels in excess of 25 rooms from 2015-2020 has greatly restricted the increase in the number of visitors. Furthermore, Destination 2023, the new tourism strategy and action plan clearly spells out the kind of visitors that Seychelles as a destination is aiming for. It goes on to provide a sustainable figure of 4 percent increase in visitor numbers per annum, over the next 5 years. Additionally, SHTA has been allocated seats on the National Steering Committee and its technical bodies where its representatives will have ample opportunities to participate and contribute towards its implementation. Furthermore, the Seychelles Tourism Board is in the process of elaborating its new marketing strategy where again, opportunities will be given for the members of SHTA to participate and contribute.

As for the concerns pertaining to the national airline, Minister Dogley explained to members of the SHTA that government’s position, as was equally highlighted by SHTA, is for Air Seychelles as the national airline to be financially viable while serving Seychelles as a touristic destination and offering affordable domestic air accessibility between the islands. Since the liberalisation of air transportation in Seychelles our national carrier has had to compete with up to 14 other airlines. It was pointed out that Air Seychelles is going through a transformation plan which will hopefully enable it to achieve its objectives. With the introduction of the first A320 NEO, the airline has reached a key milestone in that process and with the arrival of the second one in May next year, it will be well on its way to achieving its goals. The minister confirmed his engagement in working collaboratively with the association and looks forward towards progressive discussions in these matters with both the association and the management of Air Seychelles.

In light of the concerns raised regarding Shannon College and STA students, Minister Dogley highlighted that human resource development is central to the development of the tourism industry. He stated that Seychelles being a country with limited human resources cannot afford to leave anyone behind. The Seychelles Tourism Academy has been very successful in training young Seychellois for the sector. Every year, an average of 180 students graduate from the Academy with qualifications in housekeeping, front office management, food and beverage and other niche leisure services. Minister Dogley invited members of SHTA to work collaboratively with the ministry in order to determine how to sustain the recruitment factor, improve the training, and promote potential work attachment programmes in order to keep these young people in the sector.

He noted that the Shannon hospitality training programme has been very successful of which some of the students have excelled and have even topped their cohorts. To accompany them, the department of Tourism has set up a Mentors Committee, with the general managers, human resources managers and representatives of the Shannon graduates represented on the committee. The committee has been instrumental in solving several outstanding issues and there is a better understanding between the parties involved. Recently, the committee has endorsed a two-year self-development programme for the graduates upon their return, which will lead to their appointment to managerial positions.

In order to address sustainability matters, the minister affirmed that the ministry is highly committed to promoting and supporting the trade in shifting towards the adoption of sustainable practices, which are not only important for the image of the country but also embodies economic growth while striving for greater environmental stewardship. The Seychelles Tourism Sustainability Label (SSTL), which has been developed through support from the Global Environment Facility, is a vital tool to this end and Minister Dogley appealed to members for support in promoting the label. Government has initiated a number of incentives to provide access to affordable financing for investment in energy and water conservation and renewable energy technologies. E-mobility is another area that has benefitted from tax concessions. Some of the programmes are under the Seychelles Energy Commission and others under SeyCATT and Seychelles Development Bank.

The minister availed himself for further discussions with the association in collaboration with all relevant agencies.

Another point on the agenda was the cost of operations, where Minister Dogley stated that this matter was discussed at length in the first multi-sectoral meeting with the minister responsible for Finance at the beginning of the year.   In the meeting, the minister agreed to consider some of the proposals put forward by members of the association and others. He also agreed to present some adjustments during the course of the year. In this regard, such requests will be raised again with the Ministry of Finance in a future meeting.

In regard to the employment of foreign labour and related procedures such as GOP and Certificate of entitlement, Minister Telemaque and her delegation engaged in discussions with the SHTA members present. The meeting provided an excellent opportunity for both parties to clarify their positions and together find win-win solutions. Although they could not find solutions for all issues, it was agreed for both parties to continue engaging in meaningful discussions to solve outstanding matters.

Going forward, it was seen that the sector can only make progress when there is a joint effort between the public and private sectors to address existing and emerging issues together. The benefits derived from this very critical sector is one which after all is shared by all of us and the ministry remains fully committed towards working with the SHTA and other tourism associations in building a tourism industry, which is strong and prosperous.

Complements of Seychelles NATION

Representatives and officials from member states of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), under the United Nations (UN) Migration Agency, are attending a three-day consultative meeting on the establishment of a Migration Dialogue for Indian Ocean Commission countries (MiDIOCC), at the Eden Bleu Hotel.

The meeting was officially launched yesterday morning by Vice-President of the Republic of Seychelles and current chair of the IOC, Vincent Meriton, who remarked that the people from Indian Ocean states were themselves migrants from Africa, India, China, Europe and the Middle East noting the numerous diverse reasons for migration including “to aspire to a better life, to gain access to employment or quality education for children as well as to overcome strained political and social contexts, escape the risk of epidemic among other reasons.

“Our meeting clearly has a political dimension. It will, in effect, bring us to discuss public policies, human and social issues, environmental and climate. In fact, it will bring us to discuss the legitimate aspiration of men and women of our countries to live better, to live free, to live in security,” he said.

“I hope that this process, which is respectful of sovereignty and non-binding, if it is approved by the states, will take place over the long-term so that our powerful countries will always respond more effectively to the complex and multifaceted issues of migration. Migration management is a challenge of our time, but it also opens up opportunities for growth and social growth,” Mr Meriton stated during his official opening address.

Yesterday’s sessions continued through the day with the first session focused on intra-regional cooperation on migration and the opportunities and challenges faced by IOC countries. Following plenary discussions, the second session on promoting regional integration and cooperation through human mobility was held in the afternoon with emphasis on sustainable development of small island states.

Today’s session will continue with a session on promoting regional integration and cooperation through human mobility, migration data, migration and health and trade, tourism and free movement of persons and goods in the IOC.

The meeting is scheduled to end tomorrow after plenary discussions and the review and adoption of the meeting’s outcome document.                                            

IOM regional director for Southern Africa, Charles Kwenin, highlighted the importance of inter-state dialogue on migration and commended Seychelles and Mauritius for the VISA regimes which serve to encourage migration and tourism.

“Migration as you know is inter-ministerial and is multi-faceted in the sense that different ministries dealing with different aspects of migration. In many countries you will find ministries of labour dealing with labour migration, home affairs and interior affairs dealing with emigration and immigration, so it is important that we have this inter-ministerial dialogue and at the same time, it provides the opportunity for inter-state dialogue bringing different governments together to have a common understanding of migration and also to have policy coherence because migration is so misunderstood and I think it is important that we have a common approach among member states, among ministers and among stakeholders,” Mr Kwenin said.

“The Indian Ocean states do not have locked neighbours as they are bordered by the vast ocean. Large oceanic states, the migration dynamics is such that you have many more labour migration especially to Seychelles and Mauritius in particular, and also at the same time, because of a lot more labour migration, there tends to be a lot of abuse, and it is also likely to have issues of human trafficking where unscrupulous people use labour to deceive people and end up in trafficking. The dynamics are such that, you have a lot more ageing population especially in Mauritius and Seychelles because they are higher income countries so they have comparatively higher life expectancy as compared to other countries,” Mr Kwenin said.

He noted that Seychelles ranks top of all African countries in terms of the VISA regime and commended the government of Seychelles for such.

Furthermore, Mr Kwenin noted that the meeting aims to highlight the issues faced by IOC member states since such challenges differ from states on mainland Africa.

“So in this meeting, we are hopeful that the member states will discuss the issues that are priority such as maritime security, issues such as security, environment and climate change, issues in trafficking of human beings, issues such as migration health because as people cross borders, there are health implications. Migration is a public health hazard as you cross borders, you have ebola, tuberculosis and a lot more issues that need to be addressed so we are hoping that by the end of this meeting, we will be able to conclude and agree on the need to establish a platform, a migration dialogue for the Indian Ocean countries, similar to what we have in ECOAS, the migration dialogue for SADC so it is important that for the Indian Ocean countries, even though they are all part of SADC, they also have their own vulnerabilities and specificities that need to be recognised because what may be of particular importance to the Indian Ocean countries, may not be necessarily be the priorities or the needs of mainland Africa, of countries who borders oceans and countries that borders land so we have to recognise that,” he concluded.

Complements of Seychelles NATION

A two-day tripartite sensitisation workshop on collective bargaining in the private and public sector was held at the Care House on Thursday and Friday last week. The workshop was facilitated by delegates from the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

This workshop took place as Seychelles has adopted the Decent Work Country Programme (2019-2023) which has identified Strengthened Tripartite Platforms for effective social dialogue as one of the decent work priority outcomes.

The overall objective of the workshop is to contribute towards strengthening of collective bargaining to achieve harmonious labour relations and industrial peace and cooperation in both the private and public sectors in the Seychelles for enhanced productivity, equitable and inclusive labour markets, and economic development.

The outcome also seeks to strengthen social dialogue to facilitate more effective negotiation, consultation, information exchange, collective bargaining, dispute prevention and resolution. The first day was devoted to collective bargaining in the private sector while the second day was on collective bargaining in the public service.

On that occasion, the principal secretary in the department of employment, Jules Baker, spoke about the globalisation and the liberalisation of the Seychelles economy and the macro-economic reform in 2008.

“These changes and developments in our socio-economic landscape have increased the demand for labour including foreign workers. Currently, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, the Seychelles labour force stands at 50,924 in the first quarter of the year. While the government can continue to offer, through its employment legislation, general protection of all workers, the Industrial Relations Act 1993 leaves to employers and workers considerable freedom to negotiate, in order to reach collective bargaining agreements that establish fair working conditions at work. As a method to reach such agreements, collective bargaining is a tool that creates closer and more meaningful relationships between workers and employers based on an understanding of mutual needs.”

He also said that entering into collective bargaining prevents conflicting interests to lead negative outcomes for both parties, for example illegal strikes.

“It is a means to encourage cooperation, encourage workers to be more productive and also to develop their sense of ownership and make workers more responsible. I urge employers to respond to workers’ initiative to enter into collective bargaining. This can be done if there is good faith on both sides.”

Ms Iouina Pillay, representative of the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Inductry (SCCI), spoke about the process of collective bargaining and its advantages.

“For business as represented through the SCCI, a key challenge today is to improve both the culture and processes of social dialogue between workers, employers and government. Social dialogue involves a process of consultation, negotiation and/or exchange of information between employers, workers and/or their respective organisations. Social dialogue is therefore a part of a pluralist outlook on society which SCCI supports. It is also founded on the recognition that the social partners, as represented by unions and business constitute an important building block in ensuring social stability and is based on the recognition that employers and employees, as the principal providers on goods and services and wealth creators, represent two important interest groups in a market economy. Full and genuine social dialogue – based on cooperation and not confrontation – can be one important tool in sustainability.”

Limpho Mandoro, the social dialogue specialist from the ILO Decent work team Pretoria, and Verena Schmidt, the labour relations and collective bargaining specialist from ILO Geneva, were the main facilitators of the workshop.

Complements of Seychelles NATION

The cabinet of ministers on Wednesday approved seven legal and policy memoranda including the proposition to revise Immigration legislation.

The Immigration Bill was approved in April 2018 and was tabled before the National Assembly in December 2018 whereby they proposed certain amendments. The Ministry of Employment, Immigration and Civil Status, having considered the proposed amendments, included them in the Bill adding new elements.

Three types of permits have been reviewed, namely business permits, investor permits as well as permits granted to children who are enrolled in education locally.

In a cabinet briefing at State House yesterday morning, deputy cabinet secretary for institutional affairs, Johnny Bastienne, explained that business permits apply to consultancy businesses among others but not to investors, and under the new law, immigration officers will have the power to grant business permits under certain conditions.

As per the proposal, individuals who already hold a resident permit, a Gainful Occupation Permit (GOP) or any other permits, will not qualify for a business permit. The permit will indicate the timeframe in which it is valid although the permit holder can in writing request for a maximum four-month extension on their business permit from the Immigration Officer. The holder of a business permit can remain in Seychelles for the period stipulated by the permit, but they will be prohibited from seeking employment.

The Bill also makes provisions for the authorities to revoke the permit if conditions are not respected.

The second type of permit addressed by the Bill relates to foreign investors. The proposition is for investors’ permits to be granted to applicants who can prove that they are involved with investing and that their investments are operational and profitable. Such permits will be granted for a three-year period, during which investors will be limited to staying in Seychelles for a maximum of 150 days at a time before they have to return to their country.

In terms of permits for children enrolled in educational institutions, a student permits have been introduced. The permits apply to students whose parents are residing or working in Seychelles as well as students from overseas who wish to pursue their studies in Seychelles.

Applicants need to provide proof of enrolment in a local education institution as well as proof that they have paid their tuition fees where necessary. They must also prove that they have the financial means to cover their living expenses in Seychelles and for those whose parents are residing or working in Seychelles, they need to provide proof that they are permitted to do so.

Currently, students whose parents live and work in Seychelles are granted permits as dependents but under the new law, they will be given student permits, also allowing them to seek employment if they are of the required age to be employed.

Fees for the permits are yet to be prescribed.

Complements of Seychelles NATION