Public invited to take part in budget process |09 July 2015

The ministry responsible for preparing the national budget is inviting the private sector through the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industries and the public through civil society organisations to make submissions for the national budget.

These will be published and debated over the coming months.

The Minister for Finance, Trade and the Blue Economy Jean-Paul Adam made the invitation when launching a first session his ministry organised on Tuesday afternoon to explain the budget process and the content of the national budget.

Representatives from the private sector, civil societies, different ministries and departments and agencies concerned with budgeting met to get a better understanding of the content and the process of the national budget.

“The aim is to have through the budget process a more committed approach from all Seychellois,” Minister Adam said, adding that many people are not aware of how a budget is prepared, its numerous implications and often do not see how they fit in or how they could make contributions to its realisation through their propositions or even how they can make these contributions.

Minister Adam noted that the session on Tuesday was to demystify the budget by explaining the process and also to urge people to come forward to make their contributions so that in the end we have a budget we can identify with and see ourselves in.

A team from the ministry comprising the principal secretary in the finance and trade department Patrick Payet, the principal secretary in the Blue Economy department Rebecca Loustau-Lalanne, the comptroller general of the financial planning and control division Damien Thesee, revenue commissioner Georgette Pillay as well as other representatives of the ministry made a series of presentations on different aspects and components of the budget.

The aim was to shed more light on the budgetary process through a series of short presentations and interactions with the audience.

“We want to share some of the challenges we face when putting together the budget. We want to have a budget process which is as inclusive and participatory as possible to demystify the whole process once and for all,” Minister Adam explained.

He pointed out that there are things which can be done through the budget and things that cannot be done and it is important that we understand what is possible and what is not possible,” Minister Adam said, stressing on the importance of public views and expectations.

Minister Adam explained that the national budget is a public document and anybody can get access to it at any time and there is a copy available at all times at the National Library.

But admitting that this method of consultation is not always the most convenient one in this modern day and age, Minister Adam announced that his ministry will soon launch its website where the document can be posted and be easily accessible for the public to consult on-line.