Four new programmes added to Sets |23 June 2020

Yesterday’s meeting in progress (Photo: Thomas Meriton)

President Danny Faure yesterday met with the team that will be in charge of the Seychelles Employee Transition Scheme (Sets), a temporary scheme to assist workers who will be made redundant.

The aim of the meeting which was also attended by the Minister for Employment, Immigration and Civil Status, Myriam Telemaque, was to discuss the addition of four new programmes that will work alongside Sets called the National Workers Preparatory Programme.

“The private sector has been affected greatly by COVID-19 and we expect a large number of people from that sector to lose their jobs and in the eventuality that we end up with a significant number of laid-off workers we will have these four programmes in place that will cater to them,” said Guy Morel, project manager for Sets.

Adding to this Mr Morel stated that these programmes will include social and public institution support, community, environment, and special public works. He noted the four programmes will complement the existing placement that we have targeted in the private sector, and will have a portfolio of services and activities that people will subscribe to.

Each programme will be headed by an advisor – Dotty Raforme will be in charge of special public works programme, while Denis Matatiken will head the environmental programme, Raymond Benstrong will have the community public programme and Susan Morel will have the supporting public and social institution portfolio.

“We have already set up a programme with skippers in the marine park where they have agreed to assist us in various activities that we will conduct. We also have a reforestation project on Praslin as well as office work such as log work in government entities,” added Mr Morel.

Over 4000 employees are set to lose their jobs and Mr Morel stated that he believes they will easily be able to place these workers in the appropriate area for the time being.

“It’s the first time that we are facing this problem and we must put all the resources at our disposal to solve this socio-economic problem,” he stated.

Aside from employees who are made redundant, those who are still being employed by their organisations but are sitting idle by will be welcomed on board to join the programme.

“This is a national problem we are facing and we must focus on solving this as we must help our brothers and sisters in their time of need. This problem will not be solved anytime soon so we must put these mechanisms in place in order to retain our socio-economic stability,” Mr Morel said.

Mr Morel explained that Sets expects to be operational from July 1 to December 31, 2020.

He noted that those who join Sets will be provided with financial support from the government in the form of payment of salaries. They expect to be paid their base salary which they were receiving prior to being let go.

Christophe Zialor