India extends US $8.36 million help to civilian projects in Seychelles |28 March 2018

India has extended financial help to civilian projects in Seychelles to a scale of US $8.36 million (R117.04 million).

A communiqué from the Indian high commission in Seychelles writes that the government of India has granted a sum of cash US $3.45 million (R45 million) for the construction of a state-of-the-art Magistrate’s Court with all the modern amenities. The Seychelles Tender Board has completed the tendering process and the construction work is expected to start shortly. This would be the first construction project to be financed by India in Seychelles.

A grant has also been provided to the Seychelles Public Transport Corporation (SPTC) for the procurement of 71 buses from TATA Motors at an estimated value of US $3.5 million. All of these buses are equipped with modern state-of-the-art features and are also physically challenged and senior citizen friendly. The fleet of 71 new buses is expected to reach Seychelles by June 2018.

An amount of US $385,000 has been granted to the Health Care Agency (HCA) for procurement of 10 ambulances and setting up of emergency response systems on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue. These ambulances are equipped with advanced facilities which would help the Ministry of Health to enhance its emergency response mechanism.

In addition, this year, the government of India has granted a sum of US $2,796,520 to the Health Care Agency for procurement of essential life-saving equipment from HLL Hites, a healthcare-based public sector company in India. Recently, a sum of US $499,919 was also granted for further purchase of life-saving medical equipment from HLL Hites. All of these items would reach Seychelles by June 2018 and would be officially inaugurated.

Ten (10) swift response vehicles are also being donated to the Anti-Narcotics Bureau (formerly National Drugs Enforcement Agency) at an estimated value of US $250,000 for interception of drug trafficking and control.