Transport minister clarifies requirements under agreement with Travizory |20 October 2021

The electronic travel authorisation system introduced under the agreement with Travizory signed ealier this year was deemed necessary because of the Covid-19 pandemic that had taken control of the world early last year and its aim is to support public health regulations and measures in place to protect public health.

“As long as the world remains in the grip of the Covid-19 pandemic, all travellers will require a vaccination certificate and a PCR negative test result before travelling. The international aviation association also believes the strict public health requirements before boarding a plane should continue as long as the pandemic reigns and Seychelles is also working to improve its electronic system to ensure a more seamless travel system thus making Travizory still relevant for travellers,” Minister Antony Derjacques has said.

The Minister for Transport gave those details in the National Assembly yesterday when answering a Private Notice Question (PNQ) by the leader of the opposition Sebastien Pillay on different aspects of the agreement signed earlier this year with the company.

Travizory is a Swiss-based border technology company which, through the agreement, is delivering to Seychelles a next generation facial travel authorization system that allows travellers to complete advance entry formalities for health, immigration and customs before they travel, from the comfort of their own home, using either mobile apps or the website.

Minister Derjacques explained that at the beginning of the year 2020 the world over was struck by the Covid-19 pandemic and Seychelles was not spared. As a result Seychelles had to come up with a more innovative way to ease the continued entry of visitors into the country which subsequently led to the reopening of the economy.

“To travel nowadays it is a requirement of the Public Health Authority to produce a negative PCR test result. At the beginning both Seychellois and visitors had to email the Public Health Authority directly requesting for an autorisation, a process which took some 24 hours following which a negative PCR test result had also to be emailed before travelling, a process which took over three hours to verify and process for each plane load of passengers at the airport.

Additionally nurses and doctors had to be physically present at the airport in their PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) to take the temperature of each and every passenger, verify the authenticity of each PCR test result as well as verify all accommodation confirmation and review all authorisation emails from the Public Health Authority to ensure they were all authentic,” Minister Derjacques pointed out.

He went on to note that the Travizory system has removed the manual process, made the Public Health Authority procedure a lot simpler and faster.

“On March 25, Seychelles was able to reopen its economy and this with the support of the system which has been put in place and today Seychelles is among the leading countries in terms of advanced technologies to ease international travel procedures for travellers,”

Minister Derjacques highlighted.  

Furthermore he pointed out that next year Europe will be introducing a similar system while the United States will be introducing next month the electronic travel authorisation system, similar to ours.  

With regard to revenue made by the Travizory company since its agreement with Seychelles came into effect, Minister Derjacques stated that under Article 9 of the agreement, all information related to its finances and account details is confidential and can only be divulged by the company itself. But he noted that under the Access to Information Act No.4, 2019, Section 22 all information related to a third party similar to Travizory, though protected by the government, can be divulged if an exception is granted by the company itself. Furthermore Minister Derjacques informed Assembly members that as a company registered under the Seychelles’ Companies Act 1972, at the end of each year it must produce its audited annual accounts reports to the Registrar of Companies and any member of the public can examine these reports.

Minister Derjacques informed Assembly members that it is with regret that he cannot reveal to them the revenue details of Travizory but in March next year when the company submits its audited accounts reports they can all get a copy.

On the question relating to the company’s direct revenue contribution to Seychelles, Minister Derjacques stated that when Travizory was charging a fee of €45 per traveller, since September 2020 until May 2021, the government has collected a sum of €1,353,824.

He said the money is transferred in an account that is managed by both Travizory and the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Trade and the Ministry of Transport can also access the account. But since the government reviewed the fee from €45 to €10 per traveller, Minister Derjacques said the government is not collecting any money through the Travizory system.

But Minister Derjacques added that the fee being paid by the visitors cover the operation and service costs of the company. He also brought to the attention of Assembly members that on top of the sum that Travizory pays directly to the government, the company also donates to the Environment Trust Fund and currently the sum totals approximately €250,000 and this comprise voluntary contributions that each traveller makes.

Travizory currently employs 33 Seychellois.

Minister Derjacques went on to detail the different feedback the government has received on the electronic travel authorisation system.

Meanwhile in a supplementary question Hon. Pillay highlighted the concerns of many Seychellois in relation to completing the process before being able to return to Seychelles, the €6 fee they have to pay, readily available access to internet to carry out the process among numerous other related issues.

Hon. Pillay went on to point out that more challenges and difficulties await Seychellois travellers now that soon all other travel forms will be filled online.

He wanted to know if there are talks with Travizory as to how best to address these issues among others. 

Minister Derjacques went on to clarify the payment of the €6 fee and went on to explain that all Seychellois travellers have a smartphone to conduct and carry out all the required travel processes and should be well-versed in what is required of them if and when they plan to travel.

But Minister Derjacques has recognised that there are still certain inconveniences in regards to the system that need to be improved and his ministry is talking to all relevant authorities namely Customs, immigration and health in order to as much as possible minimise the problems that any traveller and returning Seychellois may encounter.

Marie-Anne Lepathy