Cabinet briefing   |10 November 2023

New regulation to prohibit marketing of baby formula nationally

Seychelles is expected to introduce a Breast milk Substitute Regulation early next year that will enforce prohibition of the marketing of baby formula in the country.

This was approved by the Cabinet during its session this week, chaired by President Wavel Ramkalawan.

Yesterday in his Cabinet press briefing, Vice-President Ahmed Afif said the revision will be used as a tool for ensuring safe and optimal nutrition given to babies and infants. It will also ban donation and sponsorship of breast milk substitute to government entities and breach of regulations will lead to penalties.

According to the health ministry’s statistics, only 12 percent of mothers in Seychelles are breastfeeding, while the rest are either using a mixture of breast milk and baby formula or baby formula only. It should be noted that globally, 40 percent of mothers are breastfeeding.

“The ministry strongly believes that we should encourage the majority of mothers to breastfeed because from a health point of view it is way better,” stated Mr Afif.

The regulation will not prevent the sale of baby formula but rather its marketing, meaning it will not be advertised anywhere in the country.

“We hope it would deter mothers, who had seen the products being advertised and thought it was better than breastfeeding,” added VP Afif.

He said this was a norm being promoted worldwide by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

On Wednesday, Cabinet also approved the proposed legal framework for a new Functional Capacity Assessment Board that will replace the two existing medical boards under the Social Security Act and the Pension Fund Act.

According to Mr Afif, the Functional Capacity Assessment Board will review medical reports, results of specific clinical, physical, mental status or psychological tests and evidence-based expert opinions and other reviews as appropriate, to determine to what extent a person referred to it, is fully able, partially able or not able to function in the context of the person’s application for invalidity or disability benefits under the two aforementioned acts.

“The main reason is to bring greater efficiency. We believe having one board addressing very similar issues will do justice in pushing the cases much faster and ensuring that people get responses fairly quickly, and there is good coordination, information sharing between the two agencies,” explained the vice-president.

Cabinet has also approved the Seychelles Made Bill, which supports the policy to secure the Seychelles Made label trademark. The Seychelles Made trademark will support growth of the local economy and encourage locally made products, which use local content to ensure maximum value is retained in the local economy, explained VP Afif. Through the Ministry of Investment, Entrepreneurship and Industry they will set up a committee that would assess what products are really Seychelles made, according to him.

“The government believes that by doing that we will be able to add more value to Seychelles made products, and become a marketing tool at the same time.”

The government also plans to modernise the mail and courier service by building an international mail and cargo processing centre at the international airport during the first half of 2024. According to the vice-president, the centre will enable faster processing of cargo coming through the airport through clearer processing flow and visibility aligned with international standards.

“The new set up will also eliminate the risk of loss and misplacement,” he said. The centre that will be managed by the postal service will cater for courier operators.

Cabinet has also approved a phased introduction of Seychelles’ Trade Remedies Legislations which will serve to protect the country from illegal dumping. The legal trade remedies framework will allow the country to take full advantage of the available measures to protect national food security and threats to infant industries and other overriding national interests in a way that is consistent with its international trade obligations.

Patsy Canaya/press release from State House