Ceps calls on politicians to address pertinent issues in Sona |22 February 2024

Mr Laurence

The Citizens Engagement Platform Seychelles has called on politicians to address pertinent issues impacting the population in the State-of-the-Nation address, which will be delivered today by the Head of State followed by reaction of both political parties in the National Assembly.

Citizens Engagement Platform Seychelles’ (Ceps) chief executive Alvin Laurence made the comment during the organisation’s first press conference for the year yesterday at its headquarters at Orion Mall.

“The civil society expects that the State-of-the-Nation address (Sona) will not be just an occasion where politicians turn it into a political debate. We recommend that they really look at the state of our nation, what the Seychellois people are living and going through, so they not only underline the problems but come up with proposals on how to find a better way of living in our country,” said Mr Laurence.

There are many points that should be addressed and there are three that should not be forgotten, said Mr Laurence.

“There should be a framework/structure in place to respond to disasters, calamities such as industrial calamities that occur in the country. Not only an emergency framework/structure to attend to the injured but one that would ensure that people who go through these situations, which affect their standard of living, could quickly resume a normal life,” he said.

Mr Laurence said although some of the past incidents were linked to climate and mostly out of everyone’s control, there were many framework/structure that could be put in place for example with regard to planning approvals, following of guidelines and their enforcement, so that constructions carried in the country do not aggravate the situation.

“We have also noted that we should be able to handle industrial calamities and we should have structures in place to ensure all risks are mitigated; that companies are taking necessary measures to protect the lives of their employees and people residing in the vicinity. And in the event of such cases, we must have the structures in place to help people resume their normal lives as soon as possible,” added Mr Laurence.

At present the country is not fully equipped to handle these calamities, he added.

Another point that Ceps wants the Sona to address is the ease of doing business in the country which according to Mr Laurence is a grave concern for entrepreneurs who still deplore the bureaucracy that exists, which still delays their work.

Ceps also questioned the contribution into the economy by the tourists who visit Seychelles’ shores, and the true beneficiaries of their expenses.

There is also the ongoing complaints against the public service, with a lot of people claiming they keep going round in circles without finding any solutions. Ceps also wants the Sona to address the high cost of living especially for the most vulnerable such as the elderly.

The organisation is also urging the public to share their concerns to sona@ceps.sc, stating that all points will remain confidential.

During yesterday’s press briefing, Ceps also outlined the activities planned for non-governmental organisation (NGO) week which gets underway on February 24 –until March 3, 2024, and coincides with International day for NGOs on February 27. This year’s theme is ‘Building a sustainable future.’ Ceps along with different NGOs have come up with a list of activity to emphasise the theme, and cater for all age groups on the three main islands – Mahe, Praslin and La Digue.

These include the annual Volunteers Award February 29 and Zero Discrimination Day on March 1.

Another point highlighted at the briefing was the importance of civil society as a platform to allow people to express themselves and remain engaged, albeit many  restrictive measures in many countries, including Seychelles which impede the work of NGOs, and discourage people from engaging in volunteerism such as restrictive laws.

Kassey Govinden