All set for ex-Royal Fleet Auxiliary members to get compensation |10 February 2016

Registered members of the Ex-Royal Fleet Auxiliary will start procedures to get their compensation as from today.

This was announced by the Minister for Finance, Trade and the Blue Economy Jean-Paul Adam during a press conference on Monday.

It is to be recalled that when delivering his Budget 2016 speech in December last year, Minister Adam said the government is providing R4.04 million which will be paid for all registered ex-Royal Fleet Auxiliary members who worked at that time for the British government.

Elaborating on this payment on an ex-gratia basis, Minister Adam explained it is for those people who during the colonial period worked on the ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary of the British government.

“At that time they were working in the context of that country’s government. But as they have never benefitted from any form of compensation from Great Britain, even if they lodged a case against it, the government of Seychelles, after several years of negotiation with that association, took the decision to effect an ex-gratia payment as a reflection of appreciation because as Seychellois, and even before Seychelles gained its independence, those people contributed towards the country in their own way,” Minister Adam said.

The British argument is that those members did not have a contract with them and did not accept documentations lodged like log books, etc as contract.

As compensation each member will get R20,000 from which R1,000 will go towards their association.

Over 200 members are expected to benefit from this scheme and they are asked to call at the ministry at Liberty House starting today between 9.30am and 4pm to receive their letter and necessary documents to start the ex-gratia financial support procedures. They also need to bring along their identity and bank cards.

Spouses whose husbands who were in the fleet have passed away, will need to collect the payments on behalf of their departed husbands. They are to sign the necessary documents and need to bring along their marriage certificate and affidavit, identity card and their bank card.

Children who are to receive the payments on behalf of their parents who were members of the Ex-Royal Fleet Auxiliary and have passed away, are to come on Friday February 12 bringing along legal documents to prove their identities.

Those who do not possess a bank account will be explained the necessary procedures to receive their payments.

When he announced this payment in his budget speech last December, Minister Adam also remarked that this ex-gratia payment will not prevent the members from pursuing their rights for compensation with the British government.

He reiterated that this ex-gratia payment is only a token of appreciation for their contribution from the people of Seychelles.

Even if each member has served different lengths of time in the fleet, they have all agreed to each have the same amount which is R20,000 and R1,000 to be paid to the association.

Minister Adam also said this procedure for compensation is not a new issue as it was put to parliament some years back where the legislative body agreed for the British government to grant compensation. President James Michel also forwarded the case to the British government during his official visit to the UK in 2012.

For the time being Great Britain does not accept that it has a case to respond to as the members need to have a contract. But the minister remarked that he had advised the association that this does not mean the negotiation with the British government has ended.