Committee on government assurances disappointed with executive’s delivery rate |19 February 2018

The committee on government assurances, a standing committee of the National Assembly, has expressed its disappointment towards the executive branch of government for not delivering on the promises that were made to the National Assembly in a timely manner.

This came out in a communiqué issued by the National Assembly yesterday.

The chairman of committee on government assurances (Coga), Gervais Henrie stated that several ministries have not been following up on pledges made causing disruptive consequences for the public that has resulted in events whereby those affected have taken their grievances to the gates of State House demanding a meeting with President Danny Faure as a last resort to their issues.

The communiqué adds that Environment, Energy and Climate Change Minister Didier Dogley had presented an assurance to the committee that the Sinohydro Corporation would not be allowed to bring its own trucks, but would outsource the service of local truck drivers. The committee expresses that this should have been a condition of the tender process by the Public Utilities Corporation (PUC).

Following the statement made by the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF), that the officers of the disbanded Special Vessels Protection Detachment (SVPD) will be paid compensation and other dues owed to them however the matter is yet to be resolved even though SDF had stated that payment would have been effected by December 31, 2017.

Enforcing the mechanisms of good governance, transparency and accountability, the committee has twice reminded the concerned authorities of their engagements but have confirmed that they are yet to respond positively.

The committee appeals to the executive to honour assurances made to the people of Seychelles, and to create an avenue for inclusive governance, whereby the people and institutions with common interests are included in the decision-making process.

 The committee on government assurances takes this opportunity to call on the media and civil society to keep an interest in the work being done by the various branches of government to help in the process of accountability, good governance and transparency. Members of the public are encouraged to submit their personal contributions to any committee of the National Assembly as part of taking part in democracy, this includes any questions or concerns any member of the public may have.