National Assembly |30 November 2023
Parliament wraps up budget discussion
The National Assembly yesterday concluded discussions on the 2024 appropriation bill by approving sums of 14 entities.
The morning session started with the Seychelles Revenue Commission led by Minister for Finance, National Planning and Trade, Naadir Hassan, explaining how the sum of R205.481 million allocated to the entity will be used next year.
He told the House it was an increase of R24.8 million, which is mainly to cater for additional expenses under Wages and Salaries such as 13th month salary and revision of common cadres, and under Goods and Services, to cover recruitment and employment of foreign consultants among others. SRC’s budget received the full backing of the House.
The budget allocation for the Fair Trading Commission was also approved unanimously. Minister Hassan said the budget has increased from R15 million of the revised 2023 budget to R16.7 million in 2024.
The Financial Intelligence Unit will be functioning with a budget of R29.8 million. It received the approval of 22 MNAs, while three abstained.
Votes were also taken for various entities without debate. The Tax and Custom Agent board and Revenue Tribunal has a sum of R3.2 million, while the Government Audit committee had its allocation of R868,000 approved.
National Bureau of Statistics has an appropriation of R20.3 million, while Other Goods and Services has been allocated a sum of R29.4 million for professional and consultancy services, unforeseen visit of dignitaries, advertisement and publicity, and National Day celebration expenses, according to Minister Hassan.
The Social Programmes of Central Government will be functioning with R285.2 million in 2024, while R3.2 million will cater for ‘Others’. R88.2 million is for Contingency, which according to Mr Hassan will cover compensation for La Misère residents, who were affected by polluted water. The payment is expected to be completed in the first half of the year.
Other sums approved were R10 million under Tax Exemption, R128.5 million for Net lending, R103.4 million for Development Grants to Public Enterprises, which will cover capital projects and the Subvention to Public Enterprises which has a sum of R48.9 million.