Seychelles Roundup: 2024 budget, drug trafficking law, excise tax reduction
2024 budget presented
The Seychelles Minister of Finance Naadir Hassan presented Seychelles' budgetary allocations for 2024 to the National Assembly. The government highlighted plans to reclaim five hectares of land for industrial use. The budget also included plans to set up a rehabilitation centre for individuals struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, along with the construction of a maximum-security prison, local media outlet, Seychelles News Agency reported. The minister told reporters that, the country intends to raise 749 million dollars from revenue and donations in the 2024 financial year.
Gaza-Israel attacks condemned
President Wavel Ramkalawan, at the inaugural Saudi-Africa Summit in Riyadh urged an end to the indiscriminate attacks in the current Gaza-Israel crisis. While emphasizing the severity of the ongoing crisis, President Ramkalawan said, "It is a significant tragedy and a matter of great concern for all. Seychelles strongly condemns attacks on civilians in both Palestine and Israel." The president of the East African nation also expressed Seychelles' support for a two-state solution as the sole path toward achieving lasting peace in the region.
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Drug trafficking law
Two foreign nationals have been arrested in Seychelles for the importation of drugs into the country. The implicated persons, two Iranian nationals and a Dutchman, in separate trials, were charged with conspiracy to import and traffic a controlled drug. The Dutchman - Ernest Cezary Kosiek, 30, was arrested at the Seychelles International Airport at Pointe Laure on October 13 upon his arrival on a Qatar Airways flight with 900g of cannabis. The two Iranian nationals on the other hand, a captain and an engineer, have been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the importation of a controlled drug contrary to the Misuse of Drugs Act, 2016, Seychelles News Agency reported.
Seychelles partners EU for drug busts
The Seychelles National Assembly has approved a pact with the European Union that enables individuals apprehended for drug and weapons trafficking near the Somalia coast by an EU member state to face trial, prosecution, and imprisonment in Seychelles. The motion to ratify the agreement, inked by Seychelles on August 3, was presented to the Assembly on Wednesday by the Leader of Government Business, Bernard Georges, Seychelles News Agency reported. 17 members of the National Assembly voted for the ratification and nine members abstained.
New tourism partnerships
Seychelles has joined forces with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to assess skills needs and shortages within the tourism industry, aiming to identify necessary actions to address existing gaps. Under this initiative, UNWTO is assisting one of its member states in evaluating the state of the industry, Seychelles News Agency reports. Once this assessment is concluded, an action plan will be formulated to address the identified issues. The initial stage involves a swift evaluation carried out on Thursday by UNWTO consultant Lisa Gordon-Davis.
