The Republic of Seychelles has been debating the National Budget 2017 since the second week of December 2016 without a conclusion by January 6 th , 2017. At the start of deliberations at Committee stage Deputy Speaker Nicolas Prea announced, his staff is sick, some are demanding leave after debating and providing back room service to the National Assembly through Christmas Eve, New Years Eve. He said the strain had become unbearable for staff, they have had enough, they need to check on their children, see if their husbands still remember them. The Deputy Speaker then made an unprecedented announcement: " debate will terminate at 5:00pm irrespective of what stage and resume AFTER the State of The Nation Speech by President Faure is made in FEBRUARY 2017. " Blockade!
Tag and Release Program
Like expert fishermen, the Opposition MNA team led by Now well seasoned politician Wavel Ramkalawan, the LDS implemented a " Tag and Release " program throughout the Budget debates, all the while exposing fraud in the Budget, misappropriation of funds, corruption of the wealth of the Public. The numbers were just incredible.
As Leader of Government Business Charles De Commarmond tried his best to fight off the tsunami of opposition dominance over the process, his shirt collar flipped, his temper raised, in vain, his humor left few laughing around the country. Chains around your neck, are chains .......around your neck, no matter what you would rather have them be ( chains of rollo chocolates).
Tag and Release
The " Tag and Release" program implemented was to review the budget headings, ask questions, where there were questions, unresolved, the LDS approved a budget heading for only three months under strict conditions that departments, report back to the National Assembly in three months, by March 31, 2017 with answers or face further cuts.
LDS Absent
Many LDS members were noticeably absent from the debates. At times as much as Five (5). Clifford Andre was gone, Loizeau was gone, Flory Larue and Patrick Pillay were all absent. Ramkalawan and Afif, saved the day for LDS along with the veterans like JF Ferrari, Bernard Georges. The level of fight put up by JF Ferrari and Afif was a moment to savior. Ramkalawan remain on point most of the time, and demonstrated traits of a well seasoned political leader, not to be out smarted by Le Pep who many say are hiding possibly as much as SCR. 500,000,000.00 in mis appropriations in the Budget.
Danny Faure Man of The Moment Outside National Assembly
If Leader of Opposition W. Ramkalwan was the man of the moment in the National Assembly debates, President Faure was making his own waves outside the National Assembly. Faure for his part, took to Abu Dhabi to secure additional investments to benefit Seychelles.
Ile Platte we were told would be lease to a Abu Dhabi company. We did not hear how much.
At the turn of the New Year, President Faure took a bold step in the right direction for the Nation: he announced that 5th of June will no longer be a holiday, but rather, a regular working day. The chains of the past had been released from Faure's ankles, and that of all Seychellois alike. The announcement of the end of mental slavery had been made and nonchalantly welcome by all, from all sides.
Now, perhaps, the country can start to heal and move forward.......less all the corruption of course. These corruption fish we will have to fry!
Sesel Pou Seselwa!
May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!
5 comments:
ITs true that since LDS won control over the Assembly we have seen a totally different RAM ,while ,Dito .exercising the kind of checks and balance that from the core of good governance,and fight the symptom of corruption ingrained in the pl which by the way, Faure should be concerned by the persisting endemic of corruption in his governemnt , for corruption equal Bad governance.
National budget should long be scrutinized thoroughly for it is filled with lump- sums and hidden pork barrel funds inserted in it.LDS has vowed to chop off pork before the last election ..and it seems its acting seriously on it to guarantee that tax money is not misused.LDS knows the importance of passing budget on time ,as it equally knows and recognizes that the same should be thoroughly reviewed and deliberated upon to verify the necessity,value and validity of the submitted provisions.
Budget must be Porkless and PL-less.
Many pl one party system benefitors are complaining about LDS refusal to approved Faure government proposed budget........It seems they are not use to checks and balance what should be a normal occurrence.
LDS rejected juggery of figures and loopholes in the budget ,,,,,,like money SBC for a project we all know would be sponsored by china ......
Endemic corruption perpetrated bz pl for 4 decades like in loopholes in budget ,over charging of public projects ,embeyylemnt must stop and one way of stopping it ,is by checks and balance in the Assembly ///
The Le Pep government budget is riddled with what in the USA we refer to as Pork Barrel Expenditures.
This is the fundamental shortfall of the budget.
The responsibility of this falls on the Minister of Finance and the Principal Secretsry Patrick Payet.
La Rose just turned up. He likely did not have time to deal with each heading.
The PS Patrick Payet engages with the departments and ministries all year long. He is the primary reviewer of the budget, to insure it is a performance based budget, it is free from pork barrel.
Instead of filtering the budget, he seems to just send forward whatever is requested. This is a fundamental dereliction of duties, even though he sounds like he knows what he doing. He knows how the abuse is taking place, he allows it. Stays nice and polite over it.
President Faure must engage the opposition o help clean up this mess.
Sesel Pou Seselwa!
Christopher Gill
Chian spuusoedly to build new Sbc building ,,with heipad ...Why does SBC needs a helicopter ?You know who needs helicopter ..the Coast guard to conduct high sea rescue,bush fire if any,,,,rescue ,,not ONEZIM ..A drone for SBC would be enough .......
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