The Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) held meetings with the Seychelles Infrastructure Agency (SIA) and the Seychelles Port Authority (SPA) on Friday 21st of July 2023. Committee members present were, Chairperson of FPAC Hon. Sebastien Pillay, Vice Chairperson Hon. Terence Mondon, Hon. Sandy Arissol, Hon. Conrad Gabriel, Hon. Churchill Gill, Hon. Georges Romain, and Hon. Richard Labrosse.
The FPAC first met with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SIA Mr. Jitesh Shah and the Chief Operations Officer Mr. Keith Arnephy. Through meeting with SIA, the FPAC aimed to gain clarity on certain procurement procedures and related financial matters. The Committee also aimed to get an update regarding projects under SIA’s purview. Pertinent matters discussed included the timeliness of project implementations and completion rates of projects.
The Committee were informed of improvements regarding supervision of contractors and project sites. Mr. Shah and Mr. Arnephy also discussed the challenges that the SIA is faced with regarding procurement and recruitment of staff.
That afternoon, the FPAC met with a delegation from the SPA comprised of CEO Mr. Sony Payet, Deputy CEO Dr. Egbert Moustache, Director of Project Infrastructure Mr. Franky Laporte, Chief Financial Officer Gamanson Elipitiva, Financial Comptroller Mr. Elton Jeannevole, and Legal Advisor Mrs. Estelle Alexis. Discussions with the SPA was primarily focused on the Port of Victoria Extension Project. The FPAC were concerned with the timeline of the project itself and the expected commencement date. Mr. Payet informed the FPAC that the project is still at negotiations stage although the targeted commencement date is the end of this year. The Committee were informed that delays associated with the project are mainly due to the finance for the project and ongoing negotiations regarding its design and scope.
The Committee assured further engagement with both entities and follow-ups on discussed topics will be done accordingly.
