On Wednesday 5th February 2025, the Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC), led by Chairperson Hon. Sebastien Pillay, met with the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability with Gender and Climate Frameworks (PEFA ++) mission in Seychelles.
Hon. Pillay was accompanied by Hon. Georges Romain, Hon. Churchill Gill, Hon. Conrad Gabriel, and Hon. Richard Labrosse. The PEFA delegation was accompanied by Principal Secretary Ms. Astrid Tamatave, and Comptroller General Mr. Jude Commettant.
The primary objective of the PEFA assessment is to review the current performance of the Public Financial Management (PFM) system, and to measure progress since the last PEFA evaluation conducted in 2016. The discussion was centred on assessment indicators that evaluate the legislative scrutiny of the annual budget and the roles of the FPAC. Key topics included the procedures, timelines, and internal organisational arrangements during the budget examinations.
Members of the FPAC engaged in an interactive exchange with the PEFA delegation providing insight and perspectives on the scope of legislative oversight as well as challenges faced in the scrutiny process. During the session, Committee Members highlighted certain constraints impacting the budgetary oversight, for instance the lack of a Parliamentary Budget Office. Members also explored potential strategies to enhance the effectiveness of the parliamentary oversight mechanism.
