RESTRICTED  
  
WT/ACC/SPEC/SYC/4/Rev.1/Add.1  
 
 
2 October 2013  
(13-5317)  Page: 1/4  
Working Party on the Accession of the Republic of 
Seychelles  Original: English  
 
 ACCESSION OF SEYCHELLES 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT AND EXPORT SUBSIDIES IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR 
Additional Questions and Replies 
Addendum 
 
 
 
The following submission, dated 30 September 2013, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of the Republic of Seychelles. 
  
_______________ WT/ACC/SPEC/SYC/4/Rev.1/Add.1 
 
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  Q & A ON AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT TABLES – WT/ACC/SPEC/SYC/4/Rev.1 
Question 1 Supporting Table DS:1 It is noted that Seychelles has notified a combination of "Budgetary allocations" and 
"Budgetary expenditures" under column 2 ("name and description of measure") and 
cites "budget figures" under column 7 ("data source"). 
 Can the Seychelles please explain if there is any difference in meaning when the 
terminology "budgetary allocations" an d "budgetary expenditures" are used? 
Answer:  
Seychelles would like to confirm that in DS:1 it is referring to budgetary expenditure and therefore 
it will amend Table DS:1 under document WT/ACC/SPEC/SYC/4/Rev.1 to use the terminology 
budgetary expenditures only.  
Question 2 Supporting Table DS:1 
Please confirm whether the notified values  are actual government outlays or are 
budgetary amounts that are available for the Seychelles Agricultural Agency and 
Ministry of Education to use, as appe ars to be the case in footnote 1. 
Answer: 
The values notified reflect actual government outlays for the respective years. 
Question 3  
Supporting Table DS:1 
On Extension and Advisory Services it is noted that under column 2 ("name and 
description of measure") Seyche lles notifies "…projects f unded by national or local 
budget to develop plant varieties and anim al breeds under national programmes."  
 Please provide additional details with regards to this measure. 
Answer: 
Seychelles would like to inform that this support is provided by the Seychelles Agricultural Agency 
with a view of ensuring that farmers are consistently being guided and advised on new and 
improved production methods in order to ensure maximum output and efficiency from the farms. This also includes guidance on the introduction of new plant varieties and animal breeds which are better suited to the local conditions, developed within and outside Seychelles. 
Question 4  
Supporting Table DS:1 On Other General Services it is noted un der column 2 ("name and description of 
measure") Seychelles notifies "… activities related to storage of plant varieties/seeds of 
vegetables, fertilizers, pestic ides, vet drugs, etc…" and th e stored products are made 
available to producers at market prices. WT/ACC/SPEC/SYC/4/Rev.1/Add.1 
 
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   Please explain what the objective of th is programme is and what subparagraph 
of Paragraph 2 of Annex 2 of the Agreement on Agriculture these measures are exempted under. 
Answer: 
Seychelles would like to inform Members that this programme has been established to promote the 
development of the sector. However, despite there being no restrictions on private participation in the provision of such services, the private sector is not involved in any consistent manner. 
Therefore in a bid to ensure a greater level of domestic food security, the Government had to 
provide the service to facilitate agricultural production. 
Seychelles can confirm that this service is provided at market prices. The measure does not have 
any input subsidy or preferential user charges component as required under paragraph 2(g) of 
Annex 2 of the Agreement on Agriculture. In li ght of this, this component will be moved to 
infrastructure services.  
Question 5 
Supporting Table DS:2 
Seychelles only notified investment loans with  a preferential interest rate of 2.5% in 
2010.   
 What was the reason for no outlays in 2011 or 2012? 
Answer: 
Seychelles can confirm that there was no outlay during that period since the agricultural sector 
was in dire state, therefore there were limited incentives for farmers to invest in the sector for its 
development.   
Question 6  
Supporting Table DS:2 
With regards to "investment loans" and "lease of land at preferential rates," Seychelles 
indicates that the figures notified expr ess revenue forgone in administering the 
preferential rates. 
Please provide additional detail with regards to what is included in the "administering 
[of] the preferential rates," including whet her the difference in the interest rates are 
accounted for in the notified values. 
Answer: 
Seychelles can confirm that the value expressed with regards to "investment loans" represents 
only revenue forgone in providing the loan at th e preferential rate of 2.5% as opposed to the 
prevailing commercial rate of 8.5%. 
Seychelles can also confirm that the value expressed with regards to "lease of land at preferential 
rates" represents only revenue forgone in provid ing the lease at the preferential rate of SR 
6.50/m2 as opposed to the prevailing commercial rate of SR 30.00/m2. WT/ACC/SPEC/SYC/4/Rev.1/Add.1 
 
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  Question 7 
Supporting Table DS:7 Seychelles notifies a Abbotoir (slaughterhous e) support, which is "designed to ensure 
that the slaughter of animals remains at an  affordable price… and serve as a general 
form of infrastructure support…" 
Please provide a more detailed description of  this measure and its objectives, including 
how this programme benefi ts livestock producers. 
Answer: 
Seychelles can confirm that the objective of this measure is to ensure health and safety for the 
consumers of these products, whilst ensuring that slaughter costs reflect market prices. However, monetary amount corresponding to infrastructure is unable to be separated. 
 
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