# Seychelles - United States Department of State

- Seychelles HomeReportsBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices&#8230;Seychelles				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Seychelles																																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																																																																																							Download Report																																																							Translations																																																																 In this section										/																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																																													EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																															Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																																									a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																																											b. Disappearance																																																																											c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																																			Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																																																		d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																																			Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																																																		e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																																			Trial Procedures																																																								Political Prisoners and Detainees																																																																																																																		f. Transnational Repression																																																																											g. Property Seizure and Restitution																																																																											h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																																																	Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																																									a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																																			Internet Freedom																																																																																																																		b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																																											c. Freedom of Religion																																																																											d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																																											e. Protection of Refugees																																																																																	Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																																									Elections and Political Participation																																																																																	Section 4. Corruption in Government																															Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																															Section 6. Discrimination and Social Abuses																																																									Women																																																																											Children																																																																											Antisemitism																																																																											Trafficking in Persons																																																																											Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics																																																																											Persons with Disabilities																																																																											Other Societal Violence or Discrimination																																																																																	Section 7. Worker Rights																																																									a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																																											b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																																											c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																																											d. Discrimination (see section 6)																																																																											e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																																																																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY				There were no significant changes in the human rights situation in Seychelles during the year.Significant human rights issues included credible reports of extensive gender-based violence, including domestic or intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and other forms of such violence.The government took credible steps to identify and punish officials who may have committed human rights abuses.																														Section 1.													 Respect for the Integrity of the Person												    																																																a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings										There were no reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings, during the year.																																				b. Disappearance										There were no reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities.																																				c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses										The constitution and law prohibited such practices, and there were no credible reports that government officials employed them.																Prison and Detention Center Conditions						There were no significant reports regarding conditions in prisons or detention centers that raised human rights concerns.Administration: Authorities conducted investigations into credible allegations of mistreatment.Independent Monitoring: The government permitted independent monitoring of prison conditions. The Seychelles Human Rights Commission, several government departments, local and international human rights groups, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) visited facilities during the year.																										d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention										The constitution prohibited arbitrary arrest and detention and provided for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of their arrest or detention in court, and the government generally observed these requirements.																Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees						The law required warrants for arrests, except under a law that allowed police to arrest and detain persons suspected of drug possession, use, importation, and drug trafficking. Authorities generally respected the requirement to bring arrested individuals before a magistrate within 24 hours, with allowance made for travel from distant islands. The law provided for detention without criminal charge for up to 14 days if authorized by court order. Authorities generally notified detainees of the charges against them and generally granted family members prompt access to detainees. Detainees had the right to legal counsel, and indigents received free legal aid in all cases. Courts allowed bail in most cases, except for high profile drug, homicide, corruption, and terrorism cases.Arbitrary Arrest: On September 29, authorities arrested Patrick Herminie, the leader of the main opposition party, on charges of witchcraft. The arrest followed the detention of a Tanzanian national, alleged to be a practitioner of a voodoo-like spiritualism with whom Herminie had interacted. Herminie was released on bail, but claimed the charges were an attempt to disqualify him from seeking the presidency in the next election.Pretrial Detention: Pretrial detention was generally not a problem, and most detainees were given bail. In certain cases, detainees involved in high-profile corruption, terrorism, and drug trafficking cases were held in pretrial detention for more than one year. For example, a prominent couple widely viewed as connected to the former ruling party remained in pretrial detention following their 2021 arrest on charges of money laundering, illegal weapons possession, and terrorism. Courts upheld the continued detention, citing concerns the couple could influence witnesses or flee the country.																										e. Denial of Fair Public Trial										The constitution and law provided for an independent judiciary, and the government generally respected judicial independence and impartiality. Authorities generally respected court orders.																Trial Procedures						Both the constitution and law provided for the right to a fair and public trial, and the judiciary generally enforced this right.						Political Prisoners and Detainees						There were no reports of political prisoners or detainees.																										f. Transnational Repression										Not applicable.																																				g. Property Seizure and Restitution										The government established the Truth, Reconciliation, and National Unity Commission (TRNUC) in 2019 to investigate and settle claims of forced land acquisitions and human rights abuses stemming from the 1977 military takeover. The TRNUC completed its mandate in August 2022. In 2021, the government established a process to return land forcefully acquired or purchased by the state from 1977 to 1993, and several applicants filed claims. No applicants were known to have received compensation payments, and no timeline was given as to when claimants could expect payment.																																				h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence										The constitution and law prohibited such actions, and there were no reports the government failed to respect these prohibitions.																																					Section 2.													 Respect for Civil Liberties												    																																																a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media										The constitution and law provided for freedom of expression, including for members of the press and other media, and the government generally respected this right. An independent media, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system combined to promote freedom of expression, including for media members.Violence and Harassment: According to the Association of Media Practitioners of Seychelles, journalists were generally free to do their work and were not subjected to violence, but some complained of harassment, intimidation, and harsh criticism by authorities due to their reporting.Censorship or Content Restrictions for Members of the Press and Other Media, Including Online Media: The law allowed the information technology minister to prohibit the broadcast of any material believed to be against the “national interest” or “objectionable.” The law also required telecommunication companies to submit subscriber information to the government. The government banned the newspaper The Seychelles Independent from attending presidential press events on the grounds of irresponsible reporting. In its 2022 annual report, the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation, the national broadcaster, stated it faced political pressure from both the government and the opposition to compromise its impartiality and called on all leaders to show more respect to media.																Internet Freedom						The government did not restrict or disrupt access to the internet or censor online content.																										b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association										The constitution and law provided for freedoms of peaceful assembly and association, and the government generally respected these rights.																																				c. Freedom of Religion										See the Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report at  https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/.																																				d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country										The law provided for freedom of internal movement, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, and the government generally respected these rights.																																				e. Protection of Refugees										The government cooperated with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other humanitarian organizations in providing protection and assistance to refugees, returning refugees, or asylum seekers, as well as other persons of concern.Access to Asylum: The law did not provide for the granting of asylum or refugee status, and the government had no system or procedural safeguards for providing protection to refugees.																																					Section 3.													 Freedom to Participate in the Political Process												    																						The constitution provided citizens the ability to choose their government in free and fair periodic elections held by secret ballot and based on universal and equal suffrage, although citizens residing overseas were not permitted to vote.																										Elections and Political Participation										Abuses or Irregularities in Recent Elections: National elections, last conducted in 2020 presidential and legislative polling, were widely reported to be fair and free of abuses and irregularities.																																					Section 4.													 Corruption in Government												    																						The law provided criminal penalties for conviction of corruption by officials, and the government generally implemented the law effectively. There were isolated reports of government corruption during the year.Corruption: The law gave the Anti-Corruption Commission of Seychelles law enforcement powers, authority, and privileges, and it could investigate and prosecute cases of corruption outside the purview of the Attorney General’s Office. Some employees of government agencies that provided public services were perceived to engage in corrupt practices.For additional information about corruption in the country, please see the Department of State’s Investment Climate Statement for the country, and the Department of State’s International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, which includes information on financial crimes.																											Section 5.													 Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights												    																						A number of domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restriction to monitor or investigate human rights conditions or cases and publish their findings. Government officials were often cooperative and responsive to the views of these groups.Government Human Rights Bodies: The Seychelles Human Rights Commission conducted a series of educational campaigns to improve the public’s knowledge and understanding of human rights. The commission also received and investigated complaints and was generally regarded as effective.The TRNUC heard cases of alleged human rights abuses and property expropriation. The TRNUC also heard cases regarding unlawful killings, disappearances, forced land acquisitions, and victimization related to the 1977 military takeover. The TRNUC completed its mandate in 2022 and granted amnesty to four persons involved in multiple killings who expressed contrition and asked forgiveness from family members of victims as per TRNUC guidelines.Appointed by the president, the ombudsperson could investigate any public authority up to and including the president, including complaints of abuse of fundamental rights and allegations of corruption by public officials. The ombudsperson often complained of lack of cooperation from government offices during investigations.A police complaint review panel received and investigated public allegations of abuse committed by officers.																											Section 6.													 Discrimination and Social Abuses												    																																																Women										Rape and Domestic Violence: Rape, spousal rape, and domestic abuse of women and men were criminal offenses punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment. According to NGOs working with women and children, authorities in general did not prioritize domestic abuse cases and sexual assault remained a problem. Although there was increased reporting of sexual assault cases, many survivors did not report rape or sexual assault due to social stigma and a reluctance to start lengthy court cases. Police received increased training in handling sexual assault cases.Domestic violence against women was a widespread problem. The Social Affairs Division of the Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Family, and NGOs provided counseling services to survivors of domestic violence and conducted gender-based violence training sessions.Other Forms of Gender-based Violence and Harassment: Sexual harassment in the workplace, particularly in tourism establishments, was a problem.Discrimination: The law provided the same legal status and rights for women as for men, including under family, religious, personal status, and nationality laws, as well as laws related to labor, property, inheritance, employment, access to credit, and owning or managing businesses or property. These laws were generally respected and enforced effectively. There were no known reports of women experiencing discrimination in marriage, divorce, child custody, education, the judicial process, in other institutions, or in housing. Women were well represented in both the public and private sectors, and reportedly did not face discrimination based on marital status.Reproductive Rights: There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities.Health clinics and local NGOs operated freely in disseminating information on family planning under the guidance of the Ministry of Health. There were no restrictions on access to contraceptives for persons aged 18 or older, but the law prohibited access to contraceptives for persons younger than age 18 even though the legal age of consent was 15. The government provided access to sexual and reproductive health services for survivors of sexual violence. Emergency contraception was given as part of clinical management of rape, as was postexposure prophylaxis and antiretroviral medicine. There were no barriers to treatment for sexual violence survivors who became pregnant.Health authorities provided free health services for prenatal care. First-time mothers from the country’s other islands were required to travel to the main island of Mahe to give birth. Midwives were used for delivery, unless the services of a doctor were required due to health concerns involving either the mother or the child, or a cesarian section was required. Nurses were responsible for both prenatal and postnatal care unless the mother or child had health concerns. The Ministry of Heath provided emergency health care, including services for the management of complications arising from abortion, both legal and illegal. Abortion remained illegal unless approved by a medical board.All health services related to sexual and reproductive health, as well as other health matters, were free in state-operated facilities. Menstruation did not impede girls’ access to education. Free sanitary products were made available in all schools by the state and philanthropists to minimize absenteeism in schools. There was a high adolescent birth rate, attributed to girls being sexually active at a young age as well as contraceptives being illegal for persons younger than age 18. School aged girls who had given birth had the option to return to school.																																				Children										Child Abuse: Although the law prohibited physical abuse of children, NGOs alleged child abuse was a problem that often went underreported. There were several laws in place for the protection of children, which the government enforced effectively when abuse was reported. The strongest public advocate for young abuse survivors was a semiautonomous agency, the National Council for Children.Child, Early, and Forced Marriage: The minimum age for marriage was 18 for both men and women, and the government enforced the law effectively.Sexual Exploitation of Children: The law prohibited the sale, grooming, or use of children for commercial sexual exploitation, including sex trafficking. The law prohibited child pornography and other forms of online child sexual exploitation and abuse. Authorities enforced these laws but reports of child sexual abuse and child pornography were widespread. The Department of Social Affairs reported 119 cases of sexual abuse against children in 2021, a situation it characterized as alarming. The minimum age for consensual sex was 15.																																				Antisemitism										The Jewish community numbered fewer than 25 persons. There were no known reports of antisemitic incidents.																																				Trafficking in Persons										See the Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report at  https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/.																																				Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics										Criminalization: There were no laws criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults or so-called cross dressing. There were no facially neutral laws enforced disproportionately against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex (LGBTQI+) persons, nor used to criminalize, threaten, or extort LGBTQI+ persons.Violence and Harassment: There were no known reports during the year of state or nonstate violence against LGBTQI+ persons, nor reports that authorities condoned or tolerated violence against LGBTQI+ persons.Discrimination: The law prohibited discrimination by state and nonstate actors based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression of sex characteristics. The law did not recognize same-sex couples or their families and did not grant them the same rights as heterosexual couples and families. The country did not recognize same-sex marriages domestically or registered abroad, which had negative consequences for persons seeking resident and work permits for same-sex spouses. Adoption by same-sex couples was illegal.There were reports of social and employment discrimination against LGBTQI+ persons, and activists stated discrimination and stigma were common. LGBTI Sey, an NGO, reported LGBTQI+ persons experienced government discrimination when applying for public housing and sometimes during interactions with police and immigration officers.Availability of Legal Gender Recognition: Legal gender recognition was not available.Involuntary or Coercive Medical or Psychological Practices: There were no reports of such practices. There were no reports of medically unnecessary and irreversible surgeries performed on children or on nonconsenting adult intersex persons.Restrictions of Freedom of Expression, Association, or Peaceful Assembly: There were no reports of restrictions on freedom of expression, association, or peaceful assembly for LGBTQI+ persons, nor were there restrictions on LGBTQI+ organizations to register or convene events. An LGBTQI+ NGO actively conducted awareness campaigns during the year.																																				Persons with Disabilities										According to NGOs, not all persons with disabilities could access education, public buildings, and transportation on an equal basis with others. The government provided universal access to health services. Although the constitution and law provided for special protections for persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, and mental disabilities, including reasonable provisions for improving quality of life, no laws addressed access to public buildings, transportation, or government services, and the government did not provide such access. Government information and communication on disability concerns were not provided in accessible formats such as braille or sign language.There were no reports of violence or harassment of persons with disabilities by government officials, police, health officers or teachers, but NGOs advocated for more compassion, support, and resources for persons with disabilities by all service providers.There were no known reports of discrimination in employment and occupation against persons with disabilities. The government did not have a program to assist persons with disabilities in finding employment, and very few such persons were employed. Government inaction to develop the potential of persons with disabilities, through education or employment, limited their participation in civic life. Most children with disabilities were segregated in specialized schools. The Electoral Commission helped facilitate the political participation of persons with physical disabilities by installing temporary ramps at polling stations. There was no provision for persons with visual disabilities to have braille ballot papers.																																				Other Societal Violence or Discrimination										Migrant workers faced documented rights abuses including discriminatory wage practices, abusive working conditions, concentration in hazardous occupations, and lack of access to information for low-skilled migrant workers, including domestic workers.																																					Section 7.													 Worker Rights												    																																																a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining										The law allowed workers except for police, military, prison, and firefighting personnel to form and join independent unions and to bargain collectively. The law conferred discretionary powers to the registrar of associations and companies to refuse registration of unions. Strikes were illegal unless arbitration procedures were first exhausted. Legislation required that two-thirds of union members vote for a strike in a meeting specifically called to discuss the strike, and provided the government with the right to call for a 60-day cooling-off period before a strike started. The law empowered the minister responsible for employment to declare a strike unlawful if its continuance would endanger “public order or the national economy.” Anyone convicted of calling an illegal strike could receive a substantial monetary fine and be imprisoned for up to six months.The law prohibited antiunion discrimination. It did not specifically state that foreigners, migrants, or workers in the Seychelles International Trade Zone (SITZ) had the right to join a union. The government had the right to review and approve all collective bargaining agreements in the public and private sectors. The law also imposed compulsory arbitration in all cases where negotiating parties did not reach an agreement through collective bargaining. Migrant workers, an estimated 20 percent of the formal sector workforce, had weaker freedom of association rights because their employers could easily deport them. Workers in the SITZ, an estimated 10 percent of the workforce, were not protected by the employment law.The government rarely applied penalties against violators of freedom of association protections. Cases involving citizens were often subject to lengthy delays and appeals. Foreign workers who complained about work, pay, and living conditions were often deported by employers.The government enforced the law and generally respected workers’ rights to participate in union activities and collective bargaining. There were no reports of workers dismissed for union activity. There were no known local labor NGOs but the Association of Rights Information and Democracy tracked labor matters pertaining to migrant workers.																																				b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor										See the Department of State’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report at  https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/.																																				c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment										The law prohibited all of the worst forms of child labor. The law set the minimum age of 15 for employment, subject to exceptions for children who were employed part-time in light work, without harm to their health or morals. The law made provision for light work in family-owned businesses. The law set forth a list of sectors, such as sewage, garbage collection, and bars in which children younger than age 15 were not allowed to work. A list of hazardous child labor activities was in force for children younger than age 18. The penalty for employing a child younger than 15 was not commensurate with those prescribed for analogous abuses. The government enforced applicable laws, and penalties were regularly applied against violators.There were no confirmed reports during the year of the worst forms of child labor.																																				d. Discrimination (see section 6)																																														e. Acceptable Conditions of Work										Wage and Hour Laws: The government set mandatory minimum wage rates for employees in both the private and public sectors. The minimum wages were above the poverty line.The legal maximum workweek varied from 45 to 55 hours, depending on the economic sector. Regulations entitled each full-time worker to a one-hour break per day and permitted overtime up to 60 additional hours per month.Occupational Safety and Health: The Ministry of Health issued comprehensive occupational safety and health (OSH) regulations that were up to date and appropriate for the main industries. The law allowed citizen workers to remove themselves from dangerous or unhealthy work situations, to report the employer to the Health and Safety Commission of the Department of Employment, and to seek compensation without jeopardizing their employment. The law provided for the protection of foreign workers, but foreign workers who complained about OSH conditions were often deported by employers.Wage, Hour, and OSH Enforcement: The government effectively enforced minimum wage, overtime, and OSH laws. The penalties were not commensurate with similar crimes. Penalties were often applied against violators. The Department of Employment and the Employment Tribunal enforced wage, hour, and OSH laws, and the Financial Service Authority regulated companies operating in the SITZ. There were insufficient labor inspectors to enforce compliance. The Ministry of Health, the Department of Employment, and the National Coordinating Committee against Trafficking in Persons were responsible for visiting and inspecting worksites and workers’ accommodations. The task force was mandated to make unannounced inspections. Inspectors had the authority to make unannounced inspections and initiate sanctions. Resources, inspections, and remediation were inadequate. Approximately 15 percent of the work force was in the informal sector. The government did not enforce labor laws in the informal sector.																																				    							View report by:																				Afghanistan											Albania											Algeria											Andorra											Angola											Antigua and Barbuda											Argentina											Armenia											Australia											Austria											Azerbaijan											Bahrain											Bangladesh											Barbados											Belarus											Belgium											Belize											Benin											Bhutan											Bolivia											Bosnia and Herzegovina											Botswana											Brazil											Brunei											Bulgaria											Burkina Faso											Burma											Burundi											Cabo Verde											Cambodia											Cameroon											Canada											Central African Republic											Chad											Chile											China (Includes Hong Kong, Macau, and Tibet)											Colombia											Comoros											Costa Rica											Côte d&#8217;Ivoire											Croatia											Cuba											Cyprus											Czech Republic											Democratic Republic of the Congo											Denmark											Djibouti											Dominica											Dominican Republic											Ecuador											Egypt											El Salvador											Equatorial Guinea											Eritrea											Estonia											Eswatini											Ethiopia											Fiji											Finland											France											Gabon											Georgia											Germany											Ghana											Greece											Grenada											Guatemala											Guinea											Guinea-Bissau											Guyana											Haiti											Honduras											Hungary											Iceland											India											Indonesia											Iran											Iraq											Ireland											Israel, West Bank and Gaza											Italy											Jamaica											Japan											Jordan											Kazakhstan											Kenya											Kiribati											Kosovo											Kuwait											Kyrgyz Republic											Laos											Latvia											Lebanon											Lesotho											Liberia											Libya											Liechtenstein											Lithuania											Luxembourg											Madagascar											Malawi											Malaysia											Maldives											Mali											Malta											Marshall Islands											Mauritania											Mauritius											Mexico											Micronesia											Moldova											Monaco											Mongolia											Montenegro											Morocco											Mozambique											Namibia											Nauru											Nepal											New Zealand											Nicaragua											Niger											Nigeria											North Korea											North Macedonia											Norway											Oman											Pakistan											Palau											Panama											Papua New Guinea											Paraguay											Peru											Philippines											Poland											Portugal											Qatar											Republic of the Congo											Romania											Russia											Rwanda											Saint Kitts and Nevis											Saint Lucia											Saint Vincent and the Grenadines											Samoa											San Marino											Sao Tome and Principe											Saudi Arabia											Senegal											Serbia											Seychelles											Sierra Leone											Singapore											Slovakia											Slovenia											Solomon Islands											Somalia											South Africa											South Korea											South Sudan											Spain											Sri Lanka											Sudan											Suriname											Sweden											Switzerland											Syria											Taiwan											Tajikistan											Tanzania											Thailand											The Gambia											The Netherlands											Timor-Leste											Togo											The Bahamas											Tonga											Trinidad and Tobago											Tunisia											Turkey (Türkiye)											Turkmenistan											Tuvalu											Uganda											Ukraine											United Arab Emirates											United Kingdom											Uruguay											Uzbekistan											Vanuatu											Venezuela											Vietnam											Yemen											Zambia											Zimbabwe															Build A Custom Report																						On This Page				search													>																										EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																							a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																						b. Disappearance																																																						c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																				Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																				d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																				Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																				e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																				Trial Procedures																																												Political Prisoners and Detainees																																																																																				f. Transnational Repression																																																						g. Property Seizure and Restitution																																																						h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																			Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																							a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																				Internet Freedom																																																																																				b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																						c. Freedom of Religion																																																						d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																						e. Protection of Refugees																																																			Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																							Elections and Political Participation																																																			Section 4. Corruption in Government																Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																Section 6. Discrimination and Social Abuses																																							Women																																																						Children																																																						Antisemitism																																																						Trafficking in Persons																																																						Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics																																																						Persons with Disabilities																																																						Other Societal Violence or Discrimination																																																			Section 7. Worker Rights																																							a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																						b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																						c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																						d. Discrimination (see section 6)																																																						e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																									Tags																					Bureau of African Affairs																								Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																								Seychelles
- Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the Anti-Corruption Champions Award Ceremony Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of StateWashington, D.C.Burns AuditoriumASSISTANT SECRETARY ROBINSON:  Good morning, everybody.  Before we get started this morning, I’d like to acknowledge the tragedy in the Seychelles.  Commissioner De Silva, our thoughts are with you and your country, your people, at this time.It’s an honor to welcome this year’s Anti-Corruption Champions Award honorees.  Thank you for joining us here today and from across the globe.  My name is Todd Robinson, the assistant secretary of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, or INL as it’s better known.  And let me give you just a little bit of an overview of what we’re going to do this morning.We have, as you see, a high-powered lineup for you today – (laughter) – starting with Secretary Antony Blinken, who has made it his business since day one to place the fight against corruption at the center of our foreign policy.  We also have here from – we will also hear from Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya, a diplomat with three decades of experience around the world, and my boss.  (Laughter.)  And Richard Nephew, our global anti-corruption coordinator, is going to introduce our honorees today.  We will also have an opportunity to hear from one of our inspiring award recipients.As I mentioned, the fight against corruption is front and center in our U.S. foreign policy.  As I’m sure our honorees can attest, this fight is a difficult one, but from Europe to Africa to Central America, we have seen remarkable wins in 2023.In Guatemala, there was an election victory by a presidential candidate, Bernardo Arévalo from the Semilla party, who ran on a platform of weeding out corruption.In Ukraine, INL works closely with anti-corruption investigators and prosecutors, who this year alone have opened cases against over 20 high-level government officials, including the former chief justice of the supreme court.  Since the summer, Ukraine has advanced significant reform measures, including requiring government officials to declare their assets and adding judges to the High Anti-Corruption Court.In Liberia, our embassy’s stalwart support for action against corruption has put compromised officials on the defensive and is fueling the Liberian public’s desire for increased accountability and sanctions.As you’ll see shortly, the tenacious men and women with us here today are responsible for successes like these.  Tenacious, but also – let’s not forget – fearless.  Corruption is silent, secret, and corrosive.  People know it’s out there but it’s difficult to root out.  That has not deterred our honorees, who have joined this fight at great personal and professional risk, but not without recognition.  To today’s honorees, we see what you are doing and we applaud it.With that, I would like to invite Under Secretary Zeya.  (Applause.)UNDER SECRETARY ZEYA:  Thank you to my dear friend, Assistant Secretary Robinson.  Your leadership on this issue set has been indispensable.  Secretary Blinken, Coordinator Nephew, colleagues and friends, I am delighted to be here today to celebrate these courageous honorees.This weekend, we will commemorate the 20-year anniversary of the first and only global anti-corruption instrument, the UN Convention Against Corruption, or UNCAC.  This distinguished group, through their advocacy and actions, embodies the central message of that consequential document:  The betrayal of the public trust will no longer be tolerated.The drafters of UNCAC, which included the United States, understood the corrosive impact of corruption and recognized it as a transnational challenge.  It affects all countries, regardless of the level of development, political system, or history.  Thus, preventing and countering corruption is a shared responsibility among all countries.UNCAC responded to these threats by providing governments with the tools to counter this scourge at the global level.  The convention endures.  Its comprehensive set of standards, measures, and rules are even more relevant today than they were 20 years ago.  What we’ve learned since the UNCAC’s adoption is that while corruption is a cross-cutting global challenge, every country experiences it in different ways, which requires tailored solutions.For example, in Moldova, through the courageous work of President Sandu’s administration, the country is countering Russia’s interference and the actions of other corrupt actors by fortifying its democracy, modernizing its economy, and aligning its institutions with its European neighbors.  I myself had the privilege of visiting Moldova last week, and I was honored to meet with Minister of Justice Veronica Mihailov-Moraru, who is on the front lines of these efforts and is one of the champions that we are celebrating here today.For our part, President Biden has elevated anti-corruption as a core national security interest.  We’re actively implementing the first-ever U.S. Strategy on Countering Corruption that the President issued two years ago.  Now, this strategy has domestic and international components, acknowledging that we must combat corruption here at home as well as prioritize it in our foreign policy.  We’re also committed to working with all of you, the honorees here today and all of those who stand with us across the globe, dedicated to shining a light on corrupt behavior.When Secretary Blinken launched the Anti-Corruption Champions Award in 2021, we not only wanted to celebrate you, but we also want to learn from your invaluable expertise and experience.  The fight against corruption is a collective effort, and thus we must foster critical engagement across public and private institutions and across borders.  This will bolster our policies and advance the unshakable principles of accountability and integrity ingrained in the UNCAC.So thank you all for joining us here today, and congratulations again to our honorees.I now have the immense honor of introducing an admired friend and a phenomenal boss, Secretary of State Antony Blinken.  (Applause.)SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you.  Good morning, everyone.AUDIENCE:  Good morning.SECRETARY BLINKEN:  So this is a day, a moment I’ve been looking forward to.  And we’ll share the reasons why in just a minute.  But first, let me say to Under Secretary Zeya, to Assistant Secretary Robinson, to our Coordinator Nephew:  Thank you not just for today, but for the extraordinary work you’re doing every day, including and notably on taking the fight to corruption.In public service – whether in government or in civil society – I know it can feel at times like the challenges are just too big; the forces arrayed against change too strong, too entrenched to make meaningful progress.One of the things that I love most about this ceremony each year is that every one of our awardees has proved that idea wrong.  There is no force against progress that is actually immovable.  You’ve demonstrated with your work, with your courage, with your commitment that it can be done.  Even in places where impunity is the rule, you’ve shown how determined individuals can tip the balance, make the difference toward justice.Today, we gather not only to honor these extraordinary champions, but to learn from them.  Corrupt officials and their partners are constantly borrowing from each other’s playbooks.  Well, governments, organizations, citizens committed to fighting corruption need to do the same thing, because in so many different ways, in so many different places, each of you has found a particular angle, a particular way of being effective in combatting corruption.  And so the more we’re talking to each other, the more we’re listening and learning from you, the more effective we are going to be.Now, before speaking to the accomplishments of the awardees, let me underscore that no matter who they are or where they work, none of them does this alone – and I know you would be the first to say that.Indeed, one of the reasons that these leaders are so effective is because they inspire others to join them.  So today, we’re honoring not only these 11 champions, but all of their partners.Including their teammates here at the State Department.  Every awardee was nominated by American diplomats around the world, most of whom work side-by-side with all of our champions to advance our shared priorities.Take any goal of our foreign policy, anything that we really care about – expanding economic opportunity, empowering underserved communities, enhancing security, defending human rights – all of them are served by building more accountable institutions, more accountable societies, more transparency.So we have an abiding interest in rooting out corruption – both to improve lives in local communities and to build more prosperous, more secure, more rights-respecting partners for the American people.As we were looking at the awardees and learning from their stories, I think what’s powerful is you can really draw lessons from each of their work.  And I’ve seen, as we’ve been talking about this together, maybe five things that really jump out.  So let me share those with you in talking about the awardees.First, a key part of combatting corruption is working to reform corrupt institutions from within wherever possible.  That’s a very powerful thing.You heard reference to Veronica Mihailov-Moraru and what she’s done in the Republic of Moldova.  Having worked as a public defender, she knew firsthand how broken her country’s justice system was, but that didn’t stop her from working to overhaul the justice ministry when offered the chance to lead it.  That’s change from within.  Veronica designed and implemented a rigorous vetting process to root out corrupt judges, corrupt prosecutors; she helped reform the country’s anticorruption agencies.  She’s made a point of pursuing these reforms out in the open, not a secret, modeling the transparency she’s trying to foster, and that in turn has allowed her to build broad public support for this work.Vladimir Novovic made a similar leap when he left his post as a judge to become Montenegro’s chief prosecutor for organized crime, corruption, war crimes, terrorism, and money laundering.  That’s a portfolio.  He inherited an ineffective and an infiltrated institution, in a country where citizens were disillusioned by graft that they were experiencing every single day in their institutions.  By pursuing investigations of corrupt judges, of national security officials, senior police, Vladimir showed citizens that even the most powerful people are not above the law.  Since he took office, public trust in the corruption prosecutor’s office has doubled.As Liberia’s anti-corruption commissioner, Marc Kollie led a series of investigations that uncovered bribery of powerful politicians in exchange for favors.  Despite being threatened, Marc pursued his work.  He testified in the case, and then went on to lead other groundbreaking investigations, including one in which he froze bank accounts being used by organized crime to launder money.  His efforts demonstrated how a few committed individuals can turn government institutions from sources of corruption into sources of accountability.Second broad lesson that I’m drawing from our awardees:  When they’re informed, when they’re empowered, citizens – citizens – are our most effective anti-corruption allies.So Nikhil Dey has spent more than four decades in India working with and for those harmed by corruption, and those particularly who are harmed most by it: underserved, marginalized populations.  Nikhil has helped communities in Rajasthan demand access to essential services and rights – education, health care, fair wages, better working conditions.  His organization pioneered the practice of public audits, in which local officials have to report to communities how and where they spend the resources, and citizens have a chance themselves to ask probing questions of these officials.  As these public audits spread across India, more citizens started taking the lead in holding officials to account.  And that, at its heart, is how democracy needs to work.After decades of writing about corruption and organized crime for Ecuador’s newspapers, Arturo Torres founded an independent media site to report on these issues.  In a series of articles, Arturo and his team combined rigorous analysis of publicly available information with deep investigations to uncover the corrupt ties of candidates for judges, for mayors, and other important public offices.  In a country of 16 million people, the website’s reporting garnered 18 million views in just a couple of months – 16 million people in the country, 18 million views in a couple of months.  That showed the public hunger for this information and for the incredibly powerful role it can play in informing voters.Third, more than ever, if we’re going to address corruption effectively, we also have to address forces outside our countries that are looking to weaponize corruption for their gain.In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Jean-Claude Mputu has helped lead “Congo is Not for Sale.”  That’s a civil society coalition that uncovers the way mining deals have benefitted foreign companies, governments, and corrupt officials at the expense of the people.  By exposing the bribes that were used to win these contracts and the billions in lost revenue to the state, the investigations led the DRC Government to try to recover funds for the Congolese people, and has resulted in international sanctions against corrupt businesses and corrupt investors.In Timor-Leste, reporting by Francisco Belo Simoes da Costa showed the way a Beijing-based company used bribes to win a contract to digitize the country’s national television broadcast corporation.  Francisco uncovered the way a corrupt official profited by awarding the contract with no competition.  His reporting also showed the way the agreement would have allowed the Chinese Government to disseminate propaganda throughout the Timorese nation.  Francisco’s reporting prevented the tainted deal from going forward, it sparked an investigation by Timor-Leste’s anti-corruption commission, which is ongoing.For advocate Stanislau Ivashekvich, fighting for accountability, for transparency, for space for civil society in Belarus has long meant taking on the country – excuse me, he’s taking on the country working with Belarus’s dictator to try to quash it, and that is Russia.  Stanislau’s organization, the Belarus Investigative Center, has shone a spotlight on the ways that Russia and Belarus collaborate to try to evade sanctions, to enrich oligarchs, to fuel Moscow’s war of aggression against Ukraine.  His organization’s reporting has been critical to closing sanctions loopholes, seizing the illicit assets of Russian officials and oligarchs.Fourth broad lesson:  Every individual that we’re honoring today has made educating, inspiring, and mentoring young people a key part of their work.With Anette Plannells leading civil society campaigns resulting in the first-ever prosecution of high-ranking officials in Panama – even as she was doing that, she also helped build a youth wing of the nation’s anti-corruption movement.  Thanks to her trainings, thanks to her workshops, not only are countless Panamanians more engaged citizens, but scores of young people have now been inspired to pursue careers in advocacy and in elective office.  And so a whole new generation is coming up at the same time thanks to her work that she was engaged in, the work of the of the moment.As the Seychelles anti-corruption commissioner, May De Silva – you already heard reference to her before – has built an unprecedented case against businesses and former officials for international tax evasion.  At the same time, she’s designed and implemented seminars, conferences, workshops, an anti-corruption curriculum – all of this for students in schools and for colleges across the country.  She says her goal is to show how corruption eats away at societies, but also what every citizen can do to fight it.In Kyrgyzstan, Ali Toktakunov leads MediaHub.  This is an independent news outlet that exposes corruption and shows corrupt actors and how they’re using social media to try to hide, to obfuscate their crimes.  A key part of MediaHub’s efforts is building greater digital literacy among young people, something that they’re doing by holding workshops across the country’s universities, so that individuals are better prepared, better equipped to detect and call out online disinformation.Fifth and finally, every one of these champions – every one – has in some fashion been subject to repression, to threats, to persecution for their work.  Several had been forced into exile.  Many are subject to ongoing legal proceedings.  Some had been locked up.  Their families have also been threatened.  One of our awardees said that his small children can no longer play in public playgrounds and parks because of targeted threats.And yet, each and every one of them persists.  They continue to do the work.  As awardee Arturo Torres said, “It’s part of the job.”To all of today’s awardees, your bravery, your commitment to truth, to justice – it humbles us, it inspires us to do more, and it adds even greater urgency to the enduring effort to strengthen protections for advocates, for human rights defenders, for journalists, for educators around the world who are threatened and attacked for the work they’re doing to fight corruption and to better their societies.As you’ve heard from Under Secretary Zeya, Assistant Secretary Robinson, this has been a top priority for President Biden, for this administration, for this department from day one.  We’ll keep working to build effective ways to have the backs of those who are at risk and to hold perpetrators to account.I know that there are folks watching today who are leading hard fights for transparency and good governance in hard places.  And I know there have to be days when you feel disillusioned, when you feel isolated, when you feel fearful.So I hope, if nothing else, you’ll take heart from today, you’ll take heart from the stories of your colleagues around the world who are doing such remarkable work in the ways that you are – doing it a great cost, at great risk, but doing it.And I hope that today’s ceremony reminds us that, again, the actions of determined individuals can make a difference, are making a difference.  They can puncture the seemingly impenetrable walls of impunity.  They can rekindle citizens’ faith in their own capacity to make governments and institutions work for them.Indeed, they and you are often the only way that change effectively happens.To all the anti-corruption champions far beyond this room, please know you have a partner in the United States.With that, it is my honor to give the floor to one of our awardees so deserving who can speak most effectively for all of our awardees, Minister Mihailov-Moraru.Minister, congratulations.  The floor is yours.  (Applause.)JUSTICE MINISTER MIHAILOV-MORARU:  Good morning.  Honorable Secretary Blinken, colleagues and new friends, ladies and gentlemen, I am very honored to be with you here and be among of this group of all about – with all remarkable activists, journalists, and public officials you have brought together from all around the world.  Thank you very much for all the appreciation.  I am not sure I actually deserve this recognition or to be in the company of this inspiring group of people, but I am very grateful for the honor and I will use it as a reminder and motivation when I need it to persist and to press forward against the resistance we encounter every day in fighting corruption in Moldova and around all the world.The Republic of Moldova is currently undergoing broad reform in its justice sector, addressing challenges relating to integrity, accessibility, efficiency, and widespread lack of trust.  Corruption remains, unfortunately, a central obstacle to the formation of trust in government in Moldova.  But one of our main goals in my country is to improve living standards, to change society’s perception of the independence of the judicial system in order to ensure transparency, but also their responsibility, and ultimately to increase trust in the acts of justice.  And this can only be happen by fighting everywhere and with increasing success against corruption.Corruption, of course, is not unique to Moldova.  It is a global problem that affects us all.  Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gains, and it undermines the rule of law, the legitimacy of government, and the trust of citizens.  Corruption is a threat to the realization of the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to create a better and more sustainable future for all.But I am sure that corruption is not inevitable.  It can be prevented and combated through effective anti-corruption policies, practices, and a lot of courage.  Anti-corruption efforts vary in scope and strategy and include both preventive and reactive measures – preventive measures to reduce the opportunities for – of corruption actions, but reactive measures – detect, investigate, prosecute, and sanction corruption and return stolen assets.In Moldova, we have committed to implement de-oligarchization measures to eliminate excessive influence of powerful and at times dangerous vested interest in economic, political, and public life.  We have taken action to fortify our agencies charged with responsibility for investigation and prosecution of high corruption act cases.  We have modernized our legislation for combating money laundering and terrorism financing, and also we are in the process to improve our asset recovery mechanism.But this is only the beginning, and we in Moldova cannot do this alone, of course.  None of us can.  So we are committed to increasing our mutual legal cooperation, including on financial investigations, international and organized crime cases, to identify and to recover criminal assets.  But we also need, as do anti-corruption fighters in every country, the commitment and collaboration of all stakeholders, including the international community, the private sector, civil society, journalists, and academia.So I really believe that every effort counts.  Only together we can make a difference and create a more transparent, accountable, and inclusive society for ourselves and for future generations.During IVLP meetings throughout this week, I was inspired by some quotes.  Finding and fighting corruption – your anti-corruption fight is our fight.  And I want to thank to the American people for the inspiration and all the support toward rule of law.Let me please on behalf of all the IVLP group to receive our gratitude to all of you for your attention, and for the honor you bestow, and the kindness, and the continuing support you have shown to all of us.  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)
- Recognizing the 2023 Anti-Corruption Champions   Todd D.  Robinson, Assistant SecretaryBureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement AffairsIn a world faced with myriad challenges, including terrorism, health epidemics, and strategic competition to shape the future of the international order, corruption may not always seem to be at the top of the list of threats.   But that is changing, for the U.S. government and partners around the world.  Left unchecked, corruption steals from a country’s citizens and can sell out a country’s future &#8212; giving a foothold to hostile, criminal actors in the process. Corruption keeps unaccountable officials in power, slows the pace of development, facilitates crime, and ensures unequal distribution of resources – which can affect underrepresented and underserved populations disproportionally.  For all these reasons, the Biden-Harris Administration released and is now implementing the first-ever U.S. Strategy on Countering Corruption.   Our strategy recognizes that preventing, uncovering, and combatting corruption takes a mix of courage, intelligence, and doggedness by many stakeholders, and each year the Department seeks out examples to highlight.  And each year, we find many examples of individuals who are committed to pushing back on corruption.  Recently, Department leadership, including Secretary Blinken, gathered to recognize 11 exemplary corruption fighters. They include reporters, government practitioners, and civil society activists.   We hope you will join us in celebrating our 11 State Department International Anti-Corruption Champions for 2023, and in recognizing all those who fight for accountability, the rule of law, and press freedom.   More information on each of our 2023 honorees can be found below. Moldovan Justice Minister Veronica Mihailov-Moraru advanced countless transparency initiatives as part of a broader effort to cleanse Moldova’s judiciary and prosecution services of corrupt actors.  She now leads the ministry she helped reform. For the past 35 years, activist Nikhil Dey has championed policy reforms to empower workers in India.  He and his counterparts have brought to light official corruption, such as the underpayment of workers on official projects, and built peasant and worker empowerment campaigns targeting corruption in the delivery of government services.    Stanislau Ivaskhevich not only took huge personal risks by engaging in independent media reporting in Belarus, but he and his team also tackled government and business corruption despite intense government pressure – all while building a 50-person organization that serves as a resource to civil society and journalists alike.   Marc N. Kollie fearlessly took on high-level bribery and corruption among Liberia’s powerful political elites as part of his tireless work at the Liberian Financial Intelligence Agency.  His commitment to uncovering corruption cost him his job, exposed him and his family to harassment and threats, and forced him to relocate his family for safety.   In Timor-Leste, Francisco Belo Simoes da Costa exposed a corrupt deal for a Beijing-funded project to digitalize the country’s largest broadcaster.  The deal, involving a company majority-owned by a PRC-based businessperson, ultimately led to charges being filed against a sitting minister.  Jean-Claude Mputu is a leading anti-corruption activist in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and spokesperson for the NGO “The Congo is Not for Sale,” which focuses on extractive industries, and has called attention to billion-dollar losses due to mining sector corruption.    Montenegro has long struggled to stem transnational organized crime.  In an effort to turn the tide and root out corruption within the government, Chief Special Prosecutor Vladimir Novovic has aggressively targeted high-profile individuals, indicting the former president of the Supreme Court, among others. Panamanian civil society leader Annette Planells is a tireless advocate of transparency in government and a leading figure of anti-corruption efforts in her country.  She has experienced retaliatory lawsuits and government intimidation, but wins more than she loses, including joining a successful suit against the former Chief Justice of Panama’s Supreme Court, who was sentenced to five years in prison.    Seychelles anti-corruption commissioner May De Silva has 35 staff but – like many successful public servants – is extending her reach by leveraging external allies, to include FBI agents and investigators from the United Kingdom.  She also shaped the outlook of young people around her country and their civic engagement.  Ecuadoran investigative journalist Arturo Torres published research into drug trafficking, corruption, and exploitation of his country’s natural resources.  A judge sued him for $15M for defamation, a case that Mr. Torres ultimately won.    Journalist “Ali” Totakunov is known as one of the most effective and visible anti-corruption advocates in his native Kyrgyz Republic.  Ali’s reporting initially as a correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – and his MediaHub team’s independent journalism &#8212; have resulted in legal victories, but they have come at a price including lawsuits, cyber attacks, harassment, and even credible death threats.  This award demonstrates our support for anticorruption leaders who put their lives on the line to spur lasting change.  Secretary of State Antony Blinken was pleased to honor these 11 honorees, who inspire us all to stand up firmly to champion more equitable societies, in a December 7 event at the Department of State. For more from the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, you can follow us on Twitter @StateINL, Facebook @StateINL, and Instagram @StateINL.   
- Seychelles HomeReportsBureau of Economic and Business Affairs2023 Investment Climate Statements&#8230;Seychelles				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2023 Investment Climate Statements: Seychelles																																																																																												 In this section										/																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																																													EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																															1. Openness To, and Restrictions Upon, Foreign Investment																																																									Policies Towards Foreign Direct Investment																																																																											Limits on Foreign Control and Right to Private Ownership and Establishment																																																																											Other Investment Policy Reviews																																																																											Business Facilitation																																																																											Outward Investment																																																																																	2. Bilateral Investment and Taxation Treaties																															3. Legal Regime																																																									Transparency of the Regulatory System																																																																											International Regulatory Considerations																																																																											Legal System and Judicial Independence																																																																											Laws and Regulations on Foreign Direct Investment																																																																											Competition and Antitrust Laws																																																																											Expropriation and Compensation																																																																											Dispute Settlement																																																																			ICSID Convention and New York Convention																																																								Investor-State Dispute Settlement																																																																																																																		International Commercial Arbitration and Foreign Courts																																																																																	4. Industrial Policies																																																									Investment Incentives																																																																											Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports/Trade Facilitation																																																																											Performance And Data Localization Requirements																																																																																	5. Protection of Property Rights																																																									Real Property																																																																											Intellectual Property Rights																																																																																	6. Financial Sector																																																									Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment																																																																											Money and Banking System																																																																											Foreign Exchange and Remittances																																																																			Foreign Exchange																																																								Remittance Policies																																																																																																																		Sovereign Wealth Funds																																																																																	7. State-Owned Enterprises																																																									Privatization Program																																																																																	8. Responsible Business Conduct																																																									Climate Issues																																																																																	9. Corruption																															10. Political and Security Environment																															11. Labor Policies and Practices																															12. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and Other Investment Insurance or Development Finance Programs																															13. Foreign Direct Investment Statistics																															14. Contact for More Information																																																					EXECUTIVE SUMMARY				Seychelles is an archipelagic nation of 115 islands located off the eastern coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. The majority of the country’s 99,258 inhabitants live on the three most-populated islands of Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue. Seychelles gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1976, at which time the population lived at near subsistence level. With a GDP of $1.45 billion in 2021, Seychelles has the highest GDP per capita in Africa at $14,653. Although the World Bank has designated Seychelles as a high-income country since 2015, the country’s wealth is not evenly distributed. According to the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Report for 2021/2022, the richest one percent, and the richest 10 percent of Seychellois hold 20.6 percent and 23.9 percent of the total income respectively, while the poorest 40 percent of the population hold 19.6 percent of the total income. Seychelles’ main economic activities are tourism and fishing, and the country aspires to be a financial hub.Seychelles experienced a coup d’état in 1977, just a year after independence, which brought to power a one-party socialist government. Multiparty democracy was restored in 1993 after the adoption of a new constitution, but the United Seychelles Party (USP) continued to hold power until October 2020, when the opposition coalition Seychellois Democratic Union (Linyon Demokratik Seselwa, or LDS) won both the presidential and legislative elections. This opposition victory ushered in the first democratic transition of power in the country’s history. LDS holds 25 of the 35 assembly seats and includes four main parties: the Seychelles National Party (SNP); the Lalyans Seselwa (Seychellois Alliance); the Seychelles Party for Social Justice and Democracy (SPSD); and the Seychelles United Party (SUP). The former ruling United Seychelles party (US) currently holds 10 seats in the National Assembly. The next presidential and legislative elections will be held in 2025.Heavy reliance on the tourism industry makes the overall economy vulnerable to external shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2021, the Central Bank of Seychelles (CBS) announced that January to November 2020 tourism revenues decreased by 78 percent. Tourism-related contributions to GDP fell from 22.3 percent in 2019 to 15.5 percent in 2020, per the National Bureau of Statistics. The CBS estimated that the economy contracted 11.3 percent in 2020 compared to 3 percent growth in 2019.Following the reopening of borders in March 2021, tourism in Seychelles gradually picked up, with the country registering a total of 182,849 tourist arrivals for the January to December 2021 period, compared to 114,858 visitors for the same period in 2020 and 384,224 visitors in 2019. The number of visitors maintained a positive trajectory through 2022, with 332,068 tourists visiting. Large inflows of tourists came from Israel, UAE, and Russia in 2020 and 2021. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine temporarily hampered tourist arrivals, although this was more than offset by the increase in tourists’ arrivals from traditional western European markets.According to the IMF, real GDP grew by 6.9 percent in 2021, compared to a decline of 12.9 percent in 2020. The Seychelles National Bureau of Statistics reported a year-on-year percentage increase of 14 percent in real GDP for the third quarter of 2022 as compared to the same quarter in 2021. The main sectoral drivers of this increase were information and communication, construction, administrative and support services, professional, scientific, and technical activities, transportation and storage, and public administration. The IMF forecasted real GDP growth to reach 10.6 percent in 2022, before moderating to 5.4 percent in 2023.In 2019, the government was on track to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio to 50 percent by the end of 2021. According to the Ministry of Finance, however, by the end of 2020 the debt-to-GDP ratio had spiked to 99.4 percent. As was the case during the global economic crisis in 2008, the government turned to the IMF for support. In July 2021, Seychelles’s authorities and the IMF reached an agreement on economic and structural policies that would be supported by $107 million under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for the duration of 28 months. Seychelles’s authorities and the IMF agreed to reduce fiscal and debt vulnerabilities while promoting economic growth and protecting the environment and the most vulnerable segments of the population. Governance and transparency commitments included the completion of an audit of COVID-19 emergency spending and related procurement, and improvements in the AML/CFT regime.In July 2022, the IMF assessed that the Government of Seychelles had made impressive progress in implementing the IMF-supported program and restoring macroeconomic balances. It highlighted that the country’s economic recovery has outperformed expectations, fueled by a strong rebound in tourism and significant fiscal overperformance. Per the Ministry of Finance, by December 2022, the total government and government guaranteed debt represented about 65 percent of GDP, compared to 74 percent as of December 2021, upturning projections in July 2022 that debt would decrease at a slower pace in 2022 due to spillovers of the war in Ukraine. Per the Central Bank of Seychelles, year-on-year inflation as of January 2023 was estimated at 2.4 percent compared to 3.9 percent in January 2022. However, the IMF expects inflation to rise to 4.5 percent in 2023, as a reflection of external factors such as higher import prices. In March 2023, the government announced that it planned to start negotiations for a new Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with the IMF.Despite the government’s attempts to diversify the economy, activity remained focused on fishing and tourism. However, Seychelles’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which spans 1.3 million square kilometers, is a potential source of untapped oil reserves and represents potential business opportunities for U.S. companies. In September 2022, the Government of Seychelles and Petro Seychelles Ltd. signed an agreement with an oil exploration company based in Canada, for oil exploration and extraction on the southern shelf, 50 miles southeast of the main island, Mahé. Seychelles also has a small but growing offshore financial sector.There is also potential for U.S. investment in renewable energy, as Seychelles seeks to reduce its heavy dependence on imported fossil fuels while preserving its natural environment. The government planned to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by 26.4 percent of the business-as-usual scenario 2030 value by undertaking reforms in its energy, refrigeration and air conditioning, transport, and waste sectors. Authorities planned to use solar and wind energy to increase the share of renewable energy production from 5 to 15 percent by 2030. While Seychelles welcomes foreign investment though the Seychelles Investment Act, related regulations restrict foreign investment in a number of sectors where local businesses are active, including artisanal fishing, small boat charters, taxi driving, and scuba diving instruction. The country’s investment policies encourage the development of Seychelles’ natural resources, improvements in infrastructure, and increases to productivity levels, but stress that these changes must be implemented in an environmentally sound and sustainable manner. Seychelles puts a premium on maintaining its unique ecosystems and screens all potential investment projects to ensure that any economic, social, or industrial benefits will not compromise the country’s international reputation for environmental stewardship.Table 1: Key Metrics and RankingsMeasureYearIndex/RankWebsite AddressTI Corruption Perceptions Index202223 of 180http://www.transparency.org/research/cpi/overview  Global Innovation Index2022N/Ahttps://www.globalinnovationindex.org/analysis-indicator  U.S. FDI in partner country ($M USD, historical stock positions)2021USD 599https://apps.bea.gov/international/factsheetWorld Bank GNI per capita2021USD 14,540http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GNP.PCAP.CD																																					1. Openness To, and Restrictions Upon, Foreign Investment						    																																																Policies Towards Foreign Direct Investment										Seychelles has a favorable attitude toward most foreign direct investment, though the government reserves certain types of business activities for domestic investors only. The Reserved Economic Activity Policy, enacted in April 2020, provides a detailed list of the types of business in which only Seychellois may invest and is available here:  https://www.investinseychelles.com/component/edocman/reserved-economic-activities-policy-reap-_april-2020/download?Itemid=0  https://www.gazette.sc/sites/default/files/2022-07/SI%2076%202022%20-%20Seychelles%20Investment%20%28Economic%20Activities%29%20Regulations%202022.pdf .Some restrictions apply both to domestic and foreign investors, such as the policy forbidding vertical integration in the tourism industry with the objective of protecting local operators, and the moratorium on the construction of large-sized hotels on La Digue, Mahé and Praslin, in place since 2015, to limit mass tourism. In December 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers announced that the moratorium on the construction of new tourism accommodations and change of use, which is in effect since August 2021 on Seychelles’ third-most populated island – La Digue – has been extended to December 2023 and will be further extended beyond this date.The Seychelles Investment Board (SIB) is the national gateway agency for the promotion and facilitation of investment in Seychelles. The government’s objective is to promote economic and commercial relationships to diversify the economy, as well as to sustain its tourism and fishing industries, which are currently the main drivers of economic growth. The SIB periodically organizes sector-specific meetings with investors and hosts a National Business Forum every two years to engage with the private sector.																																				Limits on Foreign Control and Right to Private Ownership and Establishment										The 2010 Seychelles Investment Act and 2022 Seychelles Investment (Economic Activities) Regulations govern foreign direct investment (FDI) in Seychelles. These documents are available at:  https://investinseychelles.com/investors-guide/investor-resources/policies-guidelines-acts a https://www.gazette.sc/sites/default/files/2022-07/SI%2076%202022%20-%20Seychelles%20Investment%20%28Economic%20Activities%29%20Regulations%202022.pdf . Since the implementation of IMF reforms after the 2008 financial crisis, Seychelles has successfully attracted FDI. According to the World Bank, net FDI inflows amounted to 111.5 million dollars in 2021, compared to 80 million dollars in 2020. The SIB advises foreign investors on the laws, regulations, and procedures for their activities in Seychelles.The 2014 Seychelles Investment (Economic Activities) Regulations and the 2020 Reserved Economic Activity Policy list the economic activities in which only citizens can invest. The 2022 Seychelles Investment (Economic Activities) Regulations was enacted in July 2022 to provide more transparency to limitations and restrictions applicable to foreign investors. It revokes the 2014 Seychelles Investment (Economic Activities) Regulations. The new regulations provide a list of economic activities which may be undertaken by a foreign national, as well as a list of activities in which a foreign national may invest jointly with Seychelles national. It also provides that any activity not listed in the regulations, in the Reserved Economic Activity Policy or any other investment regulation shall be subjected to an economic needs test, by the Seychelles Investment Board, taking into consideration the interest of the domestic economy and consumers, and the development of the economic activity in Seychelles. The regulations also place financial limits on foreign equity in certain types of resident companies.The SIB, in cooperation with other government agencies, also assists in screening potential investment projects. For a business to operate, investors must apply for a license from the Seychelles Licensing Authority. In 2012, the government also established an Investment Appeal Panel to provide a mechanism for investors to challenge the government’s decisions regarding existing or proposed investments in Seychelles. More information is available in the 2010 Seychelles Investment. Act:  https://www.investinseychelles.com/component/edocman/seychelles-investment-act-2010/download?Itemid=0 .																																				Other Investment Policy Reviews										Seychelles became the 161st World Trade Organization WTO member in April 2015. The first WTO review of the trade policies and practices of Seychelles took place on 5 and 7 December 2022:  https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tpr_e/tp533_e.htm . The investment policy review of Seychelles by UNCTAD was published in September 2020:   https://investmentpolicy.unctad.org/publications/1238/investment-policy-review-of-seychelles  . To date, Seychelles has not conducted an investment policy review through the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)																																				Business Facilitation										The government is committed to improving the business environment through public-private partnerships (PPP) to upgrade the country’s infrastructure. In March 2021, the cabinet of ministers approved the migration from the 2017 version of the harmonized system of classification to the 2022 version. The government is also currently reviewing the 1972 Companies Act.On average, it takes eight days to obtain a certificate of incorporation and 14 days to obtain a business license.Information on registering a business in Seychelles can be obtained on the SIB website:  https://www.investinseychelles.com/investors-guide/start-your-business  . Companies, including those that are foreign owned, can register business names online through the following portal:  http://www.sqa.sc/BizRegistration/WebBusinessRegsitration.aspx  . However, parts of the registration process, such as payments of fees, still must be completed in person. A full digitalization of the registration process is currently ongoing and is expected to be completed in June 2022.Since December 2021, applications for business licenses can be completed online at  https://eservice.egov.sc/eGateway/homepage.aspx. In an October 2022 Trade Policy Review Report of the Government of Seychelles indicated that the authorities were currently developing an investment portal, which will serve as a virtual platform for investor information and efficient application. Other actions being undertaken to improve the ease of doing business included updating the Companies Act to allow for digital filing of returns and applications, and the development of a provisional license framework for innovative businesses.SIB also provides post-investment support in the form of consultancy services regarding the laws, regulations, guidelines, minimum operational standards, and land acquisition. This service is provided free of charge and is available to every investor, regardless of the size or nature of the business.The Enterprise Seychelles Agency (ESA) is responsible for providing business development services to improve the performance of micro, small, and medium enterprises in Seychelles. Services provided by ESA include business planning, training, marketing expertise, and identification of business opportunities for SMEs.																																				Outward Investment										The Government of Seychelles does not promote or incentivize outward investment. However, it does not restrict local investors from investing abroad.																																												2. Bilateral Investment and Taxation Treaties						    																						Seychelles is a member of the following trade blocs: Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA); iEPA); and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). As of June 2021, Seychelles is also a member of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). In January 2019, Seychelles was one of four Eastern and Southern African (ESA) countries to sign the UK-ESA Economic Partnership Agreement, which preserves the trade preferences currently enjoyed under the iEPA post Brexit. There is no bilateral taxation treaty between the United States and Seychelles.Seychelles has signed tax information exchange agreements (TIEAs) with the following countries: Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Guernsey, Iceland, India, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the Swiss Confederation. In July 2019, Seychelles signed an inter-governmental agreement to implement the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). The agreement has not yet been ratified by the Government of Seychelles and the regulations have not yet been approved by the Cabinet of ministers or the National Assembly.Seychelles has signed a total of 28 double taxation avoidance agreements (DTAAs) with the following countries: Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Bermuda, Botswana, China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Guernsey, Indonesia, Isle of Man, Jersey, Kenya, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mauritius, Monaco, Oman, Qatar, San Marino, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and Zambia. Updated information on TIEAs and DTAAs can be accessed at  https://src.gov.sc/agreements/ .In June 2021, the National Assembly voted to ratify the SADC Agreement on Tax Matters. The ratification of the agreement which Seychelles signed in 2012, is expected to allow Seychelles to enhance its rating with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes.Seychelles is a member of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) and is party to the Inclusive Framework’s October 2021 deal on the two-pillar solution to global tax challenges, including a global minimum corporate tax. Seychelles has also signed and ratified the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (MLI). The Multilateral Convention entered into force for Seychelles on April 1, 2022. In his 2022 budget speech, the minister of finance announced that the government is working closely with the OECD on the taxation of revenues collected by multinational entities. Consultations are scheduled to begin in 2022, and the regime is scheduled to take effect in 2023.																																		3. Legal Regime						    																																																Transparency of the Regulatory System										The government has made considerable efforts to liberalize the economy, and to improve the transparency and efficiency of its regulatory system. The 2022 Mo Ibrahim report on governance lists Seychelles as the country with the largest improvement over a 10-year period on areas such as rule of law and justice, anti-corruption, and accountability and transparency. However, the country continues to suffer a lack of transparency in the privatization and allocation of government-owned land and businesses. To promote transparency in the public procurement system, Seychelles’ National Tender Board publishes all tenders both on its website  (http://www.ntb.sc)   and in local newspapers. The board publicizes contracts that have been awarded and includes the names of successful bidders and bid amounts. The government has also set up a Procurement Oversight Unit, which serves as a public procurement policy and monitoring body ( http://www.pou.gov.sc/ ).In 2022, the government announced that a new electronic ID system has become operational, in line with its digital economy development agenda. It further announced that in 2023, the emphasis will be on interfacing government systems and the private sector through a SEY-ID digital platform. As additional steps towards transparency, in 2022, the Ministry of Finance launched a digital platform for the auction sale of government goods. The minister of finance moreover announced in his 2023 budget speech that the plan for 2023 was to launch a register of all individuals and businesses that participate in government tenders.A new Public Enterprise bill was enacted in November 2022. This legislation establishes new obligations for public enterprises and will help the Public Enterprise Monitoring Commission (PEMC) be more efficient and rigorous in its supervisory function. The PEMC oversees 32 state-owned enterprises, which have either been established using public financial resources, or of which the government is a significant shareholder.Following the 2016 election victory of the opposition Seychelles Democratic Union (LDS) in winning a majority in the National Assembly for the first time in 40 years, significant procedural changes were implemented. The government also took several measures to combat corruption and nepotism, including establishing the Anti-Corruption Commission; more frequently publishing special audits by the Auditor General’s Office of questionable government transactions; and appointing opposition supporters to various boards of national organizations and important positions. Since 2017, the government has held budget preparation focus group discussions, including key stakeholders such as the business community and civil society organizations. Additionally, there has been considerably more legislative debate on the annual government budget. Increased budget debate and scrutiny has continued following the October 2020 presidential and legislative elections, in which the LDS won the presidency for the first time in the country’s history, and again won a majority in the National Assembly. Every government agency is called to the National Assembly to answer questions on their proposed budgets, as well as general questions related to their organizations.Proposed laws and regulations, as well as final laws, are published in the official gazette on a monthly basis and are available online at  https://www.gazette.sc/ . Regulatory transparency improved with the balance of power between the opposition-controlled National Assembly and ruling party-controlled presidency following the 2016 elections. This included several new laws, such as the Freedom of Information Act. In 2018, the access to information law came into force. In 2019, the government appointed a chief executive officer for the Seychelles Information Commission, and appointed information officers in all ministries and departments. The law makes provisions for how citizens may access government information that is not classified as sensitive for security and defense reasons. It also makes provisions for how agencies should respond to requests, mandates proactive disclosure and a duty to assist requestors, and defines information that is deemed classified for security and defense. In 2020, the government also published a manual for using the Freedom of Information Act and accessing information. Additionally, ministries are now required to submit white papers and consult with stakeholders before legislation is adopted.Seychelles’ budget is easily accessible to the general public:  http://www.finance.gov.sc/national-budget/47 . Budget documents, including the executive budget proposal and the enacted budget, provide a substantially full picture of Seychelles’ planned expenditures and revenue streams. Publicly available budgets included expenditures broken down by ministry and revenues broken down by source and type. Information on debt obligations is also readily available. In 2019, the government also included a fiscal risk statement, which identified substantial fiscal risks emanating from public enterprises in Seychelles. The statement also contains details on explicit and contingent liabilities, and is available at  http://www.finance.gov.sc/uploads/national_budget/Fiscal%20Risk%20Statement%202019.pdf Other measures to improve transparency and accountability announced by the government in 2021 include: (a) a framework for better transparency and justice related to taxes paid by charitable organizations on private sector donations; (b) review of the Income and Non-Monetary Benefits Tax Act to bring more transparency to salaries that are not taxed; (c) implementation of a Results Based Management (RBM) framework to inculcate principles of efficiency, transparency and accountability in public service; and (d) creation of a Public Sector Commission to ensure better transparency and to remove any political agenda in the appointment of senior executives in the public sector.The Result-Based Management (RBM) framework was officially launched in March 2022. The objective of the new RBM is to increase public sector efficiency in order to create the fiscal space required to deliver national priorities, to enhance transparency in order to strengthen open and accessible government, to maximize public sector effectiveness in order to provide accessible high quality services and improve government performance and to develop a performance driven planning culture system instruments and tools so as to ensure that government delivers its mandate by achieving planned goal objectives and outcomes.In November 2021, the government also announced the establishment of a high-level domestic regulations (HLDRC) committee to represent the public sector and members of the National Assembly. This committee will discuss ways of improving the transparency and efficiency of licensing administrative procedures, especially with regards to business with foreign investors.Government also announced in 2023 that the Central Bank is working on the implementation of a new Credit Information System and its accompanying legal framework, with the aim of helping businesses to get information about their clients’ credit worthiness. It also announced reforms to develop capital markets in accordance with international norms.																																				International Regulatory Considerations										Seychelles has signed trade agreements with regional blocs such as COMESA, SADC, and the EU. Seychelles has also signed the COMESA- East African Community (EAC)-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Agreement (TFTA) and AfCFTA. Seychelles ratified the AfCFTA in June 2021 and announced its withdrawal from the TFTA in September 2021 to focus its resources on the AfCFTA. The AfCFTA started during the TFTA negotiations but moved at a faster pace and covers a larger number of African countries (54), including the 28 countries negotiating the TFTA. In January 2019, four eastern and southern African (ESA) countries, including Seychelles, signed the UK-ESA Economic Partnership Agreement, which safeguards trade preferences currently enjoyed under iEPA post Brexit.Seychelles joined the WTO in 2015, becoming the 161st member, and underwent its first WTO Trade Policy Review in 2022. Seychelles does notify draft technical regulations to the WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade. In 2016, Seychelles ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). Further details on Seychelles’ TFA notifications to the WTO can be found at  https://tfadatabase.org/members/seychelles . On tariff policy, Seychelles ratified the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System in August 2020 making it the 160th Contracting Party to the Harmonized System Convention.  The Customs Management (Tariff and Classification of Goods) Regulations, 2022, was published in October 2022 to enforce the changes introduced under this convention.																																				Legal System and Judicial Independence										Seychelles’ legal system is a blend of English common law, the Napoleonic Code, and customary law. Civil matters, such as contracts and torts, are governed by the Civil Code of Seychelles, which is derived from the French Napoleonic Code. However, the company law and criminal laws are based on British law. In both civil and criminal matters, the procedural rules derive from British law. Seychelles does not maintain a specialized commercial court. Judgments of foreign courts are governed by Section 3 of the Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act of 1961. Under the current government, the perception among citizens is that the judiciary is no longer influenced by the executive. In its 2022 budget, the government announced that it will start working with the judiciary to introduce a separate court that will deal specifically with commercial cases.																																				Laws and Regulations on Foreign Direct Investment										The Government of Seychelles established the SIB (Seychelles Investment Bureau,  https://investinseychelles.com/  as a one-stop-shop for all matters relating to business and investment in Seychelles. The SIB’s main functions are to promote investment and facilitate investment processes within the country’s administrative and legal framework. The SIB, in cooperation with other government agencies, also assists in screening potential investment projects. It has also implemented a digital customer relations management system to follow up on applications submitted by investors. In 2021, the government announced that it is working on a digital system to integrate functions of all government agencies involved in the administration of online business applications to further improve ease of doing business. In 2022, services which were accessible online included the registration of businesses and associations. The government also announced in 2022 that a new data protection bill will be proposed to the National Assembly in 2023 to make investors more confident about the protection of their personal data.The government is keen to ensure that business activities are not conducted at the expense of Seychelles’ natural environment. For a business to operate, investors must apply for a license from the Seychelles Licensing Authority http://www.sla.gov.sc/ .The government established an Investment Appeal Panel in 2012 to provide an appeal mechanism for investors to challenge the government’s decisions regarding investments or proposed investments in Seychelles.																																				Competition and Antitrust Laws										The SIB only reviews competition cases initiated by other government authorities, private sector entities, or investors. Current legislation does not empower SIB to review on its own accord all transactions for competition-related concerns. The Fair-Trading Commission ( http://ftc.sc/ ) is responsible for investigating competition-related concerns. Such investigations may be initiated by the Commission or may be carried out following a complaint.A new Communications Bill was published in the Official Gazette in July 2022 to regulate and manage competition in the Information and Communication Technology industry and establish legal provisions to enable consumers to switch operators. Government also announced in 2022 the setting up of a new Communications Regulations Authority to promote fair competition in the telecommunications sector.Previously, in November 2021, the government announced new measures to promote competition in the financial services sector: (a) modernization of the National Payments System; (b) a new fintech strategy; and (c) the introduction of financial consumer protection legislation, which will give the central bank and financial services authority more power to protect the interests of financial consumers. This new law will likely be complemented by other actions to enhance competition, such as reducing or eliminating costs for switching providers, eliminating abusive practices aimed at keeping customers tied to one particular service provider, and educating the public on its rights.The Financial Consumer Protection Act 2022 was enacted in April 2022. Moreover, in February 2023, the Central Bank of Seychelles gave its approval for a new payment service provider to operate in the country for provision of e-money services. The Central Bank also announced upcoming new projects as part of its national payment system modernization plan and FinTech strategy, including implementation of a new payment infrastructure to improve the environment for enhanced participation/entrance into the market for digital financial solutions.																																				Expropriation and Compensation										The 1978 Lands Acquisition Act, last amended in 1990, states that when the government takes possession of property, it must pay prompt and full compensation for the property. The government may expropriate property in cases of public interest or for public safety. Following the 1977 socialist takeover, the government engaged in expropriation of land for redistribution or for use by the state. With the return of a multi-party-political system in 1993, the government compensated some of those who had lost land to expropriation/redistribution in the late 1970s. In 2017, Seychelles established the Land Compensation Tribunal to investigate cases where compulsory land acquisition was made by the government without adequate compensation. Citizens whose land was taken by the government from 1977 to 1993 had until December 2020 to make their claims. The Land Compensation Tribunal completed judgments in all its cases in 2021.The Land Compensation Tribunal also works in close collaboration with the Truth Reconciliation and National Unity Commission (TRNUC), which is investigating cases of human rights abuses prior to and after the 1977 takeover. Illegal land acquisition by the government also formed part of the TRNUC’s mandate. The TRNUC officially completed its mandate in March 2023 when it submitted its final report to the President Wavel Ramkalawan.  The report contains seven volumes, which includes evidence and historical context, legal framework and approach to case determinations, amnesty, reparations, and recommendations. Discussions on compensation are ongoing within the country’s legislative and executive branches.In October 2021, the Government of Seychelles also introduced a program to return land that was forcibly acquired between 1977 and 1993. This program applies to land acquired through the 1977 Lands Acquisition Act or purchased under a private agreement. The measure is based on the principle that land acquired by the government either compulsorily or through private agreement for a public purpose or in the national interest and which is still undeveloped and not earmarked by the government to be utilized in the public interest or for a public purpose will be considered for return to the original owner or his executor or heir. More information on this is available  here:    https://bit.ly/3IOIGY3 .U.S. Embassy Port Louis does not anticipate major expropriations in the near future, nor is it aware of any pattern of discrimination against U.S. persons.																																				Dispute Settlement																										ICSID Convention and New York Convention						In 1978, Seychelles joined the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States (ICSID Convention). In February 2020, Seychelles deposited its instrument of accession to the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (1958 New York Convention), which entered into force in May 2020.						Investor-State Dispute Settlement						Seychelles has been a party to the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States since April 1978. Seychelles has signed five bilateral investment treaties (BITs), of which two are currently in force: the 2007 France-Seychelles BIT and the 1998 Cyprus-Seychelles BIT.U.S. Embassy Port Louis is aware of at least one unresolved investment dispute involving the operation of a large hotel resort by a company with U.S. shareholders.Parties involved in investment disputes are encouraged to resolve their disputes through arbitration and negotiation. The Seychelles Investment Act created the Investment Appeal Panel to which aggrieved investors may appeal a decision made by a public sector agency regarding their investments or proposed investments in Seychelles. In the event investors are not satisfied with the decision of the Investment Appeal Panel, they may appeal to the Court of Appeal. Seychelles has acceded to the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, which entered into force in May 2020.																										International Commercial Arbitration and Foreign Courts										The legal framework for international arbitration exists through the Commercial Code of Seychelles, the Seychelles Code of Civil Procedure, and Seychelles Investment Act. Seychelles has acceded to the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, which entered into force in May 2020. Arbitration legislation in Seychelles is not based on the UNCITRAL Model Law; however, several provisions are compatible with the Model Law. In general, international arbitration is not yet a regular feature of dispute resolution in Seychelles, even though arbitration clauses are used in contracts.BAnkruptcy regulationsBankruptcy in Seychelles is governed under the Insolvency Act of 2013  https://seylii.org/akn/sc/act/2013/4/eng@2020-06-01  According to his act, an individual may be discharged from bankruptcy three years from the date of its declaration. Bankruptcy is not criminalized in Seychelles.																																												4. Industrial Policies						    																																																Investment Incentives										The Government of Seychelles has enacted legislation which provides incentives for investment in several sectors. Examples include the 2005 Agriculture and Fisheries (Incentives) Act, the Tourism Incentives Act, the Seychelles International Trade Zone Act, and fiscal incentives under the Investment Code. Incentives under these laws most often take the form of tax credits, tax holidays, duty-free access for the import of materials required for initial investment, and expedited work permits for foreign employees who move to Seychelles.The SIB has the mandate to promote investment in Seychelles and assist in screening potential investments. In 2018, the government announced an investment policy guided by the following principles: creation of a conducive and transparent environment to attract investment and operate business; modernization of the legal framework for investment; application of international best practices and standards for investment; and respect for the environment and sociocultural fabric of the country. The investment policy statement is available at the following link:  https://www.investinseychelles.com/downloads/investment-policy/seychelles-investment-policy/download .According to the SIB, the government does not issue investment guarantees, but Seychelles’ public-private partnership framework allows public and private sector entities to jointly finance foreign direct investment projects.The government offers tax incentives in the form of value-added tax exemptions on imported goods that (a) conserve, generate or produce renewable or environment friendly energy sources; (b) conserve fresh or potable water resources or re-use or recycle wastewater; and (c) recycle, reduce or re-use solid waste.  The government also provides rebates to businesses that use rooftop photovoltaic equipment for power generation.In May 2023, the government announced the launching of a Seychelles Investment Map, developed by the Ministry of Investment, Entrepreneurship and Industry and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The map identifies various existing Investment Opportunity Areas (IOAs) and Emerging Investment Opportunity Areas (EIOAs). As of May 2023, the map had identified green power production, eco-tourism development, and agricultural export, along with four other venture possibilities, as investment priorities open to local and foreign investors.																																				Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports/Trade Facilitation										The Seychelles International Trade Zone (SITZ) Act of 1995 ( https://fsaseychelles.sc/component/edocman/sitz/legislations?start=0 ) provides for the establishment of free trade zones, which aim to combine the benefits of a freeport and an export processing zone. Multiple locations have been declared international trade zones under this regime. The list of concessions available to SITZ license holders includes the following:Exemption from customs duties on certain capital equipment to be used in the SITZ.Exemption from certain taxes.Exemption from fees with respect to work permits.Entitlement to full foreign ownership.Entitlement to employ 100 percent foreign labor.Exemption from national labor laws.Activities of the SITZ are regulated by the Seychelles Financial Services Authority. Foreign-owned firms benefit from the same incentives as local firms operating in the SITZ. To meet the requirements of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) standard of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), licensable export services activities under the International Trade Zone Act have been amended. Under the revised regime, the export services licensee will not be allowed to provide services other than repair and reconditioning of goods, warehouse, and rent storage space, or to offer logistical services, provided that these activities relate to goods physically handled in the SITZ.In the 2023 budget announcements, the government announced that permit procedures for imports and exports will become fully digital in 2023. It also announced that the Industry Property Act, and the Trade Remedies Act will be finalized before end of 2023. Seychelles’ first Trade Remedies law once in force will allow Seychelles to take remedial action against injurious imports to its domestic industries through the use of trade policy tools.																																				Performance And Data Localization Requirements										Investors operating in Seychelles are expected to abide by the following obligations:Comply with the provisions of the governing laws on investment procedures and carry out investment activities in accordance with the approvals granted. This includes the responsibility for accuracy and truthfulness in materials submitted in investment proposals and registration.Fully discharge their financial obligations, including taxation, in accordance with the law.Carry out the provisions of the laws on accounting and auditing.Carry out the provisions of the laws on registration of companies and other legal entities.Carry out the provisions of the employment laws and regulations.Seychelles does not have a single comprehensive law that addresses the collection and use of personal data. The Data Protection Act (DPA) was enacted in 2003 to provide individuals with privacy rights regarding processing of their personal data, but as of March 2021 it has not entered into force. Other sectoral laws that include data protection provisions are: the 1976 Civil Code of Seychelles; the 2001 Electronic Transactions Act; the 2004 Central Bank of Seychelles Act; the 2004 Financial Institutions Act; the 2012 Central Bank of Seychelles (Credit Information System) Regulations; the 2013 Financial Services Authority Act; the 2016 Anti-Corruption Act; the 2016 International Business Companies Act; the 2018 Access to Information Act; the 2020 Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism Act, and the 2021 Cybercrimes and Other Related Crimes Act. The drafting of a new data protection bill was approved by the cabinet of ministers in December 2021 and is currently ongoing.There is currently no legal requirement obliging foreign IT providers to hand over their source code or provide access to the encryption utilized. Seychelles does not have any legal instrument that prevents or restricts companies from transmitting customer or business-related data outside the country. Consequently, there are currently no government agencies involved in enforcing any rules or regulations with regards to local data storage in Seychelles.U.S. Embassy Port Louis is not aware of any investment performance requirements.																																												5. Protection of Property Rights						    																																																Real Property										Courts in Seychelles enforce property rights. Mortgages and liens are enforced, and the land registrar resolves land disputes. All lands in Seychelles are either publicly or privately held. In 2014, the government discontinued selling state land to foreign nationals. However, it also announced in the same year a more flexible policy on ownership of land, whereby foreign nationals would be able to buy privately owned land only, provided they meet a number of set criteria and are granted sanction by the Seychelles government. The new policy also stated that foreign nationals purchasing land rights would not be able to purchase state-owned land in Seychelles and are furthermore banned from buying land from the government’s Land Bank Scheme, which is aimed at enabling citizens to obtain a piece of land at a reduced cost.The policy also makes provision for foreign nationals to obtain a long-term lease for a particular development on state owned land, which applies to all outlying islands of the Indian Ocean archipelago.The Immovable Property Tax Act, which was enacted in December 2019, introduced an annual tax of 0.25 percent on the assessed market value of immovable property owned by all foreigners. In the 2023 budget speech, the government announced that this tax rate will increase to 0.5 percent as from January 2024.																																				Intellectual Property Rights										Seychelles is not in the 2022 United States Trade Representative (USTR) Special 301 Report. However, it is cited in the 2022 Notorious Markets List as the country of incorporation for a company listed as a notorious online market.The Government of Seychelles has measures in place to enforce intellectual property rights (IPR), but awareness of IPR is limited and enforcement is weak. Seychelles joined the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in March 2000. The country became a contracting party to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) in November 2002. The cabinet of ministers approved plans for Seychelles to accede to the Madrid Protocol. Seychelles also signed the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances in June 2012 and ratified the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in October 2014. Additionally, the cabinet of ministers approved Seychelles’ membership in the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) by way of acceding to the Harare Protocol on Patents and Industrial Designs.The 2014 Copyright Act and the 2014 Industrial Property Act, which are the two major laws regarding intellectual property rights, are currently being reviewed, along with their related regulations, with a view to updating them in line with international standards. In the 2023 budget announcements, the government stated that it is working towards finalizing the Copyright Act before end of 2023. The 2014 Customs Management (Border Measures) Regulations provide enforcement measures at the border with respect to counterfeit goods. There is currently no legislation for plant variety protection. As required by WTO principles, Seychelles IP law treats foreign nationals and citizens equally.Enforcement of IPR protection laws is limited, as very few international brands and trademarks have local or even regional representatives.In 2017, the cabinet of ministers established the National Intellectual Property Committee to serve as a coordinating body for consultations with stakeholders on IP matters. The Committee, which falls under the purview of the Trade Division of the Ministry of Finance, National Planning, and Trade, which comprises representatives from government, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector, meets on a monthly basis. The Registrar General’s Office serves as the one-stop-shop for both copyright and intellectual property.Chapter 13 of the 2014 Customs Management (Border Measures) Regulations provides for enforcement measures at the border with respect to counterfeit and/or pirated goods. The Seychelles Revenue Commission’s customs officials monitor incoming shipments for counterfeit goods. However, their focus is on counterfeit products that pose a public health risk, such as medications and electrical appliances. Counterfeit apparel, CDs, and DVDs are widely available in Seychelles’s markets. During 2021, the Customs Division intercepted and seized one consignment of counterfeit goods, mainly counterfeit handbags, shoes, and articles of clothing.For additional information about national laws and points of contact at local IP offices, please see WIPO’s country profiles at  http://www.wipo.int/directory/en/  .Some Law Firms in Seychelles also handling IPR:*KAREN DOMINGUERoom 8, Trinity HouseHuteau Lane 41Victoria, MaheSeychelles+248 422 6243icsey@sechelles.netA.G. AMESBURYRoom 104, Premier BuildingVictoria, MaheSeychelles+248 423 28 41a.g.amesburyattorney@gmail.com*List for convenience only, not intended to imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.																																												6. Financial Sector						    																																																Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment										Seychelles welcomes foreign portfolio investment. The Seychelles Securities Act ( https://fsaseychelles.sc/component/edocman/securities-act-2007/download?Itemid=0 ) provides the legal framework for Seychelles’ stock market. The Seychelles securities exchange, now known as MERJ Exchange, has operated since 2012. Listing and trading are available in United States Dollars, Euros, Pounds Sterling, Seychelles Rupees, South African Rand, and Australian Dollars. MERJ is an affiliate of the World Federation of Exchanges, a full member of ANNA and a partner exchange of the Sustainable Stock Exchange Initiative. In 2022, 10 new companies were listed on MERJ Exchange Ltd. By the end of 2022, MERJ reported a total of 52 listings (47 equity and 5 debt listings) with a total market capitalization of $1.28 billion.SECDEX Exchange Limited is the second exchange licensed by the Seychelles Financial Services Authority in 2020 to operate as a multi-asset securities and derivatives exchange. Portfolio investment in Seychelles is limited by the small size of the economy and banking sector. The buying and selling of sizeable positions may have an outsized impact on the Seychelles Rupee and the economy in general. There are no restrictions on trading by foreigners.																																				Money and Banking System										Seychelles has a two-tier banking system that separates the central and commercial bank functions and roles. Commercial banks, both domestic and foreign, are regulated and supervised by the Central Bank of Seychelles (CBS). According to the 2004 Central Bank of Seychelles Act, the CBS is responsible for the formulation and implementation of Seychelles’ monetary and exchange rate policies. The CBS is the only administrative body responsible for receiving applications for banking licenses, whether domestic or offshore, and issuing the corresponding licenses.As of December 2022, there were seven commercial banks in operation: Absa Bank, Bank of Baroda, Mauritius Commercial Bank (Seychelles), Nouvobanq, Seychelles Commercial Bank, Al Salam Bank Seychelles Ltd, and Bank of Ceylon. The Pakistani Bank AL Habib Limited closed its branch in Seychelles in September 2021. Although a new bank was licensed in March 2021, it had not commenced operations in 2022. According to a 2016 report by the CBS, 94 percent of citizens use banks.Seychelles also has three non-banking financial institutions: the Seychelles Credit Union, a savings and credit cooperative society; the Development Bank of Seychelles, which provides flexible financing for businesses and projects to promote economic growth and employment; and the Housing Finance Corporation, a government-owned company that provides financing to citizens for the purchase of land, the construction of homes, and financing home improvements.Seychelles has multiple laws that govern the financial services sector, including: the 2004 Financial Institutions Act; the 2004 Prevention of Terrorism Act; the 2004 Central Bank Act; the 2007 Data Protection Act; the 2007 Mutual and Hedge Fund Act; the 2016 International Business Companies Act; the 2020 Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism Act (AML/CFT Act), and the 2020 Beneficial Ownership Act. In the past years, the CBS’s regulatory powers have been expanded with the adoption of the AML/CFT Act.In 2022, the authorities progressed on updating the legal framework related to financial stability and crisis management. The Financial Consumer Protection Act, aimed at protecting the interests of consumers of financial services and handling related disputes, was approved by the National Assembly in April 2022. Moreover, Cabinet approved a draft policy paper on the Financial Stability Bill in March 2022, while the central bank submitted for Cabinet approval a draft policy paper on the Bank Resolution Bill in October 2022, aimed at improving co-operation mechanisms as well as instruments to deal with evolving types of crises. The U.S. Treasury has been assisting the central bank with this bill. Furthermore, in December 2022, the National Payment System (Electronic Money) Regulations were enacted to provide guidelines to potential investors in the e-money ecosystem, in line with CBS’s payment system modernization plan, its fintech strategy, and the government’s digital economy agency. A project is underway to implement a new credit information system and a credit reporting legislation to provide for broader coverage of credit information and better credit worthiness assessment. The legal framework is expected to be enacted in 2023.The banking sector is generally healthy, though it is limited by its small size and reliance on correspondent bank relationships. Per the International Monetary Fund, the Seychelles banking system remained adequately capitalized in 2022. Per the CBS, all banks remained well above the prudential capital requirement of 12 percent as at end-July 2022. The central bank adopted a forward-looking monetary policy approach to anchor inflation expectations. However, it remains vigilant to domestic and external developments underlying the inflation outlook, including the impact of foreign inflation. Private credit has been weak due to uneven growth in the economy and the impact of COVID-19, although credit growth to the private sector is expected to pick up in 2023, if stimulated by an effective monetary policy transmission. The central bank has committed to the IMF’s recommendations to strengthen its monetary policy transmission mechanism through a combination of instruments and through developing its money and FX markets.Due to concerns about money-laundering and illicit finance in the financial sector, some local banks have lost their correspondent banking relationship with foreign banks, a phenomenon known as de-risking, thus making it difficult for local banks to perform international transactions. In 2017, the CBS and the Financial Services Authority visited foreign financial centers to address de-risking. The government is actively working with international experts, including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, to ensure Seychelles is not perceived as high-risk jurisdiction.In February 2020, the EU added Seychelles to the list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes, as Seychelles had not implemented the tax reforms by the mutually agreed deadline of December 2019. In December 2019, France added Seychelles to its blacklist of tax havens for not providing adequate information on French offshore entities operating in the island nation’s jurisdiction. In 2020, the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) Act and the Beneficial Ownership (BO) Act. These two pieces of legislation address the deficiencies identified in the 2018 Mutual Evaluation Report of the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG).The Beneficial Ownership Act (Compliance of Legal Persons and Legal Arrangements) Notice was enacted in September 2021 and the Beneficial Ownership Data Base digital platform, managed by the Financial Intelligence Unit, became operational in November 2021. All domestic registered companies, partnerships and associations are required to comply with the provisions of the 2020 Beneficial Ownership Act by January 31, 2022, to populate the information about their beneficial owners on the Beneficial Ownership Data Base, and to keep an up-to-date register of all their beneficial owners or shareholders.In December 2021, the National Assembly approved five bills to make the jurisdiction compliant with FATF recommendations: the Anti-Corruption (Amendment No.3) Bill, the Licenses (Amendment) Bill, the Custody, Management and Disposal of Seized, Forfeited or Confiscated Properties Bill, the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, and the Prevention of Terrorism (Second Amendment) Bill.The Financial Services Authority (FSA) conducted in 2022 a National Risk Assessment of virtual assets and virtual assets service providers (VA/VASP), in line with FATF’s Recommendation 15. The NRA was published in August 2022 after endorsement by the Cabinet. The NRA concluded that exposure to money laundering/terrorist financing risks in relation to VA/VASP is very high, owing to a lack of regulatory framework. In response, the national committee which worked on the NRA has launched preparation of a policy framework to address the high ML/FT risks from the VA/VASP sector.Other laws enacted previously during 2021 to upgrade the country’s financial services legal framework include: the Trusts Act, the Foundations (Amendment) Act, the International Service Providers (Amendment) Act, the International Business Companies (Amendment) Act, and the Limited Partnership (Amendment) Act.In September 2021, the Business Tax (Amendment)(Commencement) Notice and the Business Tax (Amendment of Eleventh Schedule) were also enacted to bring into effect certain changes in Seychelles’ territorial tax system.As a result of these new laws and amendments, the EU removed Seychelles from Annex I of its list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes in October 2021, and moved to Annex II of the list of non-cooperative jurisdictions (the “EU grey list”) for criterion 1.2 (tax transparency). Its removal from Annex II is subject to the positive outcome of a Global Forum supplementary review, which started in October 2022. The draft report of this review will be submitted to the Peer Review Group for consideration and discussion at a meeting scheduled for June 2023. Once this process is completed, the EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council will consider that report to remove Seychelles from the EU grey list for criterion 1.2.According to the CBS in February 2023, non-performing loans to total gross loans in the banking sector stood at 7.1 percent, and foreign currency deposits totaled 13 billion Seychelles Rupees (approx. $990 million).A wide range of financial services, such as checking accounts, savings accounts, loans, transactions in foreign currencies, and foreign currency accounts are available in the banking system. Foreigners and foreign/offshore firms must establish residency or proof of business registration to obtain a bank account.																																				Foreign Exchange and Remittances																										Foreign Exchange						Since the 2008 IMF reform package, the government places no restrictions or limitations on foreign investors converting, transferring, or repatriating funds associated with investment. Funds are freely converted. Seychelles maintains a floating exchange rate for the Seychelles Rupee (SCR), which fluctuated between SCR 12 and SCR 14.5 to $1 from 2015 to 2019. In 2020, the SCR depreciated by 53 percent with the average rate in January 2020 being SCR 14 to $1 compared to SCR 21.5 in December 2020, due to the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism sector. The average exchange rate gradually appreciated through 2021 and was back to SCR14 to $1 in February 2022 as tourism and other economic activities rebounded in the country.						Remittance Policies						Foreign exchange controls were removed in 2008 and foreign investors are free to repatriate their profits and other incomes. U.S. Embassy Port Louis is unaware of any planned changes to remittance policies, time limits on remittances, or use of any legal parallel market.																										Sovereign Wealth Funds										Seychelles does not maintain any sovereign wealth funds. However, in the 2022 state of the nation address, the president announced that a sovereign wealth fund will be established. This fund had not yet materialized at the time of this report.																																												7. State-Owned Enterprises						    																						Seychelles is one of 15 countries participating in the State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Network for Southern Africa, which was launched in 2007 to support, in collaboration with the OECD, southern African countries in their efforts to improve the performance of SOEs.According to the Public Enterprise Monitoring Commission (Amendments of Schedule 1) Regulations 2019, there are 34 state-owned enterprises, which have either been established using public financial resources, or in which the government has a significant shareholding. However, in 2019, Green Oak Investment Company Limited, a subsidiary of the Island Development Company Limited (IDC), was dissolved and only 4 tankers were registered as limited liability companies under the Companies Ordinance 1972. This in turn resulted to a total of 32 public enterprises in the SOE sector in 2021.These government-owned organizations are responsible for the delivery of both commercial and social objectives. They offer a range of essential services, including electricity, water, roads, seaports, fuel supply, import/export, retail, transport, civil aviation, housing, and tourism. At the end of 2021, total assets of SOEs amounted to $2.1 billion, representing 142 percent of nominal GDP while the total net income was $29.8 million, equivalent to 24 percent of GDP.SOEs are generally free to purchase and/or supply goods and services from private sector and foreign firms depending on their mandates. There was growing concern in the business community that SOEs such as the Seychelles Trading Company (STC) had been allowed to exceed their explicit mandate and compete unfairly. For example, the STC had expanded its operations in the retail business with the opening of a hypermarket, a hardware store, and a luxury goods department selling perfumes. The new government closed the loss-making retail outlets, rebranded the STC as a wholesale outlet, and introduced the recommended retail price system.SOEs and parastatal bodies are required to maintain a board of directors and make regular reports to the corresponding ministry. The president and the responsible minister have authority over the size and composition of the boards of SOEs. Excessive board and executive compensation are perceived to create inequities and inefficiencies in the operations of SOEs. However, the current government intends to carry out a review compensation in SOEs in 2022.The Public Enterprise Monitoring Commission (PEMC), set up in 2013 through the PEMC Act, is an oversight government entity operating under the aegis of the Ministry for Finance, National Planning and Trade and responsible for monitoring financial, governance, and transparency issues related to public enterprises. PEMC undertakes governance and operational assessments of SOEs using a risk-based approach annually. The government has published a Code of Governance for Public Entities to provide guidelines to improve the governance, monitoring and control of public entities in Seychelles. The Code, which was developed by PEMC along with other stakeholders, entered into force in April 2019 and can be accessed on its website:   https://www.pemc.sc/resource-centre. The PEMC issued the first report on the application of the Code of Corporate Governance for the year 2020 in January 2022.In January 2022, Seychelles Petroleum Company (SEYPEC), a state-owned enterprise involved in importation and supply of fuel on the domestic market, bunkering activities, shipping, and aviation refueling, sold Seychelles’ first petrol tanker without informing the government. At the time of this report, SEYPEC’s CEO was suspended and the PEMC was investigating on the procedure of the sale.Additionally, at the end of the first quarter of 2022, it was announced, that banking institutions would no longer fall under the purview of the PEMC.With regards, to COVID19 impact on the SOE sector, the performance of various public enterprises (PEs) was significantly impacted due the adverse effects of the pandemic which caused an economic downturn. To counter such effects in the country, measures were taken that led to the temporary closure of the Seychelles International Airport, leading to a reduction in tourism related activities in the country. During the year 2020, a few SOEs received government financial support to sustain the payment of salaries of employees and also to sustain their operations. However, 2021 saw a relaxation of government’s interventions to assist PEs in response to COVID-19 pandemic compared to 2020. The government also imposed a freeze on recruitment by SOEs in April 2020 which remained in 2021. Additionally, the Government decided that no PEs should be paying any bonuses and 13th month salary to its employees in the year 2021.The easing of governmental intervention in 2021 mirrored improvement in general economic conditions, as the number of tourists’ arrival picked up towards the end of 2020.The Central Bank of Seychelles (CBS) also imposed a hold on dividend payments from banking institutions in 2021, given the economic downturn caused by the pandemic.In view of the Covid-19 restrictions and its effects, the Commission also extended the deadline for submission of Audited Financial Statement (AFS) to 31st May 2021.The ownership policy, which applies to all SOEs and articulates the government’s expectations, policies, and functional relationships with respect to SOEs in the fulfilment of their mandates. was adopted in December 2020. The dividend policy for SOEs, which aims to establish a transparent framework for SOE dividend payments, was also adopted in December 2020. Audited financial statements of SOEs are published annually on the PEMC website  https://www.pemc.sc/pes-annual-reports .																										Privatization Program										Previous governments had announced privatization plans several times, but these plans did not materialize. U.S. Embassy Port Louis is not aware of any other formal legal barriers to foreign investors participating in privatization.																																												8. Responsible Business Conduct						    																						Seychelles’s society has a high level of awareness of corporate social responsibility (CSR), especially in environmental protection and social programs, but CSR is generally regarded as a function of government. Since 2013, the Seychelles Revenue Commission has collected a CSR tax of 0.5 percent on monthly turnover for businesses with an annual turnover of SCR 1 million or more. In April 2021, the CSR Tax Repeal Bill was passed to abolish the CSR tax to provide businesses with additional liquidity during the pandemic and to deter businesses from operating in the informal sector to avoid this tax. Officially, there are no waivers available for foreign investors with regard to labor law, employment rights, consumer protection, or environmental standards.The law prohibits all forms of forced or compulsory labor. The government’s efforts to combat labor trafficking significantly increased in 2022. These efforts included increasing investigations of trafficking crimes; developing a new victim identification and referral procedure; establishing the country’s first trafficking-specific shelter; hiring personnel to establish an anti-trafficking secretariat to support the National Coordinating Committee against Trafficking in Persons (NCCTIP); and establishing the country’s first anti-trafficking hotline. However, the government did not meet the minimum international standards in several key areas. Migrant workers were the population most vulnerable to forced labor, including nonpayment of wages, physical abuse, fraudulent recruitment schemes, delayed payment of their salaries, and failure to provide them with adequate housing, resulting in substandard living conditions.In past years, there have been reports of passport seizures and confiscations to prevent workers from changing employers prior to the end of their two-year contracts. NGOs reported that traffickers have exploited migrant workers aboard foreign-flagged fishing vessels in Seychelles’ territorial waters and ports, including through nonpayment of wages and physical abuse. Labor recruitment agents based in Seychelles have exploited migrant workers, often with the assistance of a local Citizens accomplice. Migrant workers often signed their employment contracts upon arrival in Seychelles and frequently could not read the language, which traffickers exploited in fraudulent recruitment tactics.Seychelles currently has no production in the extractive sector, but international companies have undertaken petroleum exploration activities offshore. The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) accepted Seychelles as a candidate country in August 2014 and Seychelles’ validation against the standard began in January 2018. In September 2020, the EITI Board assessed Seychelles as having achieved “meaningful progress” in implementing the 2019 EITI Standard. The 2020 draft validation assessment can be accessed at:  https://eiti.org/documents/seychelles-validation-2020 .Seychelles adopted a Beneficial Ownership Act in March 2020, which includes a definition of beneficial owners. The law entered into force in January 2021. Extractive companies are the only sector where beneficial ownership disclosures will be made publicly available. The next validation is scheduled to commence in January 2023.Seychelles, a major player in the global tuna industry, joined the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) in 2017. The FiTI International Board approved Seychelles’ candidate application in April 2020. Seychelles has submitted three FiTI reports covering calendar years 2019, 2020 and 2021, and the next report covering calendar year 2022 is due by December 2023. The FiTI International Board has recognized Seychelles’ efforts to implement the FiTI Standard with a score of ‘meaningful progress’ in its first validation exercise. The ’meaningful progress’ score means that Seychelles, for now, remains a FiTI Candidate Country. As part of its Compliance Statement, the FiTI International Board has issued four corrective actions for Seychelles to undertake which, if properly addressed, will see the country progress to the status of a FiTI Compliant Country. The Board will review the implementation status of these corrective actions during the next validation of Seychelles which is scheduled to start in June 2024.Additional ResourcesDepartment of State Country Reports on Human Rights Practices; Trafficking in Persons Report; Guidance on Implementing the &#8220;UN Guiding Principles&#8221; for Transactions Linked to Foreign Government End-Users for Products or Services with Surveillance Capabilities; U.S. National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises; and; Xinjiang Supply Chain Business Advisory Department of the Treasury OFAC Recent Actions Department of Labor Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor Report ; List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor ; Sweat &amp; Toil: Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking Around the World  and; Comply Chain .																										Climate Issues										According to a UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) report, Seychelles is vulnerable to storms, floods, and landslides. The Seychellois Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment (MACE) manages key climate policies.  Seychelles’ 2020 National Climate Change Policy created the National Climate Change Council chaired by the vice president to coordinate all climate change actions.  The council must report on the implementation status of all national and international climate change obligations to the cabinet of ministers and the National Assembly.In November 2021, at the Conference of Parties 26 (COP 26), the Government of Seychelles pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 26.4 percent of the business-as-usual scenario 2030 value.  To achieve this target, the government plans to reform in its energy, refrigeration and air conditioning, transport, and waste sectors.  Details of the reforms for each sector will be included in the country’s updated National Climate Change Strategy and the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) implementation plan.  Seychelles has a long-term strategy to make its energy supply solely based on renewables as outlined in its 2010-2030 energy policy by focusing on the development of offshore wind and photovoltaic technologies.The government expects private sector contributions to reform the energy and transport sectors and to develop the aquaculture sector.  While the contributions for the energy and transport sectors will be detailed in upcoming sectoral blueprints, the Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy has created an aquaculture department.The government offers tax incentives in the form of value-added tax exemptions on imported goods that (a) conserve, generate or produce renewable or environment friendly energy sources; (b conserve of fresh or potable water resources or re-use or recycle wastewater; and (c) recycle, reduce or re-use solid waste.  There is a purchase rebate plan to incentivize businesses to resort to rooftop photovoltaic equipment for power generation.Policies to preserve biodiversity include: (a) regulating coastal planning and infrastructure at the national and local level to prioritize the consideration of “blue” nature-based solutions for climate resilience; (b) protecting at least 50 percent of its seagrass and mangrove ecosystems by 2025, and 100 percent of seagrass and mangrove ecosystems by 2030; (c) establishing a long-term monitoring program for seagrass and mangrove ecosystems by 2025 and including the greenhouse gas sink of Seychelles’ blue carbon ecosystems within the national greenhouse gas inventory by 2025; and (d) committing to the implementation of its adopted marine spatial plan and the effective management of the 30-percent marine-protected areas within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone.Public procurement policies in Seychelles do not currently include environmental and green growth considerations such as resource efficiency, pollution abatement, and climate resilience.																																												9. Corruption						    																						Ruling with transparency and accountability are stated priorities of the current government. In 2016, the government established the Anti-Corruption Commission of Seychelles (ACCS) under the Anti-Corruption Act, which gives it authority to investigate, detect, and prevent corrupt practices. The Transparency Initiative Seychelles (TiS), a Transparency International National Chapter in formation, was set up in 2017. TiS’s focus is currently on increasing transparency in tourism, fisheries, and finance. There is currently no legislation protecting NGOs involved in investigating corruption and no stand-alone legislation for whistleblowing and whistleblower protection.The Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill became law in 2019 giving the ACCS investigative and arresting powers similar to that of the police. Another Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill was further introduced in May 2022 to clarify powers of the Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate and prosecute offences of money laundering, and to extent to the Commission asset recovery powers following conviction for offences committed prior to the enactment of the 2020 Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act:  https://www.nationalassembly.sc/legislation/bills/anti-corruption-amendment-bill-2022-bill-no-8-2022 . The ACCS has received significant criticism for having only achieved one conviction: that of an ACCS employee who was convicted of extortion, corruption, and unlawful disclosure of ACCS information in 2018, when he demanded money in exchange for providing the ACCS’ evidence to an individual under investigation by the ACCS. Per TiS, many complaints brought before the ACCS seem to be dormant or are pending follow up by the Attorney General’s office, with continued public expectations that some cases are soon to find their way to court. In September 2021, the ACCS board was dissolved and replaced by an advisory council. The president gave an ultimatum to the ACCS to take actions to prevent, detect, and investigate acts of corruption. In March 2021, the ACCS signed cooperation agreements with the Seychelles Revenue Authority, the Central Bank of Seychelles, and the Registrar General’s Office to better facilitate the exchange of information and assist the ACCS’ investigations.In November 2021, a prominent businessman and his wife, a senior military official, and former government officials were arrested for the alleged theft of more than $50 million in foreign aid given to Seychelles by the United Arab Emirates in 2002 to help overcome foreign exchange shortages and import basic goods. The money was never recorded in government accounts. The suspects are facing charges of conspiracy to commit corruption, conspiracy to commit money laundering, concealment of property, and stealing by person in public service.Chapter 10 of the Penal Code provides criminal penalties for conviction of corruption by officials. In 2003, the government published the Public Service Code of Ethics and Conduct. The Public Officer’s Ethics Act of 2008 prohibits personal enrichment through public office; defines and outlaws bribery; provides guidelines for avoiding conflict of interest; and mandates declaration of financial assets for public officials, including members of the National Assembly. The 2017 Public Persons (Declaration of Assets, Liabilities and Business Interests) Act requires all National Assembly members, councilors, and the mayor to submit a declaration on their assets, debts, and business interests. Asset declarations are not published but may be made public upon request to the ethics commissioner. Laws to combat corruption do not extend to political parties. The 2008 Public Procurement Act, as amended, counters conflict-of-interest in awarding contracts or government procurement.In March 2021, the cabinet approved amendments to the Public Officers’ Ethics (POE) Act to abolish the POE commission entirely and to shift its responsibility to the ACCS, which has become the umbrella authority overseeing all matters of corruption in the public service. In September 2021, the Public Persons (Declaration of Assets, Liabilities and Business Interests) Amendment Bill was approved by the National Assembly to remove the obligation of a public person to submit declarations of assets for spouses or close family members. This move was criticized as unacceptable by TiS and members of the public. The bill also provides for establishment of a secure electronic system for submission of declarations and related documents. The government does not require private companies to establish internal codes of conduct or charters of good governance.Seychelles ratified the UN Convention against Corruption in March 2006. Seychelles is not party to the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions.Resources to Report CorruptionAnti-Corruption CommissionMay De SilvaChief Executive OfficerVictoria HouseState House AvenueVictoria, Mahe+248 4326061complaints@accsey.comOffice of the OmbudspersonNicole Tirant-GherardiOmbudspersonRoom 306, Aarti Chambers, Mont Fleuri, Mahe+248 225147ombuds@seychelles.net																																		10. Political and Security Environment						    																						The current constitution, promulgated in 1993, provides citizens the right to change their government peacefully, and citizens exercise this right in practice through periodic elections based on universal suffrage. Seychelles has not experienced large-scale political violence since the late 1970s. The United Seychelles party, formerly known as Parti Lepep (People’s Party), governed Seychelles following the 1977 coup d’etat and won every election from the introduction of multi-party democracy in 1993 until 2016, when a coalition of opposition parties won the majority of the National Assembly seats. The October 2020 election was the first time since 1976 that voters in Seychelles elected an opposition party candidate as president and there was a peaceful and smooth transfer of power. East Africa Standby Force election observers declared the election to have been peaceful, transparent, and orderly. Seychelles remained politically stable at the time of this report.																																		11. Labor Policies and Practices						    																						The average number of employed persons for all sectors was 54,298 in the fourth quarter of 2022 compared to 50,081 in the last quarter of 2021. This represents an increase of 8.4 percent. The private sector remained the largest employer with 66.2 percent of employed persons, followed by government with 19.0 percent and parastatal with 14.8 percent. Within the private sector, the largest category of employment were accommodation and food services activities (33.4 percent). Females made up the majority of employees in the government sector, (64.5 percent) whereas in the parastatal sector, the majority were males (58.0 percent). Disaggregated data by gender was not available for the private sector.In the fourth quarter of 2022, average earnings were highest in the government sector (SCR 18,407) and lowest in the private sector (SCR 13,639). In the parastatal sector, average earnings were (SCR 17,857). Employees in the private sector earned the most in the information and communication industry (SCR 27,058) compared to employees in the same industry in the other sectors. Other highly paid employees in the private sector were in the financial and insurance activities (SCR 24,137) and education (SCR20,354). There were 2020 jobseekers registered in 2022, of which 1140 had secondary level qualifications, and 761 had post-secondary level qualifications. 42 percent of jobseekers in 2022 were aged between 15 and 24, and 58 percent were females.In December 2021, the Employment Department, in collaboration with the Department of Information and Communication Technology, launched the first phase of the Internal Labour Market Information System (LMIS). The LMIS will be used register vacancies, jobseekers, job placements, and applications of redundancy, and will enable the Ministry of Employment, Immigration and Civil Status to better collect and process labor market statistics.In June 2020, the 1995 Employment Act was amended to attempt to limit the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labor market. The amendment regulated the deferment of payment, and reduction of wages of a worker pending the termination of the government program for salary support to workers because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The amendment also restricted the temporary lay-off or redundancy of local workers if the employer is employing a foreign national worker in a similar position as the local workers, or if the employer has not started the negotiation to temporarily lay-off the employee.The 2022 Employment (Amendment) Act was enacted in October 2022 and makes provisions for qualifying employees within the private sector to be paid the thirteenth month pay for the year 2022, provided they have been in employment for a 12-month period, ending December 31, 2022. This law provides that 50 percent of the pay is to be paid automatically, with the other 50 percent is based on an appraisal or performance assessment of the employee. Payment of the 2020 and 2021 thirteenth pay had previously been suspended due to the economic impact of COVID-19, through two legislations (2020 Suspension of Thirteenth Month Pay and End of Year Gratuity Act and the 2021 Employment (Suspension of Thirteenth Month Pay) Act. The introduction of these two laws had triggered actions before the Seychelles Human Rights Commission.Major challenges that persist in the labor market include difficultly recruiting Citizens for certain jobs and reported low productivity level. Seychelles has long been an importer of foreign labor due to its small population and low human resource base. The share of foreign labor to total employment in the private sector was approximately 40 percent pre-pandemic, with the majority working in the construction and tourism sectors. Foreign labor made up 25 percent of the total workforce in 2022. Since 2014, a quota system has applied to industries for which demand for foreign labor is high. In February 2021, the government restructured the Gainful Occupation Permit (GOP) framework to give local workers greater access to the labor market. The new framework eliminated COVID-19-related concessions that provided foreign nationals with certain rights while the country’s borders were closed. Restrictions on hiring of foreign workers introduced during the pandemic have been lifted and as the economy recovered, many foreign workers have returned. A foreign worker cannot change jobs locally. However, a change in employer is authorized in cases of labor exploitation and/or human trafficking.In 2022, the governments of Seychelles and Nepal announced discussions on a bilateral labor agreement to ensure protection of the rights of Nepalese workers in Seychelles, further to discussion on a request for the recruitment of 60 Nepalese security personnel for the Seychelles Police Force.According to statistics provided by the Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs, the informal employment rate was approximately 15 percent of the labor force in 2021. There were more males (80 percent) working in the informal sector than females. The three main sectors for informal employment include construction, wholesale and retail trade, agriculture, forestry, and fishing. There are no national agencies supporting workers in the informal sector. In March 2023, the government announced that it was working with the International Labor Organization to address causes of informal jobs in the country and to develop strategies to help workers in the informal sector transition into formal jobs.Seychelles has been a member of the International Labor Organization (ILO) since 1977 and has ratified all fundamental International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions. Under the law, all workers, with the exception of police, military, prison, and firefighting personnel, have the right to form and organize unions of their own choosing, to participate in collective bargaining, and to conduct legal strikes. However, in practice, these rights are limited or restricted by other provisions of law. Although collective bargaining is legal, it rarely happens because the law gives the right to the government to review and approve all collective bargaining agreements in both the private and public sector. Strikes are illegal in Seychelles unless all other arbitration procedures have been exhausted. About 15 percent of the workforce is unionized.In January 2020, the minimum wage increased to SCR 5,804 ($426) per month, with casual workers getting SCR 44.10 ($3.32) per hour as minimum wage. The Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs has been mandated to conduct training and re-skilling programs to enable citizens to seek employment. It operates a program entitled ‘My First Job’ for school leavers seeking employment. A total of 511 youths were placed in employment under this program in 2022. In the event of layoffs where there is no employee misconduct, the employer must provide the worker with one month’s notice or the equivalent of one month’s salary. Additionally, for workers who have been employed for five years or more, the employer must pay one day’s pay for each month that the employee has worked for the employer. For severance calculation, there is no distinction between layoffs and firing with severance.The Employment Tribunal handles employment disputes for private-sector employees. The Public Service Appeals Board handles employment disputes for public-sector employees, and the Financial Services Authority deals with employment disputes of workers in the Seychelles International Trade Zone. The law authorizes the Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs to establish and enforce employment terms, conditions, and benefits, and workers frequently obtain recourse against their employers through the Employment Tribunal.The government introduced the Occupational Safety and Health Decree in 2012 and the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons Act in 2014. However, there are very few health or labor inspectors in Seychelles, and they are limited by meager public resources and the vast ocean distances they are expected to cover.In November 2011, Seychelles and the ILO signed the 2011-2015 Decent Work Country Program, which seeks to address such issues as employment creation, consolidation and protection of workers’ rights, enhancing social protection, and strengthening social dialogue. Compliance with international labor standards has in recent years been sufficient such that business in the country should not pose a reputational risk to investors.In 2021, the U.S. State Department, in its annual Trafficking in Persons Report, upgraded Seychelles to a Tier 2 ranking, in recognition of its overall increasing efforts compared to the previous reporting period. The conclusion was that while the government of Seychelles does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, it is making significant efforts to do so.																																		12. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and Other Investment Insurance or Development Finance Programs						    																						Seychelles and the United States signed an OPIC investment agreement in 2012, the text of which is available on the following link:  https://www.dfc.gov/sites/default/files/2019-08/Seychelles-signed-02-03-2012-entered-into-force-10-05-2012.pdf  . As of October 1, 2019, the issuer for the purposes of the Agreement is the DFC, the successor U.S. agency to OPIC. Due to the small size of the economy, there is limited potential for DFC programs in Seychelles. Nevertheless, Seychelles-based firms and U.S. investors may seek DFC financing or insurance for joint ventures elsewhere in Africa and Asia.																																		13. Foreign Direct Investment Statistics						    																						Table 2: Key Macroeconomic Data, U.S. FDI in Host Country/EconomyHost Country Statistical source*USG or international statistical sourceUSG or International Source of Data:  BEA; IMF; Eurostat; UNCTAD, OtherEconomic DataYearAmountYearAmountHost Country Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ($M USD)2021$1,5282021$1,450www.worldbank.org/en/countryForeign Direct InvestmentHost Country Statistical source*USG or international statistical sourceUSG or international Source of data:  BEA; IMF; Eurostat; UNCTAD, OtherU.S. FDI in partner country ($M USD, stock positions)N/AN/A2021$599BEA data available at https://apps.bea.gov/international/factsheet/Host country’s FDI in the United States ($M USD, stock positions)N/AN/A2021N/ABEA data available at https://apps.bea.gov/international/factsheet/Total inbound stock of FDI as % host GDPN/AN/A2021227.8%UNCTAD data available at https://unctad.org/topic/investment/world-investment-report* Source for Host Country Data: National Bureau of Statistics of SeychellesTable 3: Sources and Destination of FDIDirect Investment from/in Counterpart Economy DataFrom Top Five Sources/To Top Five Destinations (US Dollars, Millions)Inward Direct InvestmentOutward Direct InvestmentTotal Inward804100%Total OutwardAmount100%Mauritius30938%Data not availableCyprus15419%Russian Federation10813%United Kingdom 425%British Virgin Islands 375%																																		14. Contact for More Information						    																						Anjana Khemraz-ChikhuriEconomic &amp; Commercial SpecialistU.S. Embassy to Mauritius and Seychelles, Port Louis+202 44 00ChikhuriA@state.gov																										    							View report by:																				Albania											Algeria											Andorra											Angola											Antigua and Barbuda											Argentina											Armenia											Australia											Austria											The Bahamas											Azerbaijan											Bahrain											Bangladesh											Barbados											Belarus											Belgium											Belize											Benin											Bolivia											Bosnia and Herzegovina											Botswana											Brazil											Brunei											Bulgaria											Burkina Faso											Burma											Burundi											Cabo Verde											Cambodia											Cameroon											Canada											Chile											China											Colombia											Costa Rica											Côte d’Ivoire											Croatia											Cyprus											Czechia											Democratic Republic of the Congo											Denmark											Djibouti											Dominica											Dominican Republic											Ecuador											Egypt											El Salvador											Equatorial Guinea											Eritrea											Estonia											Eswatini											Ethiopia											Fiji											Finland											France and Monaco											The Gambia											Gabon											Georgia											Germany											Ghana											Greece											Grenada											Guatemala											Guinea											Guyana											Haiti											Honduras											Hong Kong											Hungary											Iceland											India											Indonesia											Iraq											Ireland											Israel											Italy											Jamaica											Japan											Jordan											Kazakhstan											Kenya											Kosovo											Kyrgyz Republic											Laos											Latvia											Lebanon											Lesotho											Liberia											Libya											Lithuania											Luxembourg											Macau											Madagascar											Malawi											Malaysia											Maldives											Mali											Malta											Marshall Islands											Mauritania											Mauritius											Mexico											Micronesia											Moldova											Mongolia											Montenegro											Morocco											Mozambique											Namibia											Nepal											Netherlands											New Zealand											Nicaragua											Niger											Nigeria											North Macedonia											Norway											Oman											Pakistan											Palau											Panama											Papua New Guinea											Paraguay											Philippines											Peru											Poland											Portugal											Qatar											Republic of the Congo											Romania											Rwanda											Saint Kitts and Nevis											Saint Lucia											Saint Vincent and the Grenadines											Samoa											Sao Tome and Principe											Saudi Arabia											Senegal											Serbia											Seychelles											Sierra Leone											Singapore											Slovakia											Slovenia											Somalia											South Africa											South Korea											South Sudan											Spain											Sri Lanka											Suriname											Sweden											Switzerland											Taiwan											Tajikistan											Tanzania											Thailand											Timor-Leste											Togo											Trinidad and Tobago											Tunisia											Türkiye											United Arab Emirates											Uganda											Ukraine											United Kingdom											Uruguay											Uzbekistan											Vietnam											West Bank and Gaza											Zambia											Zimbabwe															Build A Custom Report																						On This Page				search													>																										EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																1. Openness To, and Restrictions Upon, Foreign Investment																																							Policies Towards Foreign Direct Investment																																																						Limits on Foreign Control and Right to Private Ownership and Establishment																																																						Other Investment Policy Reviews																																																						Business Facilitation																																																						Outward Investment																																																			2. Bilateral Investment and Taxation Treaties																3. Legal Regime																																							Transparency of the Regulatory System																																																						International Regulatory Considerations																																																						Legal System and Judicial Independence																																																						Laws and Regulations on Foreign Direct Investment																																																						Competition and Antitrust Laws																																																						Expropriation and Compensation																																																						Dispute Settlement																																																				ICSID Convention and New York Convention																																												Investor-State Dispute Settlement																																																																																				International Commercial Arbitration and Foreign Courts																																																			4. Industrial Policies																																							Investment Incentives																																																						Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports/Trade Facilitation																																																						Performance And Data Localization Requirements																																																			5. Protection of Property Rights																																							Real Property																																																						Intellectual Property Rights																																																			6. Financial Sector																																							Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment																																																						Money and Banking System																																																						Foreign Exchange and Remittances																																																				Foreign Exchange																																												Remittance Policies																																																																																				Sovereign Wealth Funds																																																			7. State-Owned Enterprises																																							Privatization Program																																																			8. Responsible Business Conduct																																							Climate Issues																																																			9. Corruption																10. Political and Security Environment																11. Labor Policies and Practices																12. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and Other Investment Insurance or Development Finance Programs																13. Foreign Direct Investment Statistics																14. Contact for More Information																						Tags																					Bureau of African Affairs																								Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs																								Seychelles
- Seychelles National Day Congratulations to the people of Seychelles on the forty-seventh anniversary of your independence.The United States recently opened an embassy in Seychelles for the first time in 27 years, the clearest evidence yet of our commitment to our deep and enduring partnership. This increased presence will help us make even stronger connections with the Seychellois to promote the values of democracy and good governance, across Africa and the Indian Ocean region. We also will continue to work alongside you to promote peace and security, combat the effects of climate change, and protect our precious oceans. Thank you for your ongoing cooperation and leadership, and once again, we wish you the best as you celebrate your independence.
- Seychelles Embassy Opening Richard R. Verma, Deputy Secretary of State  for Management and ResourcesVictoria, SeychellesEmbassy of the United StatesThank you very much. Mr. President, Ambassador, Vice President Speaker of the National Assembly, , and the Chief Justice and Ministers, the leader of government, businesses, the National Assembly, leader of the opposition, members of the diplomatic corps, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.I really can’t tell you how grateful I am that all of you are here and how honored I am to be here with all of you. And Mr. President in particular, I want to thank you for your hospitality, for your leadership, and say the democratic transition that you have ushered in here is an inspiration. And while democracy is hard at work, as we know in our own country, the reforms you are taking offer a great example of how a country like Seychelles can be a global model so thank you.We appreciate how Seychelles has welcomed Special Advisor Jim Donegan. We are proud to announce today he will serve as the Chargé d’Affaires to Seychelles.The establishment of this embassy is the next critical step to strengthen our partnership and to advance our common goals. We are fortunate that we will continue to benefit from Ambassador Jardine’s outstanding leadership. At the same time this opening today will allow us to begin the process toward dedicating a full-time resident U.S. Ambassador to Seychelles.The United States recognized Seychelles on June 29, 1976, when representatives of the two states signed an agreement relating to the establishment, operation, and operation and maintenance for tracking, a telemetry facility. The agreement signed in the capitol here, in Victoria on the same date that Seychelles obtained independence from British sovereignty.The embassy was an integral part of life in Seychelles, particularly when it came to celebrations of the United States Independence Day. Soon after independence, Seychelles suffered a coup that led to 23 years of single party rule until 2020, when then the leader of the opposition, and now current president, won the presidential election.In 1996 the US government closed its embassy and Air Force tracking station and since then has not had a full-time official presence within Seychelles. That is until now.That is not to say we have not been working together. In fact, diplomatic representatives based in Mauritius and accredited in Seychelles along with other U.S. government partners have visited Seychelles consistently over the years and worked on a variety of issues.The United States deeply values the relationship we maintained with Seychelles over that period of time on a host of critically important shared priorities. Democracy and human rights, protecting the environment and tackling the climate crisis, ensuring maritime security and combating the scourge of drug trafficking.The United States and Seychelles, as it has been mentioned, signed a bilateral agreement on countering illicit transnational maritime operations in July 2021. In March we executed the first bilateral exercise under the agreement which the President and Ambassador Jardine, watched from a Department of C-12 plane high above the ocean. In December US Navy SEABEES from Commander Task Force 68 concluded a successful dive and salvage operation in the Seychelles Ports Authority, with the Seychelles Coast Guard. Members of the Seychelles Defense Force participated in the regional Cutlass Express maritime exercise in March.We also have a longstanding cultural exchange programs including the Fulbright, the Mandela Washington fellows, and several youth exchange programs that have provided an opportunity for many people in Seychelles to visit the United States, exchange perspectives, and gain new skills.And we continue to maintain excellent cooperation between Seychelles law enforcement and security agencies and financial institutions and our U.S. government agencies including the DEA, FBI, Treasury, International Organizations that counter illicit activities.In addition to the arm of the US government support, the Anticorruption Commission of Seychelles today I’m proud to announce further partnership between the United States and Seychelles and our other Western Indian Ocean partners. We will work together with our FBI partners in support of our partners’ efforts to more effectively investigate, prosecute, and disrupt money laundering associated with corruption. And this is part of a broader issue to combat illicit financial flows for transnational organized crime in the Western Indian Ocean and island nations.The United States also appreciates Seychelles’ leadership on ocean conservation and the blue economy, for joining the Ocean Conservation Pledge at COP27 to advance our shared goal of conserving or protecting 30 percent of the global oceans by 2030  has already done that.In that we applaud you for launching the world’s first sovereign blue bond pioneering financial instrument designed to support sustainable marine and fishery products. Proceeds from this bond which raised $15 million includes support for the expansion of marine protected areas, improved government priority fisheries and the development of Seychelles’ blue economy.This embassy will allow us to broaden the cooperation and will remain a physical sign of the long-term U.S. commitment to Seychelles and we look forward to building and growing our embassy presence here in Seychelles and in the years ahead.Viva Seychelles, viva l’Amerik.
- Seychelles HomeReportsOffice to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons2023 Trafficking in Persons Report&#8230;Seychelles				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2023 Trafficking in Persons Report: Seychelles																																					Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons																																																																																																				 In this section										/																							SEYCHELLES (Tier 1)																																													SEYCHELLES (Tier 1)																															PRIORITIZED RECOMMENDATIONS:																																																																																		PROSECUTION																																																																																		PROTECTION																																																																																		PREVENTION																																																																																		TRAFFICKING PROFILE:																																																																																																								SEYCHELLES (Tier 1)				The Government of Seychelles fully meets the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. The government made key achievements to do so during the reporting period, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, if any, on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore Seychelles was upgraded to Tier 1. These achievements included convicting the most traffickers reported in a single year; prosecuting more trafficking cases; increasing funding for victim services; and officially opening and providing services to survivors at the country’s first anti-trafficking shelter. The government increased training for front-line officials and regularly screened vulnerable populations for trafficking indicators, contributing to the most victims identified in a single year. The government provided direct services or referrals to care for all victims identified. The government consulted with survivors and incorporated their input into the draft NAP and other anti-trafficking materials. Although the government meets the minimum standards, it did not inspect migrant working conditions in the Seychelles International Trade Zone (SITZ), despite continued reports of trafficking indicators; approve the 2022-2025 national action plan (NAP); or adopt pending legislation prohibiting the retention of passports by employers of migrant workers. The lack of interpreters available in the country hindered anti-trafficking law enforcement and victim identification efforts in cases involving foreign nationals. Some reports of low-level official complicity in trafficking crimes persisted.																																					PRIORITIZED RECOMMENDATIONS:						    																																															Provide specialized anti-trafficking training to labor inspectors to identify and report potential trafficking crimes to appropriate officials.Conduct routine inspections in the SITZ to monitor migrant working conditions and screen for trafficking indicators.Expand the availability of interpretation services, especially for Bengali and Hindi, available to law enforcement, courts, and victim service providers.Allocate adequate funding and resources for victim services, including to the Trafficking in Persons Fund.Use the victim identification and referral SOPs to systematically and proactively identify trafficking victims, including by screening for trafficking indicators among vulnerable populations, such as individuals in commercial sex, migrant workers, workers in the SITZ, and Cuban medical professionals, and refer all trafficking victims to appropriate services.Continue to investigate and prosecute trafficking crimes and seek adequate penalties for convicted traffickers, including complicit officials, which should involve significant prison terms.Adopt and implement the draft 2022-2025 NAP.Remove the required fee for migrant workers to file a complaint with the Labor Tribunal.Adopt legislation prohibiting the retention of passports by employers of migrant workers.Consistently enforce strong regulations and oversight of labor recruitment companies, including by increasing efforts to identify fraudulent labor recruiters and hold them criminally accountable.																																												PROSECUTION						    																																															The government increased anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts. The Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons Act of 2014 criminalized sex trafficking and labor trafficking. The law prescribed penalties of up to 14 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to 500,000 Seychelles rupee (SR) ($38,850) for crimes involving adult victims, and a maximum of 25 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to 800,000 SR ($62,160) for those involving child victims; these penalties were sufficiently stringent and, with respect to sex trafficking, commensurate with those for other serious crimes, such as rape.The government investigated 10 trafficking cases – one for sex trafficking and nine for labor trafficking – in 2022, compared with 24 investigations in 2021. The government initiated two sex trafficking prosecutions, compared with none in 2021, and reported two labor trafficking prosecutions initiated in previous reporting periods remained ongoing. Courts convicted 14 labor traffickers – the most convictions ever reported in a single year – compared with two convictions in 2021. Courts sentenced all 14 traffickers to 15 years’ imprisonment under the 2014 anti-trafficking law; however, the government deported 11 traffickers, foreign nationals from Iran, prior to serving their sentences. Courts ordered traffickers to pay one victim 500,000 SR ($38,850). The government did not report any investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of government employees complicit in human trafficking crimes; however, some reports of low-level official complicity in trafficking crimes persisted.The Criminal Investigation Department had three investigators dedicated to trafficking crimes, while the Child Protection Unit was mandated to investigate all crimes against children, including child trafficking. All entry-level police officers received basic training on trafficking crimes at the Seychelles Police Academy. In partnership with international organizations and foreign donors, the government trained law enforcement officials on victim-centered investigation strategies, child-friendly interviewing techniques, victim identification, and financial crimes associated with human trafficking. Despite training efforts, some officials lacked a clear understanding of the difference between human trafficking and other crimes, such as labor exploitation. Observers reported improved coordination and information sharing between police and prosecutors resulted in higher-quality evidence gathering, expedited investigations, and more victim-centered approaches to anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts. The government increasingly utilized plea bargaining in trafficking cases to decrease the length of time to reach case resolution and reduce re-traumatization of victim witnesses; however, the judicial process for cases involving foreign victims and defendants that went to trial continued to be prohibitively long – frequently many years – often due to the lack of interpretation services available. The government reported cooperating with the Government of Mauritius on a child sex trafficking investigation.																																												PROTECTION						    																																															The government increased victim protection efforts. The government identified 43 trafficking victims – the most victims ever identified in a single year – compared with four victims identified in 2021. Of the 43 victims identified, traffickers exploited nine in sex trafficking and 34 in labor trafficking. All nine sex trafficking victims were Seychellois girls, and all 34 labor trafficking victims were adult men from Bangladesh and India. The government maintained formal SOPs to guide officials in the proactive identification of victims and subsequent referral to care. The government took significant steps to enhance implementation of the SOPs, adopted in 2021, by distributing copies and training government and NGO stakeholders on them. Despite these efforts, some officials occasionally used ad hoc procedures not included in the national SOPs. The government proactively screened vulnerable populations, such as migrant workers or individuals in commercial sex, for trafficking indicators, including by increasing screening of potential victims transiting through the international airport.The government provided various services and referrals to care for all 43 identified victims, including medical care, shelter, and repatriation assistance for foreign victims. The National Coordinating Committee against Trafficking in Persons (NCCTIP) reported spending 248,596 SR ($19,315) for victim care in 2022, compared with 148,284 SR ($11,520) in 2021. The country’s first shelter for human trafficking survivors, established in partnership with a religious organization and a local NGO in late 2021, officially opened and provided services to 34 survivors, all foreign national adult males. The government continued to provide alternate accommodation, such as private guesthouses or referrals to NGO-operated shelters for women, children, and Seychellois victims as needed. The 2014 anti-trafficking law allowed the government to place witnesses under protection and, if the court found it necessary, to hold trafficking trials in private to protect witness confidentiality and privacy; the law also ensured witnesses could testify through closed circuit television and courtroom accommodations could be made as needed to support participation. The 2014 anti-trafficking law also allowed for limited legal alternatives to victims’ removal to countries in which they would face hardship; the law permitted the Minister of Home Affairs to allow a foreign victim to remain for 30 days or issue a permit allowing the victim to remain for a set period until the completion of legal proceedings. The government provided two victims of labor trafficking with work permits, enabling them to begin working with a new employer. The anti-trafficking law allowed the government to provide restitution to victims from fines imposed on the accused or from the Trafficking in Persons Fund; however, the government has never allotted resources to the Trafficking in Persons Fund or provided restitution to any victims. The law protected trafficking victims from detention or prosecution for unauthorized entry into Seychelles, but it did not protect victims from prosecution for other unlawful acts committed solely as a direct result of being trafficked. Observers reported immigration officials did not always use the formal SOPs for victim identification, and a lack of interpretation services prohibited adequate screening at transit points; therefore, authorities likely deported some unidentified victims for immigration crimes.																																												PREVENTION						    																																															The government increased efforts to prevent trafficking. NCCTIP met regularly to direct anti-trafficking efforts across government agencies and coordinate national policy; the establishment of an anti-trafficking secretariat in 2021 continued to enhance inter-ministerial coordination of anti-trafficking efforts. The government allocated 1.3 million SR ($101,010) to the secretariat for anti-trafficking activities, including NCCTIP operations, victim assistance, and prevention efforts, compared with 148,281 SR ($11,520) allocated to NCCTIP in the previous reporting period. The government reported its draft 2022-2025 NAP, developed in partnership with an international organization, was pending final approval by the Cabinet of Ministers for the second consecutive reporting period. The government consulted with survivors and incorporated their input into the draft NAP and other anti-trafficking materials. The government held awareness campaigns targeting frontline officials, journalists, and populations vulnerable to trafficking, including migrant workers and individuals from low-income communities. The anti-trafficking secretariat continued to operate a trafficking-specific hotline. The hotline was available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide referrals for services; two cases reported to the hotline resulted in an investigation. The Ministry of Employment (MOE) maintained a hotline to report labor trafficking concerns, but it did not report identifying any trafficking victims.The MOE and the inter-ministerial Special Task Force, which had a mandate to address the living and working conditions of migrant workers, regularly inspected work sites for indications of human trafficking. For the first time in recent years, labor monitoring and compliance officers identified and referred six cases of potential labor trafficking to law enforcement. Despite these efforts, observers reported labor officers in the country did not receive specialized anti-trafficking training, hampering efforts to identify trafficking among vulnerable migrant workers. The MOE continued to lack jurisdiction in the SITZ as it was considered extra-territorial and managed by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), the government agency mandated for non-bank financial services; this limited its ability to screen migrant workers for trafficking indicators. The government did not report conducting any labor inspections in the SITZ, despite the FSA no longer requiring special permission to visit businesses in the SITZ. The Ministry of Health (MOH) reported health inspectors visited the SITZ to assess migrant workers’ housing and accommodations. In accordance with the Employment Act, the MOE reviewed all contracts for migrant workers to ensure compliance with its provisions, and the MOH conducted site visits of accommodations; however, these requirements did not apply to the SITZ.The government did not have effective policies or laws regulating or providing oversight for labor recruiters; however, the government reported investigating fraudulent recruiters. Seizure and retention of passports by employers remained legal under Seychellois law, unless proven it was specifically for the purpose of trafficking crimes. In 2019, the government drafted an amendment to the immigration bill that reportedly would prohibit passport retention of foreign workers; however, the government did not report sending the bill to parliament for the fourth consecutive year. The government continued to utilize the labor tribunal for labor-related complaints and continued to require a fee for migrant workers to file a complaint. During the reporting period, the MOE began allowing migrant workers – who reported situations indicative of labor trafficking to the anti-trafficking secretariat – to obtain new employment following receipt of a written letter from the secretariat. This allowed potential trafficking victims to bypass associated fees with filing a complaint with the labor tribunal and expedite new employment. The government did not report providing anti-trafficking training to its diplomatic personnel, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintained a code of ethics for diplomats and provided diplomats with human rights training. The government did not make efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts.																																												TRAFFICKING PROFILE:						    																																															As reported over the past five years, human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Seychelles, and to a lesser extent, traffickers exploit victims from Seychelles abroad. Traffickers exploit Seychellois girls and boys in child sex trafficking; in some cases, peers and family members exploit children in bars, guest houses, hotels, brothels, private homes, and on the streets. Traffickers fraudulently recruit Seychellois girls from Mahé and Praslin for modeling jobs and exploit them in sex trafficking. Traffickers also exploit Seychellois women with substance use issues or from low-income households in sex trafficking. Increasingly, foreign traffickers, particularly from Iran and often with a local Seychellois accomplice, force Seychellois men with substance use issues to commit criminal offenses, such as distributing or carrying illegal substances across international borders, and commonly use substance addiction to control victims.More than 15,000 migrant workers – primarily individuals from Bangladesh and India, and to a lesser extent the People’s Republic of China, Kenya, Madagascar, Philippines, and other countries in South Asia – make up approximately 25 percent of the working population in Seychelles and are employed in fishing, farming, construction, security, caregiving, and domestic work; traffickers exploit migrant workers in these sectors. Retail shop owners, primarily from India, often recruit other Indians to travel to Seychelles for work; however, upon their arrival, the business owners force them to work in conditions indicative of labor trafficking. Labor recruitment agents based in Seychelles exploit migrant workers in labor trafficking, often with the assistance of a local Seychellois accomplice. Migrant workers often sign their employment contracts upon arrival in the Seychelles and frequently cannot read the language, which traffickers exploit using fraudulent recruitment tactics. There were reports of employers routinely retaining migrant workers’ passports to prevent them from changing jobs prior to the expiration of their two-year contracts, increasing their vulnerability to labor trafficking. Observers report employers in the SITZ may not allow migrant workers to leave their residential premise outside of working hours, creating further vulnerabilities to trafficking. Previous reports indicate migrant workers aboard foreign-flagged fishing vessels in Seychelles’ territorial waters and ports are subject to conditions indicative of labor trafficking, including nonpayment of wages and physical abuse. Cuban medical professionals working in Seychelles may have been forced to work by the Cuban government.																																				    							View report by:																				Afghanistan											Albania											Algeria											Angola											Antigua and Barbuda											Argentina											Armenia											Aruba											Australia											Austria											Azerbaijan											The Bahamas											Bahrain											Bangladesh											Barbados											Belarus											Belgium											Belize											Benin											Bhutan											Bolivia											Bosnia and Herzegovina											Botswana											Brazil											Brunei											Bulgaria											Burkina Faso											Burma											Burundi											Cabo Verde											Cambodia											Cameroon											Canada											Central African Republic											Chad											Chile											China											Colombia											Comoros											Costa Rica											Cote d&#8217;Ivoire											Croatia											Cuba											Curaçao											Cyprus											Czech Republic											Democratic Republic of the Congo											Denmark											Djibouti											Dominican Republic											Ecuador											Egypt											El Salvador											Equatorial Guinea											Eritrea											Estonia											Eswatini											Ethiopia											Fiji											Finland											France											Gabon											The Gambia											Georgia											Germany											Ghana											Greece											Guatemala											Guinea											Guinea-Bissau											Guyana											Haiti											Honduras											Hong Kong											Hungary											Iceland											India											Indonesia											Iran											Iraq											Ireland											Israel, West Bank and Gaza											Italy											Jamaica											Japan											Jordan											Kazakhstan											Kenya											Kosovo											Kuwait											Kyrgyzstan											Laos											Latvia											Lebanon											Lesotho											Liberia											Libya											Lithuania											Luxembourg											Macau											Madagascar											Malawi											Malaysia											Maldives											Mali											Malta											Marshall Islands											Mauritania											Mauritius											Mexico											Micronesia, Federated States of											Moldova											Mongolia											Montenegro											Morocco											Mozambique											Namibia											Nepal											Netherlands											New Zealand											Nicaragua											Niger											Nigeria											North Korea											North Macedonia											Norway											Oman											Pakistan											Palau											Panama											Papua New Guinea											Paraguay											Peru											Philippines											Poland											Portugal											Qatar											Republic of the Congo											Romania											Russia											Rwanda											Saint Lucia											Saint Vincent and the Grenadines											Saudi Arabia											Senegal											Serbia											Seychelles											Sierra Leone											Singapore											Sint Maarten											Slovakia											Slovenia											Solomon Islands											Somalia											South Africa											South Korea											South Sudan											Spain											Sri Lanka											Sudan											Suriname											Sweden											Switzerland											Syria											Taiwan											Tajikistan											Tanzania											Thailand											Timor-Leste											Togo											Tonga											Trinidad and Tobago											Tunisia											Turkey											Turkmenistan											Uganda											Ukraine											United Arab Emirates											United Kingdom											United States											Uruguay											Uzbekistan											Vanuatu											Venezuela											Vietnam											Yemen											Zambia											Zimbabwe																										On This Page				search													>																										SEYCHELLES (Tier 1)																PRIORITIZED RECOMMENDATIONS:																																																	PROSECUTION																																																	PROTECTION																																																	PREVENTION																																																	TRAFFICKING PROFILE:																																																							Tags																					Bureau of African Affairs																																Human Trafficking																															Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons																								Seychelles
- Opening of the U.S. Embassy in Victoria, Seychelles Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of StateToday the United States re-opened its embassy in Victoria, Seychelles, marking a return to a full-time diplomatic presence after 27 years. This re-opening – attended by Seychelles President Ramkalawan, Foreign Minister Radegonde, and other senior government officials – symbolizes our commitment to deepening our partnership with the government and people of Seychelles as a key nation in the Indian Ocean region.The time is right to elevate the relationship so that together we can better address shared challenges and take advantage of mutually beneficial opportunities.  The United States and Seychelles share an agenda that includes developing the blue economy, responding to climate change, improving maritime security, and stemming transnational crime and corruption.  Our joint pursuit of peace, democracy, and prosperity will be a beacon across Africa and the Indian Ocean region.Jim Donegan, who currently serves as U.S. Special Advisor to Seychelles, now becomes the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires ad interim.
- Deputy Secretary for Management & Resources Verma’s Meeting with Seychellois President Ramkalawan Office of the SpokespersonThe below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:During a meeting today in Victoria, Deputy Secretary of State for Management &amp; Resources Richard Verma and President Wavel Ramkalawan discussed increasing bilateral cooperation on a number of shared priorities, including maritime security, climate change, and anti-corruption.  Deputy Secretary Verma commended Seychelles’ exemplary commitment to and leadership on ocean conservation and the blue economy.   Ramakalawan welcomed the opening of a U.S. embassy in Seychelles, returning to a full-time diplomatic presence for the first time since 1996.  This decision highlights the importance the United States places on its relationship with Seychelles and commitment to enhancing the already strong ties between the two countries.
- Deputy Secretary Verma’s Meeting with Commissioner of Anti-Corruption Commission Seychelles May De Silva Office of the SpokespersonThe below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:During a meeting with Commissioner of Anti-Corruption Commission Seychelles (ACCS) May De Silva in Victoria, Seychelles, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma expressed appreciation for the commissioner’s leadership in bringing to justice those who have undermined the country’s institutions and stolen from its people.  The Deputy Secretary noted these efforts made Seychelles a model for others in region in fighting corruption.  Deputy Secretary Verma also pledged to continue U.S. law enforcement assistance with these efforts.