Pagetemplate

The Government of Seychelles 30 years ago comprised a Cabinet made up of the President of the Republic, who was James Mancham, the Prime Minister who was Albert Rene as well as 10 Ministers. The Prime Minister and the Ministers were all members of the National Assembly.

Of the 10 Ministers three belonged to the Seychelles Peoples United Party (SPUP), the party of Prime Minister Albert Rene.

The Prime Minister was responsible for the Ministry of Works and Land Development. This Ministry was also responsible to build houses. According to the Seychelles Handbook, a government document published to coincide with independence, the “basic objective (of the government) is to provide, so far as possible, a house for every family. Although government has built 1000 low rent houses the emphasis is on owner occupation and rehabilitation of substandard housing. To this end the government operates an improvement loan and grant scheme (for repair and improvement of houses – it has benefited 400 families) and the housing loans fund which provides mortgage finance (funded by money from the National Provident Fund). Approximately 370 Seychellois have received loans.”

The handbook also said the Prime Minister was responsible for water supply and electricity. In respect of water, the handbook said that “In 1969 the Rochon Dam Works were completed … in 1975 the Cascade Works were completed … work will start this year on the largest single project so far in Seychelles. This will be an earth dam at La Gogue in the north of Mahe”.

In respect of electricity the handbook said that in addition to the power station in the old part of Victoria installed in 1968, a second power station was installed in 1973 on reclaimed land at the New Port and a third station was commissioned in 1975, while a fourth was due to be commissioned in 1976.

A Minister from the Seychelles Peoples’ United Party (SPUP) was responsible for Labour and Social Security. According to the handbook “there is serious and growing problem of unemployment among the young people aged between 15 and 18 years. There were 13 trade unions with a total membership of 3000. Most employers and employees are required to contribute to the National Provident Fund. Each employee member has a personal account with the fund to which contributions are credited. There were 11,500 actively contributing employees and 750 contributing employers. Total deposits in the fund stood at SR 20 million (over SR 200 million today). Benefits payable include in respect of: marriage, emigration, invalidity, survivors and old age. Eventually it is hoped to convert the fund to a national pension scheme.”

An SPUP Minister was also responsible for Education. The handbook said “With the exception of the Government’s preparatory school at the Seychelles College, education is free at all Government and aided primary schools. Moderate fees are payable by secondary school, technical and vocational course students, but with remission in cases of need. In the grammar schools children from poor homes are also financially assisted for tuition fees, meals, travelling and boarding costs. Teacher education is free and all students in training receive a bursary. On completion of the primary course, pupils may proceed by competitive examination to the grammar schools or automatically to the junior secondary schools. The two grammar schools provided places for 12% of the primary school leavers and 79% entered the two year junior secondary schools.” Although education was not compulsory, 95% of the children attended schools.