QUIET EXIT FOR FORMER FINANCE PS

QUIETLY gone, apparently unnoticed by most people, was the Finance Principal Secretary for Finance, Ms Lekha Nair, who was last year replaced by Ahmed Afif as part of President Michel's latest reshuffle.

This newspaper has learnt that Ms Nair, who at one time was seen as one of the rising stars in Finance, has not been given any other post in Government. It is quite possible that she continues to receive a salary, at least until the expiry of her contract.

Ms Nair shares a similar fate as one of her predecessors, Mr. Emmanuel Faure, who was casually set aside as PS for Planning and one of the country's top economists. Mr. Faure was even made to take the blame for two ambassadors fired at the time: Sylvestre Radegonde and Marc Marengo. Both were later reinstated and have since parted ways. Mr. Faure has since gone into real estate and is seemingly doing well.

Ms Nair, according to a reliable source, stumbled during the privatisation of SACOS Insurance, when she stated on SBC that each Seychellois will be allowed to buy just one share, and all un-purchased shares will be turned over to a strategic investor.

In that instance, it turned out to be SWAN of Mauritius.

Going by a recent report on SBC, many residents in fact bought just one share, at the “discounted " rate of R150. Most have not even bothered to collect their dividends. Ms Nair now knows that it is never good to speak the truth when associated with this government; it is a harsh reality of the SPPF regime…

March 14, 2008
Copyright 2007: Seychelles Weekly, Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles