President Wavel Ramkalawan chaired a scheduled meeting of the Cabinet on Wednesday 20th January, at which a number of legal and policy memoranda were considered.

Cabinet approved the policy on Emergency Use Authorization of medicinal products and medical devices for human use to diagnose, treat or prevent COVID-19.  This policy which will be published as regulations under the Public Health Act aims to allow for the use of medicinal products and medical devices to diagnose, treat or prevent COVID-19, even where such utilisation has yet to be formally approved, but where the available published data in recognised jurisdictions indicate that the benefits of such use outweigh the risks involved.

Cabinet also approved amendments to the Broadcasting and Telecommunications (Records of Customers of prepaid Mobile Services by Operators of Public Land Mobile Network) Regulation.  The Regulation legalises Government’s recent decision to ensure that prepaid mobile cards can only be sold at locations controlled by the service providers; ensures that service providers verify the identity of customers who purchase prepaid mobile service cards before these cards are activated and sets the deadline by which active cards on operator networks without adequate identification information have to be mandatorily deactivated.  The regulation will also prohibit the sale of prepaid cards to persons under the age of 18. 

Cabinet approved for Government to accept budget support from the World Bank via a “Programme for Results” (PforR), which will target reforms across the social protection system in Seychelles. The aim of the programme is to ensure sustainability of the social protection system, and to ensure that working-age beneficiaries are economically included in the labour force. The Programme will look at the five largest cash transfer programmes managed by the Agency for Social Protection:  Retirement Pension, Homecare Programme, Invalidity Benefit, Disability Benefit, and Social Welfare Assistance. 

Cabinet discussed and approved the 2021 Budget proposals which will be refined and gazetted.