Members of Cabinet,

Secretaries of State,

Principal Secretaries

Distinguished Guests, all Protocols Observed,

Good afternoon, and welcome to our official ceremony of the egov.sc

In order to fully appreciate the significance of today, we must first be honest with ourselves about where we have been, and about the vision that this new administration holds for the future.

The Seychelles Government Portal, egov.sc, had not undergone any meaningful review or update for well over a decade. During that time, the world evolved, and so too did the expectations of our people. The demand for better information and faster, more efficient access to services became not merely a preference but a necessity. The Government had already embarked on a national plan to advance digital solutions capable of driving quality service delivery and greater public satisfaction.

Yet a platform that ought to have occupied a central role in the Government’s digitalisation journey had, in practice, become little more than a portal that public servants visited solely to access their government email. It was no longer fulfilling its mandate to provide quality, effective access to centralised government services.

Not all government information was accessible. What was available was not always easy to find, was not always up to date, and was not always presented in a manner that spoke to the ordinary citizen. In short, the portal had failed to keep pace with the digital age in which we live, and it certainly did not reflect the Government’s vision of a modern, connected, and citizen-centred public service.

When I assumed my responsibilities as the Minister with oversight of Information and Technology, one of my highest priorities was to close that gap. The people of Seychelles deserve to access their government in a manner that is simple, swift, effective, and transparent. Government should not be distant or difficult to reach. It must be accessible, with just “one click”.

A collective effort to revamp egov.sc was initiated jointly by the Department of Information, Innovation and Technology and the Department of Information, giving rise to the transformation we are officially unveiling today. The objective was not merely to give the portal a fresh appearance, but to restore it to its rightful place as a living, well-maintained platform that delivers a genuinely high standard of public service, one that reflects the quality, professionalism, and transparency of our Government; one that is aligned with our national digital plan; one that makes government information truly accessible to all; and one that meets the digital expectations of our people.

I take this opportunity to commend the Department of Information Communications and Technology (DICT) for the technical attention and dedication they have demonstrated throughout the process of renewing the government platform. To ensure that information remains current, the Department of Information bears responsibility for content management on egov.sc, in partnership with DICT, which will continue to manage its technical functions.

It is no coincidence that we are launching this revamped portal at this particular time, as our nation approaches the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Seychelles’ Independence. This Golden Jubilee is a moment for reflection, for pride, and for renewal. It is a time to ask ourselves: what kind of Seychelles are we building for the next fifty years?

Ensuring that our people are well-informed, and delivering a modern digital government service that is responsive to the needs of our citizens, represents a significant stride toward a future defined by an engaged government, one that truly empowers its people to make decisions. That is the kind of government we have committed to being, and we are determined to deliver on that commitment.

To the teams at the Department of Information and at DICT, thank you for your commitment and your hard work in bringing this vision to life. Yet the work is only beginning, and you must sustain this standard of quality service.

To all those gathered here today: we are launching a portal, but we are also launching a new way of working together. egov.sc cannot thrive on content from a single department alone. It depends on the contribution of everyone in this room, the Ministers, the Principal Secretaries, and the Heads of Agencies. When you have a new policy, a service to launch, or information that Seychelles needs to know, egov.sc is where that content belongs. The Department of Information is here to work with you, to guide you, and to ensure that content is published in a consistent and professional manner. When we speak to the Seychellois people through this portal, we are all speaking the same language, a language that is clear, honest, and reflective of the vision of one united government. That is the synergy we wish to sustain together.

Enjoy the proceedings, and a joyful 50th Independence Anniversary to all of Seychelles.

Thank you.

State House Seychelles

Message History

Delivery option(s)