President Danny Faure visited the Ministry of Employment, Immigration and Civil Status at Independence House this morning, as part of his weekly visits to workplaces and institutions. The President was welcomed by the Minister for Employment, Immigration and Civil Status, Mrs Myriam Telemaque, and Principal Secretary for the Employment Department, Mr Jules Baker.

The President’s visit began at the Employment Department, Independence House Annexe, where he was given a guided tour by PS Baker through the various sections. The President visited sections including Accounts, HR and Budget Management, IT, Labour Migration, Registration, Special Employment Programme Section, and Industrial Relations.

The delegation then proceeded to the Immigration and Civil Status Department, guided by the Principal Secretary for the Department, Mr Alain Volcere, where President Faure met staff in the various sections.

On the ground floor of Independence House, President Faure was given a tour of the Customer Service Centre, National ID Card Unit, Birth Certificate Unit, Death Registration and Marriage Celebration Office.

The visit was followed by a meeting with the Minister and her senior management staff for both Departments, where they raised different challenges that are affecting their operations. These include constraints of office space, workforce, and finances among others.

The President highlighted that he is satisfied with his visit and commended the staff for their hard work and dedication despite the challenges. He noted that this Ministry is extremely important for the continued development of Seychelles.

President Faure emphasised the need of transferring the skills at middle management so that for the next 25 years, there is continuity based on experience. He also noted the introduction of a new Immigration law which will modernise the way things are done.

President Faure also marked his satisfaction with the progress of new schemes introduced by the government such as Unemployment Relief Scheme and My First Job. He underlined the importance of communication and for the Government to share the many positive success stories with citizens.