SCR27.849m Gratuity payout to members of dissolved Assembly

The people of Seychelles will be paying through the Ministry of Finance a total of SCR 27.849 mil-lion as Gratuity to the members of the 6th National Assembly, after the dissolution of the Assembly over a year short of their 5-year tenure.

It is to be remembered that when 15-10 took effect in the Assembly, this was the very first issue the LDS team championed to take care of themselves. They amended the law to facilitate the process for early payment at the age of only 55yrs. As per the National Assembly Members Emoluments Act (1993), at the end of the session of the National Assembly of which the member was a member or, where the member ceases to be a member before the end of the session, on ceasing to be a member, a gratuity of an amount equal to 50% of the total salary paid for the period for which the member was a member in that session is due. In addition, at the end of each year or where the office of a Member of the National Assembly becomes vacant before the end of the year, on the occurrence of the vacancy, a gratuity of an amount equal to 25% of the total salary for that year or that part of the year, as the case may be.

The same provision applies to the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Leader of Government Business and Leader of the Opposition. On average the members of the 6th National Assembly will be getting a cheque for SCR820, 000 (Eight hundred and twenty thousand rupees) each. For doing what?