Description:
In 2008, after many years of
unsustainable fiscal policy and a distorted and overvalued
foreign exchange regime, the Government of Seychelles
embarked upon a bold economic reform program. This program
aims to put the economy on a path toward macroeconomic
stability, liberalize the economy and to allow the private
sector to take over from the state as the driving force in
the economy. Seychelles, a small open, middle-income island
state with relatively low incidence of poverty and near full
employment, faced acute economic difficulties in 2008 as a
result of past economic management exacerbated by the rising
global oil and food prices and the downturn in the global
economy. This resulted in missed debt-service payments and
the subsequent downgrading of its credit rating by standard
and poor's. Faced with current debt service
difficulties and a historically poor credit track record,
the authorities responded quickly by adopting a
comprehensive reform program supported by a second year
stand by arrangement with the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) and commencing negotiations with Paris club and other
private and official creditors for debt restructuring. The
government has embarked upon a comprehensive reform strategy
aimed at restoring internal and external balances with the
assistance of the international financial institutions and
development partners. The reform program includes: (i) the
complete liberalization of the exchange rate regime and
float of the currency (which was introduced in November
2008); and (ii) tightened fiscal policy, including improved
targeting of the comprehensive social safety net and a
privatization program to deal with the many state-owned
enterprises. The focus of the public expenditure review
(PER) reflects the fact that revisiting the role and
functions of government lie at the heart of the economic
reforms that need to take place in the next two years. This
chapter provides a survey of recent developments,
medium-term macroeconomic developments and their fiscal
policy implications. Chapter two examines public expenditure
trends and budget management issues. Chapters three, four,
and five examine civil service reform, health care, and
education issues respectively.