Chinese Government provides EUR 2 million grant for Seychelles National Assembly Building Construction Project

Project narrative

On February 10, 2007, the Government of Seychelles and the Chinese Government signed a series of five agreements, one of which was an EUR 2 million grant agreement for the National Assembly Building Construction Project. These agreements were signed between Seychelles Minister for Industries, Investment and Technology Jacquelin Dugasse and China's Minister for Commerce Bo Xilai. The source of grant funding was China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM). This project involved construction of a new National Assembly building on Ile du Port. China Shenyang International Economic & Technical Cooperation Co., Ltd. (CSYIC) was the contractor responsible for implementation. A foundation stone laying ceremony took place in March 2008 and Chinese Ambassador to Seychelles Geng Wenbing, Speaker of the National Assembly Dr. Partick Herminie, Vice President Joseph Belmont, and a number of cabinet ministers were all present. However, several Members of Parliament from the Seychelles National Party boycotted the laying of the first stone of the new building. Construction began on August 12, 2008 and ended on November 12, 2009. An official inauguration ceremony was held on December 4, 2009. It was also boycotted by opposition party members of the Seychelles legislature . The opposition Seychelles National Party boycotted because they felt that the assembly building, symbolic of Seychellois democracy, should have been constructed from Seychellois resources, not another sovereign nation. However, they recognized the generosity of the Chinese government in its willingness to help. In September 2010, the Chinese Government agreed to extend the contract of the maintenance of the National Assembly by a year to train local contractors so they could maintain the building.