On the afternoon of Thursday 12th June 2025, the Media, Youth, Sports and Culture Committee (MYSCC) led by Chairperson Hon. Wavel Woodcock, conducted a visit to the Department of Information Communication Technology (DICT). The Chairperson was accompanied by Vice-Chairperson Hon. Philip Arissol, Hon. Conrad Gabriel, Hon. Georges Romain and Hon. Valdana Sultan. Assistance was provided by Committee Secretary Mr. Vincent Quatre and Assistant Secretary Ms. Michelle Cupidon. The Committee was welcomed by Principal Secretary Mr. Benjamin Choppy, Director of Policy, Strategy and Research Ms. Beryl Payet, Operations Manager Mr. Hendrick Andre, and Procurement Manager Mr. Randy Barra.
Beginning with the Administration Section, responsible for the delivery of Human Resources, corporate facilities, and staff welfare services, the Committee were apprised of the operations of DICT. Members had the opportunity to visit and speak with staff of various sections, including the Network Operations Section, largely responsible for the administration and management of networking infrastructure and the expansion of the Electronic Government Network (EGN); the Policy, Standards and Research Section, a team with the mandate to develop the guidelines and standards adhered to by all government IT technicians; the Services and Support Section, who provide day-to-day support of all Electronic Government operations, including the management of outsourced contracts; and the Software Development Section who develop and test applications for use by the whole Electronic Government Network. The Software Development Section was noted as one of the most significant aspects to the successful implementation of the Electronic Government.
The Committee questioned DICT on various aspects of their operations, including the ongoing relationship with other governmental IT Departments. It was noted that DICT provides training to MDAs on the use of online services and systems, as well as supporting the broader goal of nation-wide security standards. The Committee was also apprised on the rationale behind the sizable budget dedicated to internet provision, with representatives of DICT noting that it covered the use of internet for multiple MDAs, as well as the establishment of secure point-to-point connections.
The site visit then concluded with a meeting with Management Staff, where PS Choppy was able to provide more information on the staffing aspects of the operations. It was noted that DICT currently employs 74 staff, 75% of which are technical staff involved in specialised operations. 90% of this workforce is Seychellois, with an emphasis on providing sustainable avenues for employment within DICT. PS Choppy also remarked that recent recruitment drives had led to an increase in female employees, showing a general shift towards women entering and establishing themselves with the ICT field.
Hon. Woodcock expressed that despite the advancements being made by DICT, such as the digital SeyID platform, there is a lapse in public awareness. Suggestions forwarded by the Committee was for the consideration of a Public Relations team to enhance the visibility of DICT’s capabilities. The meeting then concluded with a commitment by MYSCC to continue its fruitful collaboration with DICT, and to further work towards the goal of public sensitization on the valuable work being conducted in the field of information communication technology.
