Vice-President and Minister for Information, Technology and Innovation, Mr Sebastien Pillay, yesterday officially launched the revamped Seychelles Government Portal, egov.sc, at a ceremony held at the Savoy Resort and Spa. The event, hosted by the Department of Information under the Office of the Vice-President, was attended by high-level guests from across Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.
The relaunch of egov.sc, a joint initiative of the Department of Information and the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT), was held under the theme “Access Government Services, With Just One Click.” The launch ceremony coincided with a profoundly significant moment in the nation’s calendar, the 50th Anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Seychelles.
Delivering the keynote address, Vice-President Pillay described the milestone as a decisive stride in President Patrick Herminie’s vision to position Seychelles among the world’s leading digital economies within the next five years.
He spoke candidly about the state of the portal prior to its revamp, noting that egov.sc had not undergone any meaningful review or update for well over a decade. During that time, he said, the world had evolved and so too had the expectations of the Seychellois people, yet the portal had, in practice, become little more than a platform that public servants visited solely to access their government email, falling far short of its mandate to provide quality, effective access to centralised government services.
Vice-President Pillay stated that upon assuming his responsibilities as Minister with oversight of Information and Technology, closing that gap became one of his highest priorities. The objective of the revamp, he emphasised, was not merely to give the portal a fresh appearance, but to restore it to its rightful place as a living, well-maintained platform that delivers a genuinely high standard of public service, one aligned with the national digital plan and one that makes government information truly accessible to all.
The ceremony featured a project overview delivered by the Principal Secretary of the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT), Mr Benjamin Choppy, who outlined the technical scope and key features of the revamped portal, underscoring its significance to Seychelles’ broader digital economy ambitions.
This was followed by a symbolic handing over of the portal poster from the PS of DICT to the PS of the Department of Information, Ms Ginnie Lucas. The proceedings were enriched by a poetry performance, which preceded the centrepiece moment of the afternoon, the official unveiling of the revamped egov.sc through a dedicated launch video, activated by Vice-President Pillay. The SNYC Band then provided musical entertainment, a patriotic performance in honour of the nation’s 50th Independence Anniversary.
Going forward, the Department of Information will bear responsibility for content management on the portal, whilst DICT continues to manage its technical functions.
Members of the public, residents, and organisations are invited to visit egov.sc to experience the convenience of their government at their fingertips.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Seychelles.
