LETTER

Seychelles: PMA & partners call for urgent review of SBC Bill

23 June 2026

The Public Media Alliance has coordinated a letter, signed by other international organisations that support press freedom, outlining concerns with the current iteration of the SBC Bill and calling for a pause while proper consultation takes place. 

The Public Media Alliance has sent a letter, signed by other international media freedom organisations and public broadcasting associations, to the Seychelles’ Minister of Information, calling for the SBC Bill, gazetted last month and currently going through the parliamentary process, to be put on pause to undergo thorough scrutiny.

In the letter, the organisations welcomed the stated ambition of the bill to establish a “modern, independent, editorially autonomous, and financially sustainable public broadcasting institution.” However, they said there are concerns that other provisions in the bill, specific relating to the governance, appointments process and funding of the SBC, that would “significantly weaken the institutional independence it claims to protect, undermining the core principles that underpin its role as a public service media organisation.” 

Additionally, there is a concern that the Bill has not been subjected to proper consultation or scrutiny by the relevant stakeholders. The organisations call for the Bill to be put on hold, while such an engagement process takes place, so the Bill can be improved to strengthen the SBC’s independence, rather than weaken it.

Read the full letter below. 

Dear Mr. Sebastien Pillay, Vice President of the Republic of Seychelles, and Minister of Information, 

We, the undersigned international organisations dedicated to supporting media freedom, public service media and independent journalism,  write to express our serious concern regarding the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation Bill (SBC) 2026, which was gazetted in May 2026 and is currently under consideration by the National Assembly.

We welcome the stated ambition of the bill to establish a “modern, independent, editorially autonomous, and financially sustainable public broadcasting institution.” We also note with approval specific provisions aimed at codifying editorial standards and supporting digital transformation.  

However, we are deeply concerned that, as currently drafted, the bill would significantly weaken the institutional independence it claims to protect, undermining the core principles that underpin its role as a public service media organisation. We align ourselves with the concerns expressed publicly by the SBC’s own Board of Directors, who have warned that several provisions “could weaken the institutional independence” of the Corporation.

As one of Africa’s strongest performers on media freedom and democratic governance indicators, the Seychelles has an opportunity to demonstrate regional leadership by adopting a public media framework that reflects the highest standards of independence, accountability and public trust.

Our concerns centre on three areas: 

1. Governance and appointments: The proposed Bill removes longstanding safeguards that have insulated the SBC from political pressure and leaves the system vulnerable to exploitation. For example, the replacement of the independent Constitutional Appointments Authority (CAA) with a president-appointed select committee raises serious questions over the independence and transparency of the process.

Combined with the President’s power to appoint five members of the Board, the proposed structure would result in presidential appointees holding a majority of voting positions on the Board. While elected representatives and government nominees may legitimately have a role in public media governance, international good practice is that such appointments should not constitute a controlling majority. Public service media must be protected from both actual political influence and the perception of political influence. The proposed arrangements risk creating both.

2. Executive appointments: The bill would also grant the president sole authority to appoint the CEO and deputy CEO. This is of alarm as currently, the executives – involved in the day-to-day running of the public broadcaster – are appointed by the president in consultation with the speaker of the National Assembly and the Chief Justice. This new model risks undermining transparency and the operational and editorial independence of the SBC, under this, or any future governments. 

3. Financial autonomy: The proposed bill provides that the SBC be funded through appropriations approved  by the National Assembly, without establishing a guarantee of adequate, reliable, and safeguarded funding. This could leave the SBC more financially vulnerable to political pressure.

Globally, media freedom organisations have observed an increasing tendency for funding mechanisms to be used as instruments to apply pressure and constrain critical journalism. Any credible, long-term funding framework must protect public media from this risk and ensure editorial independence. We call for any funding model to provide sustainable levels of funding so public media can fulfil their public mandate, while also guaranteeing its independence, and preventing opportunities for funding to be used as leverage against public media and their editorial decisions.