In the Chamber of Deputies, the parliamentary commission looking at the draft Law to Regulate Use of Social Media and Cyberspace adopted on Tuesday the articles determining computer crimes and some cybercrimes, in addition to the penalties and fines that, in each case, will be imposed by the relevant jurisdictional bodies on those who commit them, during sessions that are being held under the moderation of the President of the institution, Gaudencio Mohaba Messu.

Computer-related crimes include, firstly, those related to the integrity of computer systems, such as unauthorised access to computer systems, programmes or data, the illegal interception of communications and transmissions between information and communication technology systems, the improper tapping of other people’s communications, intentional interference with computer systems, alteration, destruction, duplication or damage and the total or partial disabling of the integrity, availability and confidentiality of computer systems, data or processes, in addition to the possession of equipment, devices, programmes or provision of services aimed at breaching computer security.

Secondly it contains offences related to computer fraud, such as inserting false or fraudulent instructions in these systems to obtain profit, computer espionage to unduly obtain sensitive personal data or confidential public information contained in a system, violation of computer security, which consists of the breach of a restricted or protected computer system without the corresponding authorisation, and theft by computerised means, in order to seize property or assets by taking them away from their owner, holder or possessor, with the aim of obtaining financial gain.

Fraudulent manipulation of data records and smart cards or similar instruments, improperly obtaining or providing goods or services by such means, breach of judicial custody of data and breach of confidentiality of information learned during the course of an investigation, interception or retrieval of data from a computer system or its components are also computer-related offences.

The cybercrime section covers, among other things, offences related to impersonating or taking over the computer identity of another person, unauthorised disclosure of information stored on a computer or technological device, unlawful use of personal data, unauthorised transfer of public information classified as confidential, violating computer systems or data, or endangering the security of the sovereignty of the State.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Equatorial Guinea: Official Web Page of the Government.

On April 2, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had a telephone conversation with Foreign Minister of the Republic of Benin Olushegun Adjadi Bakari at the initiative of the Beninese side. The Foreign Minister of Benin conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those killed in the terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall. He underscored the solidarity of the Beninese people with the Russian people and expressed confidence that those responsible for this heinous crime will be brought to justice.

The ministers exchanged opinions on certain aspects of Russian-Beninese relations, including the development of political dialogue and the expansion of trade, economic, and cultural ties.

During their discussion of African issues, the ministers focused on the escalating situation in the Sahara-Sahel region, which has been exacerbated by the growing terrorist threat. They emphasised the urgent need for regional countries to unite their efforts in countering jihadist groups.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

After several years of preparation, negotiation, exchange and correspondence, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and the Sultanate of Oman have given the green light to their diplomatic relations. The signing of this declaration took place at the Permanent Mission of Oman before the United Nations, in New York City.

With special recognition and thanks to the President of the Republic, His Excellency Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Sultan of Oman, the signing of the declarations in Spanish and Arabic on the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the two countries was described as a momentous step in the diplomatic journey of the two peoples and governments.

With the signatures of Anatolio Ndong Mba, Ambassador Permanent Representative of Equatorial Guinea before the United Nations, and Mohamed Al-Hassan, Ambassador Permanent Representative of the Sultanate of Oman before the UN, the process, finally completed after almost five years, constitutes a historic milestone for the foreign policy of these two countries at the bilateral and multilateral level within the context of the United Nations System.

“Today is a great day for me, signing on behalf of our peoples and governments, the establishment of diplomatic relations. We have a lot of respect and admiration for Equatorial Guinea, a country we want to be as close as possible to,” said Mohamed Al-Hassan.

For his part, Anatolio Ndong Mba said he was particularly honoured that finally, after years of preparation and negotiation, “we have been able to conclude by signing this agreement.

We hope that, through signing, we can strengthen cooperation at the level of the two governments and at the level of the United Nations. We also hope that diplomatic meetings between the two administrations and in the respective capital cities will begin following this signing”.

Ndong Mba and Al-Hassan’s signatures and handshake were the most significant moments during this symbolic ceremony.

On the same day, Anatolio Ndong Mba received, at the headquarters of the Permanent Mission of Equatorial Guinea, a group of students from the University of Iona in New York, who came to meet the Ambassador, as they are preparing a presentation on the role of an Equatoguinean diplomat at the United Nations.

These students focused their attention on tourism, women’s empowerment, child protection, disarmament, climate change and sustainable development in the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. In order to avoid possible errors that could lead to misinformation, and to ensure that the above-mentioned intercollegiate presentations are in line with the true situation regarding the country, the session was arranged with Anatolio Ndong Mba.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Equatorial Guinea: Official Web Page of the Government.

The Seychellois economy continued to recover in 2023 and is moving closer to pre-pandemic norms despite external shocks and a complex disaster from flooding and an industrial explosion; The government made good progress in implementing the EFF and RSF—meeting almost all quantitative targets under the program and making notable progress on macro-structural benchmarks and climate related reform measures; Seychelles’ economic outlook is generally positive. However, given its high vulnerability to external shocks and climate change, continued efforts to reduce public debt, rebuild fiscal and external buffers, bolster the efficiency of public spending, and ensure support for the most vulnerable segments of the population are critical.

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team led by Mr. Todd Schneider visited Victoria from March 21-April 3, 2024, to conduct discussions on the second reviews of Seychelles’ economic and financial program supported by the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Arrangement and the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). The team met with the authorities and private sector representatives for the 2024 Article IV consultation.

At the end of the mission, Mr. Schneider issued the following statement:

“Following a post-pandemic surge in economic activity in 2022, real GDP growth slowed to an estimated 3.2 percent in 2023, despite a continued increase in tourism activity, with visitor arrivals reaching a level equivalent to over 91 percent of the pre-pandemic high and tourism earnings continuing to rise. Real GDP growth is expected to reach about 3.7 percent in 2024 on the back of a continued increase in visitor arrivals together with buoyant activity in IT, construction, and the financial sector. This outlook incorporates some drag on activity linked to the impact of the December 2023 flooding and explosion at Providence Industrial Estates.

“Year-on-year headline inflation entered negative territory in May 2023 and fell to a low of -2.7 percent in December. The steepest declines were in housing, electricity, and utilities (-5.3 percent). Significant decreases were also seen in transport and food, reflecting the pass-through of lower imported food and fuel prices and appreciation of the exchange rate. Year-over-year inflation is expected to rise to 1.6 percent in 2024, largely on the back of increases in utility prices.

“The government achieved a primary fiscal surplus of 1.7 percent of GDP in 2023. This was an over-performance relative to the EFF program target. Underspending on both recurrent and capital budget lines more than offset lower-than-expected revenues. While the fiscal position was moderately tighter than might be desired, the fiscal surplus contributed to a further decline in public and publicly guaranteed debt to 58.5 percent of GDP at end-2023.

“The external current account deficit is estimated to have widened slightly to around 7.2 percent of GDP in 2023, partly reflecting higher imports related to foreign direct investment (FDI). The Central Bank of Seychelles (CBS) overperformed modestly with respect to targets for foreign exchange reserves accumulation under the EFF program. Gross reserves stood at about $682 million at end-2023, equivalent to about 3.2 months of import cover.

“The CBS maintained the monetary policy rate at 2 percent during 2023. Given lower-than-projected growth, disinflation, and the rise in real interest rates, the mission sees the recent decision to lower the policy rate in March 2024 as appropriate. The CBS has also moved to increase absorption of domestic liquidity with a view to enhancing the effectiveness of monetary policy and is closely monitoring financial sector soundness.

“The government has made strong progress in implementing the IMF-supported programs. All but one of the quantitative targets under the program were met (a slight underperformance on the revenue target). The EFF structural reform agenda continues to move ahead, albeit with some technical delays. The reform measure linked to the second review under the RSF (cabinet approval of draft building legislation integrating climate adaptation and mitigation aspects) has been completed.

“While the outlook remains positive and risks are roughly balanced, the Seychellois economy remains highly vulnerable to external shocks and climate change in the medium- to long-term. Downside risks to the outlook include potential upward pressure on commodity and transport prices from the conflict in Israel and Gaza, continued attacks in the Red Sea, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and continued vulnerability to climate-related shocks. Maintaining the buildup of fiscal and external buffers remains critical in the current global environment and requires the continuation of prudent macroeconomic policies and the safeguarding of international reserves.

“The team thanks the Seychellois authorities for their close collaboration as well as frank and open exchange during the discussions.  Meetings were held with President Ramkalawan, Minister of Finance, National Planning and Trade Hassan, Governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles Abel, other senior government officials, and representatives of the private sector.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Monetary Fund (IMF).