VICTORIA, Seychelles — The board of the Central Bank of Seychelles (CBS) has decided to maintain the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 1.75 percent for the first quarter of 2026, governor Caroline Abel announced at a press conference held on Wednesday morning at the bank’s temporary office at Unity House. The decision was taken on Monday, keeping the interest rates on the Standing Deposit Facility and Standing Credit Facility unchanged at 0.25 percent and 3.25 percent respectively.
Governor Abel explained that the board is awaiting the presentation of the 2026 National Budget before assessing government spending and revenue plans. ‘We will decide if there should be any adjustments to the policy in the next meeting in March 2026,’ she said. A review of the domestic economy showed continued support from the strong performance of the tourism sector, with total visitor arrivals as of November 30, 2025, standing at 361,422, surpassing last year’s levels.
From January to November, visitor numbers increased by 12 percent, while tourism revenue rose by 8.5 percent, equating to 7.5 billion rupees or US $545 million. Despite this strong performance, demand for foreign exchange outpaced supply in the second half of the year, leading to a depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar, the euro, and the pound sterling.
