Current administration pays over MVR 1 Bil to fishers

The Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources Ahmed Shiyam has claimed the current administration has disbursed over MVR 1 billion owed to local fishers.

At the press conference held on Tuesday to provide information to media about the ministry’s various efforts, Minister Shiyam said that as of October 27^th, the government has successfully paid all outstanding amounts to local fishers as promised earlier.

Since the current administration took charge on November 17, 2023 until October 27^th this year, the government has disbursed a total of MVR 1.04 billion of outstanding money owed to local fishers.

The current administration owed a significant amount of unpaid money to local fishers, held in backlog.

According to the minister, around the presidential election last year, the state-run Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) was buying fish at a rate of MVR 17 per kilogram, but was bumped to MVR 25 per kilogram immediately after the first round of the elections wrapped up.

The minister viewed this abrupt increment in fish purchase price a politically motivated move by the then government.

Shiyam further said that the sudden spike in fish purchase price was adversely felt industry wide; including the large sum of outstanding payments to fishers.

He added it was among President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s top priority in addressing the grievances shared by local fishers and expedite all efforts of settling the dues owed to them.

While the current administration has successfully cleared the backlog in outstanding payments to fishers, several peaceful demonstrations and some protests had occurred earlier in 2024 led by various fisheries-related associations over the delays in settling their payments. The situation dissipated after the government promised, and made active efforts in, repaying the outstanding money.