A Week Passes Without MIFCO Payments to Fishermen

Fishermen have stated that it has been a week since MIFCO paid for the fish purchased from them.

Expressing concern over this, fishermen said that even previously, MIFCO released payments only after many days of pleading. They added that receiving payments in installments made it very difficult to pay off debts and manage daily living expenses.

Although the government stated that they would issue payments for bills on a weekly basis after clearing the previous "backlog" due to a lack of funds, fishermen said that it has been a week since MIFCO released any money.

"We have absolutely no idea what is going on. Every time, they give us a little money only after we get angry and shout. We shouldn't actually have to beg MIFCO. We are asking for our own money. Every time we come to Kooddoo and weigh our fish, they just give us a ticket. This is too much now. Even if the government says there is no money, we will not accept it," a fisherman said.

Another fisherman said that when it comes to paying fishermen, the government has no money, but they have funds to do whatever else they want.

"When the President wants, he travels... holds rallies spending huge amounts... but when it's time to pay us, there is no money. What the government is saying makes no sense at all. They don't even seem to know that it is the month of Ramadan now. If they knew our situation, they would have given us our money," an angry fisherman said.

Fishermen warned that if MIFCO continues to prolong the days without paying the bills, they will come out to protest again.

Releasing payments within 48 hours of weighing fish to MIFCO is a presidential pledge of Dr. Muizzu. However, when the government took office, it was difficult to issue payments to fishermen due to the weakened economy and the "backlog" inherited from the previous administration. Nevertheless, the government cleared those payments by distributing them over different periods.