President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has stated that the government is working to clear all outstanding payments to fishermen before the start of Ramadan.
He made these remarks while speaking to the residents of Dhuvaafaru this afternoon.
All Outstanding Payments to Fishermen to be Cleared Before Ramadan
In his speech, the President highlighted that the fisheries industry is one of the sectors this government most desires to expand, and stated that the government is working to disburse all pending payments owed to fishermen before the arrival of the month of Ramadan.
"We are looking to do this work through some kind of financing mechanism before Ramadan arrives. We are currently looking to arrange the funds within the established legal framework by working with the Fisheries Ministry and a major state-owned enterprise. This is not a promise. We are working to see if we can finish paying all the money owed to the fishermen."
The President said there is confidence that the efforts to secure the funds will be successful, and once arranged, the money owed to fishermen will be paid before Ramadan. Furthermore, he stated that after paying the fishermen (clearing the backlog), the focus will then shift to establishing a system where payments to fishermen are not delayed but are disbursed within 48 hours.
"From that point onwards, we will look to disburse payments within forty-eight hours as I promised. We haven't been able to reach that stage because we are completely stuck dealing with the backlog. I am not someone who makes a promise and then deceives and lies," the President said.
MIFCO has now paid a portion of the outstanding bills for the fish purchased from fishermen. MIFCO has stated that the remaining money for the "backlog" bills will be paid before Tuesday. Bills are also currently being issued for the fish being weighed now. The government has stated that payments for those bills will also be made on a weekly basis.
Paying for the fish purchased from fishermen within 48 hours is a presidential pledge of Dr. Muizzu.
