Government Leaders on 'Honeymoon' While Fishermen Go Unpaid, Says Solih

Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (Ibu) has stated that the leaders of the current administration are on a "honeymoon" instead of paying fishermen.

Solih made these remarks while speaking at a rally held to open the Male' campaign office for the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) candidate for the Thimarafushi constituency, Fathuhulla Jameel.

Solih stated that three months into the current administration, no funds have been released to fishermen from the state budget. He noted that the only funds disbursed as pending payments to fishermen were the 100 million Rufiyaa included in the supplementary budget passed during his administration.

Highlighting that senior government officials are busy with "honeymoon" trips instead of paying fishermen, Solih said President Muizzu traveled to Dubai with a 48-member delegation on a round-the-world honeymoon trip, and is currently touring the atolls for the parliamentary campaign using state funds. Solih emphasized the importance of giving these funds to fishermen rather than spending them on such trips.

Further criticizing the administration, Solih said the current government officials do not know how to run a government or manage finances, and are employing weak policies in paying fishermen. He also stated that the whereabouts of the revenue generated from selling fish must be disclosed.

While Solih has made these remarks, fishermen are echoing similar sentiments. Fishermen state that President Muizzu is conducting campaign trips to the atolls using state funds. Asserting that state funds also belong to them, fishermen have called for an end to these campaign trips. Expressing concern over the government's failure to disburse pending payments, fishermen protested for four days, bringing operations at the Kooddoo Fish Factory and the Addu Fisheries Complex to a halt. In response to the pressure, MIFCO released 70 million Rufiyaa yesterday from the outstanding dues.

Fishermen noted that the 70 million Rufiyaa released last night, after three months of non-payment, amounts to a very small sum when divided among individual vessels. Estimating that there are over 18,000 fishermen across the Maldives, they said that after paying off debts accumulated during the unpaid period, only a meager amount would remain. Fishermen are deeply disappointed by this. However, since their only means of earning a living is by returning to sea, they were forced to halt their protest last night.

The inability to pay fishermen stems from a lack of state funds. The government has repeatedly promised to clear all pending payments to fishermen before March 5, even if it requires securing a loan with a sovereign guarantee or utilizing another financial facility. Fishermen stated last night that they only paused the protest because a small portion of the funds was disbursed. However, they warned that if the government fails to fulfill its promise, they will protest even more vigorously. A large segment of the fishing community is now labeling this administration as one that lies and deceives.