President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has assured the residents of Th. Hirilandhoo that he will fulfill his pledge to establish a cold storage facility on the island.
He gave this assurance while speaking during a meeting with the island's residents. In his speech, he noted that fishing and related industrial activities are very special to Hirilandhoo, and since the island is a hub for industrial work, the government is giving it high priority. Referring to the pledges he made to the island during the presidential election, he stated that preparations are currently underway to begin the cold storage project as part of his commitments to the fisheries sector.
The President said that the cold storage project will be included in next year's state budget, which is currently being prepared for submission to Parliament. He added that once the budget is passed, work on the project will commence at the very beginning of the year to establish the cold storage facility.
"We will start the project right at the beginning, around January. God willing, we will start it that way, carry it forward at a very fast pace, and complete it. I give you that assurance, to all of you who will need it," the President said.
In his speech, the President also highlighted the ongoing project to install Refrigerated Sea Water (RSW) systems on fishing vessels. He stated that out of the applicants for the loan, the highest proportion of successful applications came from Hirilandhoo. Among them, disbursements have already begun for four parties, while preparations are underway to start issuing loans to two others, the President said. He added that a total of six parties from the island are currently included in the loan scheme.
