Fishermen have decided to suspend their protest after MIFCO began releasing a portion of the outstanding payments owed for fish purchases.
Fishermen who spoke to Keyolhu said that some vessels have now received the 70 million rufiyaa that MIFCO promised to process. As MIFCO has stated that processing will take place today and tomorrow, fishermen said they are slowly dismantling the protest and some vessels are now preparing to depart. They added that with the suspension of the protest, Kooddoo's operations can commence tomorrow.
"The money released was not the amount promised. The MIFCO CEO said 119 million would be given. But tonight they released 70 million. If you look at individual fishermen, this is barely enough to eat. To be honest, after paying our debts, we don't even know how much will be left. Anyway, we can't just stay here, we have to work to earn a living," a fisherman said.
The fisherman noted that most vessels using BML accounts have now received the funds. However, vessels using Islamic Bank accounts have not yet received it. He stated that the protest is only suspended for now, and if payments are not made as promised, they might have to resort to protesting again.
Fishermen began protesting in Kooddoo on Sunday. They demanded the immediate payment of all outstanding dues owed to them. However, since the government is unable to pay the entire amount at once, the payments are now scheduled to be disbursed in installments. Nevertheless, the Fisheries Minister has stated that all outstanding payments to fishermen will be cleared by the end of March. The Minister also mentioned that arrangements are being made to pay for current catches on a weekly basis.
Timeline for Government Payments:
Release 70 million today and tomorrow
Release 30 million next Sunday and Monday
Clear the remaining 180 million rufiyaa by March 5
President Dr. Muizzu's pledge is to issue payments within 48 hours of weighing the fish. However, due to the current state of state finances, this is not possible. In relation to this, the Minister stated that arrangements will be made early in the term to fulfill this pledge.
