MIFCO fails to pay fishermen's bills for over two weeks

It has been over two weeks since the Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) last paid for the fish purchased on credit from fishermen.

MIFCO facilities last made payments for fish purchases on the 31st of last month, which covered bills for fish weighed up until the 27th of that month.

While 17 days have passed from October 28 to today, MIFCO has not paid for the fish purchased during this period. In addition to the non-payment, MIFCO has not informed fishermen of a date when the funds will be disbursed. Since MIFCO does not disclose statistics on fish purchases, it remains unclear how much fish was taken on credit from fishermen during this period.

When MIFCO reduced the fish purchasing price on July 1, the government stated that the price reduction would allow fishermen to be paid within two weeks without any difficulties. However, fishermen are currently being paid on a month-to-month basis. Since MIFCO is a commercial company and fishermen engage in business transactions with it, fishermen argue that paying for the purchased fish is MIFCO's responsibility and that the company has been negligent in issuing payments. Furthermore, fishermen allege that MIFCO is acting this way with the intention of harassing them.

Regarding the delays in MIFCO issuing payments to fishermen, Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam has stated that efforts are underway to establish easier payment arrangements through discussions with MIFCO, the Fisheries Ministry, the Finance Ministry, STO, and BML. He was also the one who promised payments would be made within two weeks. However, fishermen say he has now forgotten his promise to disburse funds within two weeks. Fishermen who spoke to this newspaper said they no longer believe anything the Minister says, and they refuse to believe him because his actions contradict his words. At every podium, the Minister currently states, "We will fulfill the promises made by this government to the fishermen to the letter." But fishermen say they doubt a government that cannot even pay within two weeks will be able to fulfill its promise to arrange payments within 48 hours of weighing the fish.