Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company MIFCO says it has no plans to reduce the purchase price of fish from fishermen across the country.
This comes after several messages from MIFCO's Managing Director Ismail Fauzee circulated on social media in which he stated that the company was reviewing the purchasing price of fish.
He said in these messages that MIFCO was holding talks with the Finance Ministry and other government agencies about the review.
The MD's message further stated that the purchase price of fish must be set at MVR 20 or lower in the current market and if not it would be difficult to manage the company's expenditures.
In relation to these messages, the Company clarified that since the company revised the purchase price of fish last December, it had been buying 1 kg of fish for MVR 25.
MIFCO reiterated it has no plans to reduce the purchase price of fish and assured that it has had no official talks with the Finance Ministry or other government agencies about reviewing this price.
The State-owned company also touched on the issue of fishermen not receiving the money for the fish they sell to MIFCO. It said that they are working with all relevant organizations to pay off all the outstanding payments to fishermen and said that it would continue to pay for the fish it purchases.
MIFCO hiked the purchase price of fish from MVR 17 to MVR 25 during the Presidential Campaign.
