Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam says since taking over the government on 17th November 2023, this administration has issued MVR 435 million as payment for fishermen and that the aim is to make all due payments by Ramadan.
This comes as fishermen continue to protest at the Kuddoo fishing complex against the government for failing to pay for the fish catch. The Minister himself went to Kuddoo to appease the fishermen and today he appeared before the parliament to answer his questions.
Shiyam said that as the government is purchasing fish for MVR 20 (per kilo) there are some difficulties in making the payments but the aim was to make all the due payments by the 5th of next month.
He explained that the government is working to make MVR 100 million out of the total MVR 280 million due to the fishermen by next Monday. He said that the government plans to pay the rest (MVR 180 million).
The Minister said that since the government made changes to the fish purchasing price, the Ministry will issue payments in all of the coming weeks.
