Saturday
27th Apr 2024
Dhivehi Edition
Addu Meedhoo MP Rozaina Adam. | Photo: People’s Parliament
A resolution has been moved in Parliament calling for a solution to the delay in payment of fishermen.
The resolution was moved by Addu Meedhoo MP Rozaina Adam. In the resolution, she called for the fishermen to be paid their dues as soon as possible.
Rozaina said the fishermen have not received their money since December 18th last year and claimed that there is 298 million MVR to be paid to them till date. She further stated that two months have passed and they have not received the money.
The resolution called on the government to hand over the money to the fishermen as soon as possible as they have not received the money for their hard work for more than two months.
"Fishermen are working hard, and are important to building the economy of Maldives. It is their right to get paid for their hard work, while it is the government's responsibility to ensure the rights of the fishermen under the promises made and the law, the fishermen have been complaining about not getting paid for their fish for more than two months,” she said.
However, the Minister of Fisheries has already spoken on this issue. Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam stated that the Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) will be able to pay the outstanding amount to the fishermen before March 5th, 2024.
Speaking to “Dhiyares” about the protest by some fishermen in Kooddoo, the minister said that the previous government had about 240 million MVR outstanding when it took over the government. The outstanding backlog is now roughly 280 million MVR due to difficulties in disbursement.
MP Rozaina Adam belongs to the Maldivian Democratic Party, which held the presidency and a supermajority in Parliament for the last 5 years before President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu won the presidential election last October.