Mahibadhoo MP Ahmed Thoriq (R) speaks at press conference.
Member of ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and lawmaker of Mahibadhoo constituency, Ahmed Thoriq, on Tuesday called for the resignation of Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr Mohamed Shainee.
In a Facebook post, MP Thoriq declared that Minister Shainee must take responsibility for failure to overcome the obstructions facing the fisheries industry. Stating that the minister does not appear able to accomplish much by remaining in position, he called on Dr Shainee to step down.
The lawmaker proclaimed that the government has so far failed over the past three years in its policy for fisheries in the state manifesto. He also listed the authorities’ failure to create a regulatory body to determine a minimum standard rate for fishermen’s catch, despite submissions by PPM members in Parliament, as one of the reasons for Minister Shainee to resign from post.
MP Thoriq further slammed Minister Shainee over lack of attempt to provide solutions for fishermen in capital Male and ensure their rights. He went on to cite the Audit Reports on the fisheries ministry, noting that the reports do not indicate that the ministry is not correcting its violations of financial regulations and best practice policies.
The Audit Report shows that the fisheries ministry has yet to take action to obtain over MVR 39 million owed to the ministry by various entities. The report also notes that the ministry has not kept proper records of its assets nor has it submitted its financial statements to the Audit Office as per the Public Finance Act.