President Dr Mohamed Muizzu met with local fishermen at the President’s Office today, where union representatives expressed satisfaction with the Government’s progress in implementing proposals previously submitted by the fishing community.
During the meeting, the fishermen thanked the President for the Government's ongoing efforts, particularly highlighting the introduction of the 48-hour payment system. They noted that this and other initiatives had led to visible improvements in the sector, including a rise in youth participation in the fisheries industry.
The primary request presented by the fishermen was the revision of the fish purchase price to MVR 20 per kilogram, aligning with the Government’s earlier pledge. Other requests included facilitating access to fuel at State Trading Organisation (STO) rates, the introduction of digital weighing scales, the expansion of fish weighing stations, and the installation of additional Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs). The union also proposed the establishment of a system for daily payments for weighed fish and requested consideration for providing Ramadan bonuses to fishermen.
In response, President Muizzu reaffirmed his commitment to increasing the fish purchase price to MVR 20 per kilogram and noted that work is already underway to implement a daily payment system and to digitise the entire fisheries sector. He also highlighted the introduction of bank loan facilities tailored for fishermen and assured that the Government would continue working to improve and expand access to financial support.
The President reiterated his Administration’s dedication to enhancing ice plant facilities, as outlined in the Presidential Address, and confirmed that ongoing projects aimed at increasing capacity would be completed as planned.
On the matter of Ramadan bonuses, President Dr Muizzu expressed his intention to extend this benefit to all eligible workers, including fishermen. He emphasised that such allowances should be distributed through a structured framework based on the official fishermen’s registry and encouraged the union to view the matter constructively.
The President concluded the meeting by reaffirming his commitment to working closely with stakeholders in the fisheries sector to resolve challenges and to support the continued development and prosperity of the industry.