Applications open for vessel solar, refrigeration system aid
By
Aminath Shifleen
Government on Monday opened applications for fishermen to apply for assistance to set up a water-cooling system or Refrigerated Sea Water (RSW) system in the hull of fishing vessels and set up solar power systems to generate power.
As part of the government's blue economy policy, the government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Islamic Development Bank (ISDB) to ensure that fishermen can keep their catch as fresh as possible and to solve the lack of ice availability during the good fishing season. As part of the agreement, the SME Development Finance Corporation (SDFC) will provide assistance under an open financing scheme.
According to a statement issued by the fisheries ministry and the economy ministry, the scheme will be implemented:
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In two phases to install the system in a total of 200 vessels
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RSW system and solar system to be installed in 100 vessels in the first phase
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This phase will be carried out this year and next
There are certain criteria for participation in the scheme:
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Being a registered vessel
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Having an valid licence for fishing
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A vessel is used for fishing at present
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Vessel more than 50 feet in length
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Vessel that can store at least 15 tonnes of fish
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Space to install the RSW system
According to the fisheries ministry, the programme is being conducted in two phases.
Stage-1:
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At this stage, based on the information submitted in the application and information recorded in the ministry, the information about the vehicle and the space for RSW and solar power packs required for it will be identified
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The second stage can be reached only after taking into account the technicalities of the interested parties
Stage-2:
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The RSW system will be allowed to be selected from the list of suppliers listed with the SDFC
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The pricing will be decided on the basis of the system chosen at the time
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Will provide training on installing the system and its operations
Candidates can apply for the scheme from till 31 December. Applications can be submitted through the SDFC portal, according to the ministry.
