Govt fails to honor March 5 as minister gives new date to fishermen
"We hope to pay off the existing backlog just before Ramadan”, Shiyam said.
By
Shahudha Mohamed
Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam has said that the unpaid amounts he had earlier promised to release to the fishermen was not met by March 5, but the amounts will be released before the start of the Holy month of Ramadan.
The minister gave the latest details of the money to be released to fishermen at a press conference held on Thursday to publicise the work done by the ministry during the first 14 weeks of incumbent President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s administration.
Fishermen staged protests at MIFCO's Kooddoo and Addu fisheries complexes last month. The same day, Minister Shiyam visited Kooddoo and spoke with the protesting fishermen and fixed dates for the distribution of the money. Thus:
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The government is trying to pay the pending MVR 100 million before the 26th of last month
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The remaining MVR 180 million will be paid before March 5, he said
"By February 26, we paid MVR 105 million instead of MVR 100 million. March 5 was our second payment," he said.
He said that since the 5th of the month, MIFCO has started issuing the pending amounts. A payment of MVR 50 million is being issued right at this moment, he said.
"We hope to pay off the existing backlog just before Ramadan”, Shiyam explained.
