President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on Tuesday night called on fishermen who have been protesting for three days over payments owed by the Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) to halt their protest for talks with the government.
Fishermen are owed MVR 300 million in outstanding payments. According to the fishermen, MIFCO’s senior officials assured that MVR 119 million would be paid out on Wednesday. But MIFCO has not officially confirmed this.
Speaking at a rally in Gaaf Dhaal Thinadhoo last night, President Muizzu said the government has been paying what it can to fishermen and that the public should understand the situation. The government would not deliberately withhold payments if funds were available, he said.
“I am ready for talks even tonight or tomorrow. So things can be done when we talk through dialogue and do things properly.”
As an example, President Muizzu said the removal of Indian soldiers in the Maldives was also agreed through talks.
“That’s not something that happens with short tempers, brute force and taking to the streets to protest. What can we achieve by doing that. We can’t achieve anything,” the President said, referring to the issue of Indian troops.
He urged fishermen to seek dialogue to resolve the dispute.
“I am certain that fishermen, too, wouldn’t want under any circumstance to protest inside expensive places built with public funds and enter powerhouses in those places,” President Muizzu said.
The fishermen from 27 boats who have been protesting in Kooddoo since Sunday were last paid on December 17, 2023.
Some of the protesting fishermen told Adhadhu yesterday that MIFCO was trying to settle payments for the boats docked at Kooddoo before President Muizzu arrives on the nearby island of Gaaf Alif Villingili later today.
With pressure mounting over the protest, MIFCO CEO Ahmed Shamah Rasheed went to Kooddoo and assured the fishermen yesterday that MVR 119 million would be paid out on Wednesday.
"We have arranged about MVR 119 million with an arrangement to reimburse payments due later," he said.
Fishermen protesting from boats docked in the Kooddoo and Addu fish factories are collectively owed MVR 50 million, according to the protesters.
