President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has stated that no party stands to benefit from obstructing the fulfilment of pledges made to the public.
He made these remarks during the second episode of The Pulse podcast series, released on Friday.
In this episode, which focused specifically on the fisheries industry, the President responded to questions posed by Mihaaru, detailing the ongoing initiatives to strengthen the sector and highlighting key milestones achieved so far.
Emphasising his commitment to strengthening the entire industry, the President noted that positive outcomes have already been realised through efforts to streamline operations and improve efficiency at the Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO). He noted that the aim is to maintain the fish purchasing price at USD 1.30 per kilogram, expressing hope that it could be raised further as conditions allow.
Similarly, the President expressed hope that the existing tariff exemption granted by the United Kingdom would continue and become permanent, affirming that efforts would continue on this front as well.
President Dr Muizzu also noted that measures are currently being taken to address the grievances of yellowfin tuna fishermen. He pointed out that the most sustainable, competitive prices could be secured through MIFCO's re-entry into the yellowfin tuna market, and assured that the process would be carried out in consultation with the fishing community.
In addition, the President addressed the decline in the number of people actively engaged in the fisheries sector across the country.
The President also observed that the industry had suffered due to excessive recruitment into State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), which had diverted a significant portion of the workforce. However, he explained that ongoing SOE reforms would yield positive structural outcomes for the wider economy, including the fisheries sector, and reaffirmed the Government's commitment to addressing these challenges through a holistic and comprehensive economic policy framework.
Expressing overall satisfaction with the progress of ongoing efforts to advance the fisheries industry, the President concluded by assuring that existing challenges to developing a modern, state-of-the-art fish market in Male’ City — the hub with the highest concentration of stakeholders in the sector — would be resolved.