The government’s newly established fishermen membership register will provide crucial social protection and financial opportunities for local fishermen, Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources Ahmed Shiyam has said.
Speaking to state media while accompanying President Dr Mohamed Muizzu on a tour of several islands in Dhaalu Atoll, Minister Shiyam stated that the national fishermen register is nearing completion. He urged all fishermen to take advantage of the initiative, highlighting that it would bring significant benefits to the sector.
One of the key issues fishermen face is their ineligibility for financial products due to the absence of official income verification. Minister Shiyam assured that the government is working on simplifying the income verification process to allow fishermen access to financial services such as loans, similar to other industries.
“We are making arrangements to make the income verification process easier so that fishermen’s verification or loan can be approved easily. Hopefully, that will be a very happy day for the families of fishermen,” he said.
The government has recently introduced several initiatives to address longstanding concerns in the fishing sector. President Dr Muizzu recently announced his aspiration to extend a Ramadan allowance to fishermen, similar to allowances received in other sectors, and pledged efforts to turn this into reality.
