Government had spent around USD5.3 million on distributions of a case of canned tuna to every household as a special gift for the Holy Month of Ramadan.
The government had distributed a 48-can case of canned tuna to every household for Ramadan, as pledged by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu early this year.
According to statistics shared by the Ministry of Finance and Planning, 111,231 cases of canned tuna had been distributed across the country by the end of Ramadan which amounts to 50,519 households in the capital Male’ and 60,712 in the rest of the country.
The government had entrusted State fisheries firm, Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company Limited (MIFCO) to supply the canned tuna which prompted the to give a discount of around USD2 per case. The company normally sells a case of canned tuna in oil for around USD49.
With the discount, the government has spent a total of USD5.3 million to gift a case of canned tuna to households across the country.
Last year, the government distributed staple foods to 82,000 households across the Maldives, However, this year, the President decided to distribute canned fish, which is widely consumed in most households during Ramadan.
In addition to food distribution, similar to last year, the government had also provided significant discounts on utility bills during the Ramadan.