Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture has revealed that work is underway to recover over 39 million rufiyaa owed to the state via the ministry as per the Audit Report.
The Ministry's 2016 Audit Report was published on the 29th of May, 2017. The state is owed approximately MVR 39,935,044 as defaulting payments for loans provided by the ministry for the establishment of ice plants and for the procurement of fishing vessels and engines in four areas in Maldives, according to the 2016 Audit Report for the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture. The audit report recommended the ministry to recover these amounts within a month, in accordance with relevant procedures in the Public Finance Act.
Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Permanent Secretary Hussain Sinan said that the loans for fishing vessels were issued in 1997 and that recipients who were defaulting on their loans had been given multiple chances on multiple occasions. Some of these cases have even been sent for prosecution. He also said that some of the recipients are no longer alive, it was difficult to move forward with their cases due to inability to sort out issues with heirs.
Addressing the press conference the Financial Executive at the Ministry of Fisheries Enas Nazeer said that the Ice Plant established in Guraidhoo Island is being operated by a private party and that they have issued the first notice to pay the amounts owed to the state.