Minister of Fisheries, Marine Resources, and Agriculture Dr. Hussain Rasheed Hassan has revealed the government is working on receiving duty exemptions for fish exports to Europe. He made the statement while responding to questions in parliament.
In his statement, Minister Hassan said the government has held discussions on receiving duty exemptions in Europe and has received several proposals. The minister highlighted the importance of exporting fish products to foreign markets to receive fair prices and noted that Europe imposes a 22% duty for Maldivian fish products. He said that a Maldivian delegation recently discussed the issue with the European Union (EU), which proposed designating the countries the Maldives wish to receive exemptions from.
Minister Hassan said the government is now working to sign agreements on duty exemptions with countries that are for sustainable development. The minister said the duty exemption agreements will allow the Maldives to raise its price of fish products in the foreign market.
He revealed the government is also working to expand the export of fish products to Russia, Turkey, and Eastern Europe.
Minister Hassan said expanding the export of fish products to more markets will allow fishermen to sell their catch to companies at a higher price. Additionally, the minister said the government has also established a board to promote the Maldivian fisheries industry.
The Maldives previously received duty exemptions for fish exports to Europe under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) programme, but the EU had declined to extend the exemption after the country no longer qualified for the programme.