News Desk
MALÉ, Maldives – In a move to improve access to fuel for the country’s fishing communities, the government inaugurated a project on Thursday to establish fuel storage and distribution centers in every atoll across the Maldives.
The initiative, which aims to have at least one fuel center per atoll by February 2026, is part of President Muizzu’s vision to eliminate the “culture of temporary solutions” that has long plagued the fisheries sector.
“So far, there have been temporary fixes, but the President has a vision of providing a permanent solution for our fisherfolk,” said Ahmed Shyam, the Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources.
Under the new policy, fuel will be supplied at subsidized rates through the State Trading Organization (STO), fulfilling a key promise in President Muizzu’s manifesto.
“Today’s inauguration aims to have fuel setups in all the atolls of the country by February 2026,” said Shimad Ibrahim, the Managing Director of STO.
The first fuel center has already been established in Hulhumale’, with plans to cover the northern and southern atolls by February 2025, and the remaining atolls by October 2025.
“Providing fuel at a subsidized rate to fisherfolks is an important part of the policies implemented by President Muizzu,” Shyam said, expressing confidence that the challenges facing the fisheries sector will be overcome in the first three years of this government.
The move is expected to ease the burden on the country’s fishing communities, who have long grappled with the high cost and limited availability of fuel, a critical input for their livelihoods.
