Fishermen have set the condition of 100 percent grant from the government for modifying boats in line with the EU specifications and a complete waiver of income and other taxes, sources said on Saturday.
There will also be other demands from the representatives of the fishermen including protection of boat owners'' interest and environment, besides removal of check posts, action against mangrove loggers etc., in a meeting with the Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Nazar Mohammed Gondal on Sunday, they added.
Bona fide fishermen and Boat Owners Welfare Association''s representatives will inform the minister about the problems of fishermen in a meeting, confirmed Asif Bhatti, the association''s president to Business Recorder.
He expected that the minister is likely to make major decisions for the resolution of fishermen problems. In the first week of August, the federal government had asked the Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) to ensure the availability of some 50 modified boats at the month end, ahead of the possible request to EU for harbour''s inspection.
The federal minister''s visit aims to review personally the work being carried out by the authority, sources said, adding that the fishermen are not happy with the authority''s attitude and procedures.
Bhatti said that he will acquaint the minister with problems in writing also. On the issue of 100 percent grant, he said that if the government is unable to provide us with it on a permanent basis, then it should ensure it in the first phase.
The cost of business has risen to a historic level, he said, adding that a boat mender''s daily wage is now Rs 1,200 which was previously only Rs 300. "In such a situation, fishermen cannot afford to continue modification on a regular basis as they have been doing for the last eight years," he said.
In the secondary phases, he said that the fishermen are ready to get their boats modified at 75 percent grant from the government as announced by the government. However, he tagged it with a condition that 25 percent interest-free loan to fishermen should be guaranteed on a five years basis with easy pay-out procedures.
He said that a demand for a complete waiver of income tax imposed by Karachi Shipyard and other taxes by the Mercantile Marine Department on fishermen will be made in the meeting.
The environment will also be key issue in the meeting which is deteriorating continuously putting serious affects on human and marine life at the coast belt, Bhatti said. "Pollution is on the rise. Authority is falling garbage in the sea, chemicals are running into it from Lyari Nadi, and coal and cement are lying open here at Karachi Port causing chest and skin decease," he alleged.
The association has 180 fibre boats, 200 big boats and 70 trawlers, he said, adding the government should invite the EU inspectors during the boat modification process so that their demands could easily be met without delay. After the completion of modification, a minor objection from anyone will not be addressable to fishermen, he made it clear.
On the other hand, Wada - local boat builders are not ready to undertake the boat modification process, saying that the government should pay them 25 percent of the cost in advance, sources said.
Comments
Comments are closed.