Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) has let go of many workers, citing the need to save money. The exact number of layoffs hasn’t been disclosed officially, but reports suggest more than 30 people have lost their jobs at the Kooddoo site alone.
Ibrahim Saeed (Cade), a MIFCO media official, explained that these layoffs were due to poor attendance or prolonged absenteeism among the workers. He insisted that all dismissals followed the rules.
The government has justified these cost-cutting actions by claiming financial difficulties. However, despite cutting jobs in state-owned companies like MIFCO, there has been no reduction in the number of political appointees.
Moreover, while the Finance Ministry proposed austerity measures to manage the country’s finances, these measures haven’t been put into action even after getting approval from the cabinet. This delay suggests a lack of clear planning or openness in how the government handles economic issues.
These layoffs affect ordinary workers disproportionately, while higher-level political appointments remain untouched. This uneven approach raises questions about fairness and the government’s commitment to helping all Maldivians during tough economic times.
The recent job cuts at MIFCO highlight bigger concerns about the Maldives government’s economic policies. The focus on saving money seems to target workers more than fixing broader economic problems. For a fair recovery, there needs to be more openness, fairness, and equal treatment of all sectors in the Maldives’ economic planning.
