MP Firushan raises concerns over Villa-owned Horizon Fisheries misconduct
Construction of the Horizon factory in Hoadehdhoo unfinished even after 15 years
MP for Madaveli Constituency Hussain Firushan speaks on the floor of Parliament
Member of Parliament for Madaveli Constituency Hussain Firushan has expressed concerns that Horizon Fisheries Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Villa Shipping and Trading Company Pvt. Ltd, has been neglecting employees in the island of G.Dh. Hoadehdhoo.
MP Firushan explained that Horizon Fisheries had failed to best proceed with operations in their Hoadehdhoo Complex for years, and that the company was failing to make rent payments to the Hoadehdhoo Island Council for the land that had been allocated to them for the construction of a fish processing factory.
Horizon Fisheries also dashed the salaries of employees following the Covid-19 pandemic. MP Firushan raised concerns regarding Horizon's rampant mistreatment of employees, for which no action has yet been taken against the company. He further called on Minister of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture Zaha Waheed to review the case after publicizing a circular by Villa Shipping and Trading, which detailed percentage deduction of salaries for employees, on his public Twitter.
8 December 2020 marked 15 years since land was allocated from G.Dh. Hoadehdhoo for the construction of a fish processing factory by Horizon Fisheries. MP Firushan wrote to Former President and Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed on 5 October last year to express his concerns about the issue and bring it to the attention of Parliament.
Further, Fisheries Minister Zaha was questioned by Parliament about the Horizon Fisheries case on 10 February last year.
The Maldivian government signed an agreement with Horizon Fisheries on 8 December 2005 to construct and operate a factory in G.Dh. Hoadehdhoo, to allow fishermen from the southern regions of the Maldives a viable location to have their catch weighed, sold and processed. Under this agreement, the Maldivian government rented 13 hectares of land from the island of Hoadehdhoo to Horizon Fisheries to develop the factory, work for which is yet to begin even after 15 years.
