The Member of Parliament for Odododiodioo, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, wants the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development to outline measures it is implementing to address the issue of premix fuel shortage.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, who has constituents who make a living from fishing, said the government must devise alternatives to make premix fuel available for fishermen.
“The ministry cannot just say that efforts are being made. What are those efforts being made and what other measures are they putting in place in order to minimize the cost of fuel for the fisher folk because they cannot be competing with drivers for the same fuel,” the MP said.
Fisher folk in recent times have raised concerns about the shortage of the commodity, which they say is having a toll on their operations.
The fishermen say they are compelled to purchase fuel meant for vehicles at exorbitant prices anytime they want to embark on a fishing expedition.
The premix shortages across the various landing beaches have been blamed on hoarding of the product in the past.
The Government through the Ministry for Fisheries and Aquaculture announced a stakeholder consultation to automate the supply.
This initiative was scheduled to take place in 2022 but with just a month to the end of the year, the initiative is yet to be rolled out.