Minister defends capping rates for port workers

Appearing on the state broadcaster Television Maldives, Mohamed Saeed said complaints from businesses were taken into account and stakeholders were consulted before setting the upper limits for cargo clearance fees.

“We talked to companies. The difficulty they face is dockworkers naming fees at whim,” he said. “[Workers would say] ‘we’ll clear a noodles container today for this price and tomorrow for that price.’ These are difficulties caused due to lack of regulating.”

Saeed suggested that controlled fees are beneficial for all parties as they can be assured about consistent prices.