Sindh launches fuel subsidy scheme for fishermen

KARACHI: The Sindh government has introduced a fuel subsidy programme for owners of small fishing boats, under which eligible fishermen will receive financial assistance ranging from Rs100,000 to Rs200,000 through Sindh Bank.

The announcement was made by Sindh Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Muhammad Ali Malkani on Thursday while chairing the third review meeting of the Provincial Fisheries Regulatory Task Force in Karachi. Malkani said no fisherman would be registered without a valid Computerised National Identity Card, making CNIC-based registration compulsory to ensure that government support reaches genuine fishermen.

He said the provincial government was working to bring services for fishermen under a single-window system. As part of that effort, fishermen are being linked with NADRA, while a barcode-based online mechanism is being introduced for licensing, boat registration, jetty registration and other related services.

Malkani also said inspections of jetties would be carried out and that only those jetties providing facilities to fishermen would be registered. He said the changes were intended to improve transparency and make the registration process more efficient.

According to the minister, a Fisheries Regulatory Task Force has been formed on government directives, under which civil and armed forces are jointly conducting a one-window operation for the registration of genuine fishermen.

He said security concerns were also a major focus of the exercise, adding that steps were being taken in coastal areas to check terrorism, drug trafficking and the smuggling of illegal arms, while also safeguarding the country’s maritime borders.

The meeting was attended by Livestock and Fisheries Secretary Dr Kazim Hussain, Marine Fisheries Director General Dr Asim Karim and other officials.