All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPG) of the UK Parliament has offered support in requesting to lower the tariffs on fish products exported from the Maldives.
The APPG meeting held to discuss fish exports from the Maldives to the UK was participated by Maldivian High Commissioner to the UK Dr. Farahanaz Faisal and Maldivian Minister of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture Zaha Waheed.
At the Estimates Debate on Official Development Assistance, Member of Parliament for Southend West David Amess raised the important issues of trade tariffs and travel corridors between the UK and the Maldives. Amess highlighted support will be given to reduce tariffs on fish exports, adding he will initiate efforts to formulate a trade agreement between both countries on the matter which is of high impact to the tourism and fisheries sector of the Maldives. Amess said it is unfair to impose huge tariffs on a country as small as the Maldives. He noted the Maldives will only get a small amount of income from exporting fish to the UK with the tariffs imposed now.
Meanwhile, Minister Zaha Waheed expressed her sincerest gratitude for chairing the APPG meeting and for the commitment towards securing a trade partnership agreement between the Maldives and the UK. The fisheries minister expressed confidence the endeavour will be greatly beneficial to the fisheries community and the industry. She noted reducing import tariffs of fisheries products to major markets is key to the existence and development of fisheries sector of the Maldives.
When the Maldives was listed as a developing country the leniency on fish exports were eliminated in 2013 which resulted in a major slash in the revenue generated from exporting fish products to Europe. The Maldives has been working to attain the leniencies since 2014.