Hon. Bimal Rathnayake

¶ 01 No issue, please ask the supplementaries. We will refer them to the relevant Ministry and provide answers.

¶ 02 On behalf of the Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, I provide the following answer:

¶ 03 (a) (i) The number of active fishermen engaged in marine fishing in the Puttalam Fisheries District is 13,130 (according to the 2024 Statistical Report). (ii) The number of boats recommended for the fuel subsidy is 14,903. The fuel subsidy is granted to boat owners. Since one boat owner may own multiple boats, the number of fishermen receiving the subsidy cannot be specified as a count of individuals. (iii) Rs. 148,714,450. (iv) For 2024, information on fishing vessels in the 15 fisheries districts engaged in the active industry, with registration and operating licenses, was obtained and updated via a computerized software. Based on that data, registration for the fuel programme was carried out. For IMUL (multi-day) and one-day fishing vessels, from October to March, applications recommended by the Assistant Director along with the fuel bills were forwarded by district offices to the Head Office. Vouchers were issued for the vessels stated in the applications and, upon receipt of those vouchers, payments were credited directly to the accounts of the vessel owners. For OFRP and MTRB vessels, payments were initially made against bills only in October; however, at the request of fishermen’s organizations, from November to March (a period of five months), a fixed amount of Rs. 9,375 per month was credited to the accounts of vessel owners against lists of active vessels certified by the Assistant Director. Applications received by the Head Office were checked immediately; deficiencies were obtained via WhatsApp and email to improve efficiency. To ensure maximum transparency, payments were made only to bank accounts maintained in the fisherman’s name at recognized commercial banks. Delays may have occurred where account numbers were incorrect or the accounts inactive, even when details were provided. The fishing community must continue to build a savings habit and align with the formal financial system.

¶ 04 (b) Does not arise.