Fish harbour 'stinks of corruption', say protesting fishermen

Allege authorities collecting tax and fee in cash and not depositing it with exchequer

KARACHI:

The protest of fishermen at Karachi Fish Harbour continued on Sunday.

The main reason for which was the continuous delay in the election of the Fishermen's Cooperative Society, the protest against the 2.5% tax imposed on fish by the Fishermen's Cooperative Society and the heavy fines on absence of gate pass the entrance and exit gates. Traders and companies took fish and other catch out of the harbour without gate passes in protest.

The fishermen have alleged that instead of asking them to deposit the tax in the bank, the Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) and FCS officers are collecting it in cash. The fishermen said they doubt that the officers are pocketing the tax amount collected in cash from them. Moreover, cash collection for gate pass was unfair because they do not know who was getting the money.

When there is no legal procedure for this cash transaction, how will it be spent on the welfare of the fishermen? The protestors said.

Meanwhile, the sanitary workers at the fish harbour have also stopped working over non-payment of dues.

They alleged that KFHA and FCS make collections from the fishermen and also take huge sums from the government but they do not pay the workers and spend nothing on the welfare or the upkeep of the harbour. Instead, the private organisations and philanthropists help the poor fishermen. Owing to the strike of cleaning staff, the stench at the fish harbour was becoming troublesome even for the fishermen.