Legislators have called on the government to support fishermen, who they claim have been hit hard by the rise in fuel prices across the kingdom.
Parliament yesterday unanimously approved a proposal submitted by five MPs, led by Bader Al Tamimi, to provide partial subsidies or introduce a dedicated fuel card system for officially registered fishermen.
“Fuel is not optional for fishermen, it is the backbone of their work,” said Mr Al Tamimi.
“Rising prices have sharply increased operating costs, reduced profit margins and, in some cases, forced fishermen to cut back or suspend trips.”
He warned that continued pressure could reduce fish supply in local markets, increase reliance on imports and undermine a traditional profession that supports hundreds of families.
MPs also unanimously approved another proposal that calls for an increase in transport allowances for government sector employees, in response to the fuel price hike – particularly premium fuel, which they said has risen by nearly 57 per cent.
It was submitted by five legislators, led by public utilities and environment affairs committee vice-chairman MP Mohammed Janahi, who argued that the current allowance no longer covers even basic commuting costs.
“Fuel prices have risen sharply, but transport allowances have remained unchanged, eroding their real value,” said Mr Janahi.
“Public sector employees are absorbing these costs daily, and this proposal seeks to restore balance and job stability.”
MPs behind the initiative stressed the urgency of the matter, noting that transport costs directly affected household budgets amid broader inflationary pressures.
Meanwhile, a third proposal spearheaded by five MPs, led by Dr Muneer Suroor, was also approved unanimously by the Parliament yesterday.
It called for expanding the second electricity tariff bracket from 5,000 kilowatt-hours to 7,000 kilowatt-hours, particularly during summer, and creating a special mechanism for extended families – either by calculating tariffs based on the number of families in one dwelling, or allowing separate meters for each household.
The MPs highlighted cases where multiple families sharing a single home are billed as one high-consumption household, pushing them into higher, unsubsidised tariff brackets despite modest individual incomes.
“This proposal does not challenge the principle of subsidies,” said Dr Suroor.
“It seeks to ensure fairness in how they are applied, so that support for first homes truly reaches those who deserve it, especially extended families whose higher consumption reflects living arrangements, not extravagance.”
MPs said the three proposals reflect Parliament’s commitment to practical, targeted relief for citizens most affected by cost increases – from households facing higher power bills to workers commuting daily and fishermen battling soaring operational costs. All three motions have now been referred to the Cabinet for review.
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