MPL Clears 480 Tonnes of Perishable Goods for Ramadan

Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) has cleared 480 tonnes of perishable goods from the Malé Commercial Harbour in preparation for Ramadan.

The clearance, completed by noon on 17 February, comprised 13,113 packages of vegetables, fruits, fresh meat, and other rapidly perishable food items.

MPL reported that two additional vessels carrying perishable goods are currently at the harbour, with all cargo expected to be cleared by midnight on 18 February. The volume of imports typically increases during Ramadan to meet rising demand for fresh food products.

To facilitate smooth operations, MPL has announced service hours for the holy month. Loading and unloading of goods from vessels, as well as container shifting services, will be provided daily between 09:00 and 16:00, and again from 21:00 to 01:30, except on Fridays when services will run only from 21:00 to 01:30. Assignments for clearance will be conducted from 09:00 to 13:00 and 21:00 to 22:30 daily, excluding Fridays.

MPL has also introduced a container clearance limit, with up to 150 20-foot containers cleared each day except Fridays. Online shifting requests will be accepted from 10:00 to 09:00 the following day, excluding Fridays. Normal Express applications can be submitted between 20:30 and 10:30 the next day, while Daily Express applications are accepted from 09:15 to 13:00 through the MyBandharu Portal, again excluding Fridays.

These measures aim to ensure the timely availability of essential food items for the public during the Ramadan period.